The Batman star Barry Keoghan has discussed his experience of having Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
Keoghan was appearing as a guest on the most recent episode of Amy Huberman's Mamia & Me podcast when talk turned to the Irish education system and how there could be a greater focus on children's strengths.
When Huberman said some of her friends only discovered they had dyslexia after leaving school, Keoghan replied: "I figured out I'd ADHD there two years ago."
"It's probably a relief to kind of go, 'This is how my brain works and this is how it's always worked'," offered the host.
"I knew I had it, though, growing up and whatever," Keoghan continued, "just the distraction side of things and zoning in [sic] and whatever..."
"I started taking medication there recently as well for it," he added. "Now, I wouldn't take it every day and there's a dose and whatever."
Huberman asked: "Do you look back at young Barry and go, 'Oh God, I wish I'd know that and then all of that makes sense'?"
"I knew I had it growing up and whatever," said Keoghan. "Again, it comes from more the sitting still and [being] easily distracted or not being able to focus on something for x amount of time or whatever."
He agreed with his fellow actor that "we should definitely nurture that, whatever the kid is into".
"Whether it be sport or whether it be drama or even something like techno graphics or something like that," he continued. "Let's zone in and get the best of that rather than... Look, I agree with getting all the basics, you know? Get basic science, get basic... It's good to have a knowledge on all of that, of course, and I'm not trying to rewrite the education system."
"But it's good to have both," said Huberman. "Why not have a platform where you have both? I'm trying to nurture my kids and also go, 'You're not allowed act!' So it's like a fine balance!"
Keoghan and his The Batman co-star Colin Farrell are part of the cast of The Banshees of Inisherin, the new film from In Bruges writer-director Martin McDonagh. Due in cinemas later this year, it also stars fellow Irish actors Brendan Gleeson and Kerry Condon.
At the end of the interview, Keoghan said he would next be working with Promising Young Woman writer-director Emerald Fennell and is also set to make a film in Ireland opposite Dead Man's Shoes star Paddy Considine.
