As you said, Ireland is having a big moment right now.
Fecking good-looking lads, innit? Do you know what I mean? [Laughs.]
You and Cillian Murphy and Paul and Andrew.
It’s nice to be in that company. You know, the Irish—when they’re away, they stick to one another. There’s this kind of language and this energy, that sometimes we don’t even finish our sentences. It’s just like “Eh! Oh! Yer! Eh? Short look! Yeh?” That’s it. And it’s great to see fecking Cillian killing it as well. I love that man. I really do. It’s a great group of lads, do you know what I mean? It’d be good to get us all in one big fecking movie, wouldn’t it?
That would be a great idea. You could even get Ayo Edebiri, Ireland’s adopted daughter.
Exactly. She’s killing it, man. She’s killing. I bumped into her as well at…what was it? I’m losing track. The Governors Ball. Oh, she’s so cool, she really is. Again, there’s so many—Saoirse [Ronan], Alison Oliver as well. There’s so many of us. We definitely have to feckin’ get some sort of movie going. A big ensemble. It’d be like, “Who’s the most Irish?” We’d be all really putting it on. All the accents, oh, God. You wouldn’t understand us because when we all get together, we become more Irish, and no one understands anything that’s being said.
Looking ahead, you’ve got the miniseries Masters of the Air, and you’re also playing the Joker in DC’s The Batman 2. What do you want your career to look like going forward?
The filmmaker and the role and the story are the three boxes that need ticking. I just want to collaborate with people who are out there trying to bring a new approach to it, people that want to take risks. I also want to be challenged and put to the test where I push my limits and learn on the gig. For me, I physically want to go somewhere. I want to physically change and take on a certain walk or a certain voice and really do a character piece. With Banshees, in contrast to Saltburn, I felt there was a range there, but I feel I’ve just arrived in that sense. Artistically, I’m really comfortable with digging deeper to kind of push myself and bring in some more raw emotion—really break myself down trying to search and discover new performances. But it’s just to have fun and have a legacy and have good recognition, and to enjoy it. And to get from what I’m seeking, which is fulfillment and a place of peace.
On top of all this, you’re a relatively new father—your son was born in August 2022. How has it been juggling everything?
Brando Keoghan. He has a lot to live up to, I tell you. It’s great. I’ve seen him two days ago, and I spent some really good quality time with him. I’ve seen him grow. He’s amazing. You see little resemblances and little characteristics coming through, and it’s just beautiful. It’s a new territory for me, and I want to be the best person for him. It’s a very important thing for me—for him to be able to grow up and be proud of his daddy, and to lean on his daddy. And if he has questions or anything, I’m always there for him in that sense of learning and growing with him and failing. [Picks up a stuffed toy wolf.] I’ve got his little wolf here, innit? He’s young, but he’s full of cheekiness already. His smile breaks my heart. When he makes eye contact with you, you just melt.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. For fashion and beauty details, go to VF.com/credits.