Actor Barry Keoghan Survived Life-Threatening Flesh-Eating Disease

Keoghan, known for roles in 'The Batman' and 'Saltburn', contracted necrotizing fasciitis before filming 'The Banshees of Inisherin', for which he received an Oscar nomination.

Barry Keoghan, the Irish actor known for his roles in 'The Batman', 'Marvel’s Eternals', 'The Killing of a Sacred Deer', 'Dunkirk', and most recently 'Saltburn', revealed in an interview with GQ that he contracted necrotizing fasciitis, a rare and life-threatening flesh-eating disease, just days before filming 'The Banshees of Inisherin' in 2022.
Keoghan was told by doctors that one in five cases of necrotizing fasciitis is fatal and that amputation of his infected arm was a possibility. He asked the doctors if he was going to die, to which they responded, 'Well, we don’t know.'
Despite the severity of his condition, Keoghan was determined to continue with the filming of 'The Banshees of Inisherin'. Martin McDonagh, the director of the film, recalled visiting Keoghan in the hospital and being told by the actor that he would be fine and ready for shooting in four days.
Keoghan survived the infection and went on to receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in 'The Banshees of Inisherin'. He now has a scar going up his arm from the surgery to remove the infected tissue.
Keoghan's most recent work is in the movie 'Saltburn', written and directed by Emerald Fennell. He plays a lead role in the film, which is a significant step up in his career.