The Weight of Fatherhood: Barry Keoghan Discusses the Burden and Expectations
Barry Keoghan opens up about the overwhelming 'responsibility' of fatherhood, revealing the intense pressure he feels in raising his son Brando
During the filming of Saltburn, Barry Keoghan expressed that the birth of his son, Brando, was the most wonderful time in his life. However, he acknowledged the challenges of fatherhood. "I feel a responsibility. I feel an enormous amount of pressure, which is good. And I can’t get the little boy off my mind. It’s beautiful," Keoghan, 31, told GQ in an interview published on Tuesday, January 9. "It’s crazy, but when he looks at you, you feel like the most important person in the world. That’s the effect he has on me."
Keoghan co-parents his 15-month-old son Brando with his ex-girlfriend Alyson Sandro. The Irish star was filming in Saltburn when they welcomed their child into the world. "They gave me a day off," he recalled. "Good for them! Day off and straight into night shoots and night feedings – boom!"
Keoghan later mentioned that his fatigue may be attributed to the influence of the iconic actor Marlon Brando, whom his son is named after. He cannot mention his son without acknowledging their shared namesake.
“I absolutely adore Marlon Brando, but I just thought it was really cool to have Brando in your name, man!” Keoghan exclaimed. "He’s got a lot to live up to, that kid. But he’ll definitely live up to it. He has to have that leather jacket and that rockstar attitude, you know what I mean? He’ll have a motorbike when he’s 12, I think.”
Courtesy of Barry Keoghan/Instagram
Keoghan playfully teased that as a teen, Brando will be constantly seen with a toothpick in his mouth, stating, "He’ll probably have a toothpick when I get home!" Despite no longer being together with Sandro, Keoghan praised her as "an incredible mother" to their son, commending her for doing a great job.
Keoghan and Sandro crossed paths in February 2021, and she was indifferent to his profession.
"He mentioned that he portrays a superhero in a movie," Sandro recounted to British GQ in October 2022. "I responded, 'Who, Spider-Man?'" (Keoghan was speaking about his portrayal of Druig in Marvel’s Eternals.)
Months later, in July 2021, Keoghan shared a post on Instagram, finally making his and Sandro’s relationship public. Despite being together for some time, they had kept their relationship private, only sharing the occasional photo of the two of them.
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“M’lady yer beautiful ️️,” he captioned a February 2022 Instagram. In October of that year, the couple announced that they were gearing up to welcome a baby.
"During the same interview, Keoghan confirmed that she is expecting a baby boy, prior to Brando's birth in August 2022. The Sun later reported their split nearly a year after becoming parents in July 2023."
