Barry Keoghan has said online abuse about his appearance has made him withdraw from public life and, at times, left him not wanting to go outside.
Speaking on SiriusXM's The Morning Mash Up in the US, the Dublin actor said the level of hate directed at him online had gone beyond what he felt he could brush off.
Keoghan said the abuse had made him "shy away", adding that it had pushed him further inward and made him less willing to attend events or be seen in public.
"I say this being absolutely pure and honest to you," he said. "It’s becoming a problem."
Keoghan said he had largely removed himself from social media, but admitted he still sometimes checks online reaction after attending a premiere or public event. He said the response is often "not nice", and added that the negativity has begun to affect not just his private life but his work too.
The Saltburn star said that when those anxieties begin to "leak into your art", it becomes a more serious issue, because it can make you feel like you do not even want to be on screen anymore.
Keoghan also spoke about his concerns for his son, Brando, saying it was disappointing to think he might one day read the abuse for himself.
The 33-year-old actor has been open in the past about his difficult upbringing in Dublin and his years in foster care. In recent years, he has become one of Ireland’s most internationally recognised screen stars, earning an Oscar nomination for The Banshees of Inisherin and a BAFTA Supporting Actor win for the same role.
Keoghan is set to star in one of Hollywood’s most high-profile upcoming projects. He has been cast as Ringo Starr in Sam Mendes’ forthcoming Beatles film series, alongside Paul Mescal (Paul McCartney), Harris Dickinson (John Lennon) and Joseph Quinn (George Harrison).
