Barry Keoghan Opens Up About His Battle With Flesh-Eating Bacteria

Actor Barry Keoghan shared his battle with necrotizing fasciitis, an uncommon bacterial infection that devours the skin, muscles, nerves, fat and blood vessels surrounding an infected wound.

Keoghan fell ill shortly before the commencement of filming for the 2022 Oscar-nominated movie The Banshees of Inisherin. He revealed that amputation of the affected area was a possibility. In reflection on his experience, he recounted the moment when he asked the doctors if his life was in danger, to which they responded, “Well, we can’t say for certain,” he told GQ.

The actor did not disclose the details of how or where he contracted the infection.

One of the bacteria known to cause this type of flesh-eating infection is Vibrio vulnificus. Approximately 150 to 200 cases of Vibrio vulnificus infection are reported to the CDC each year, and about 1 in 5 individuals succumb to the infection, sometimes within just one or two days of falling ill. Cases of flesh-eating bacteria have been on the rise in the United States due to an increase in water temperatures in the oceans, as these bacteria thrive in warmer conditions.

Martin McDonagh, the director of The Banshees of Isherin, paid a visit to Keoghan in the hospital prior to the film’s production and said that the actor seemed to downplay the severity of the situation.

McDonagh recalled, “We were only four days away from shooting, and his arm was swollen. But he was like, ‘Yeah, I’ll be fine. See you on Tuesday.'” McDonagh encouraged the actor, “Just remember this moment when you receive an Oscar nomination.”

The director’s words proved prophetic when Keoghan received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor in 2023 for his performance in the film. He starred alongside Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson and Kerry Condon. The movie received a total of nine Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture.

Although Keoghan ultimately lost the Oscar to Ke Huy Quan, the star of Everything Everywhere All At Once, he did secure a BAFTA Award that same year for Best Supporting Actor.