Barry Keoghan, the Bafta-winning Irish movie star tipped to win an Academy Award, has made Dundee his home.
The 30-year-old – whose stunning performance in The Banshees of Inisherin earned him a best supporting actor nomination at next month’s Oscars – is living in Broughty Ferry with partner Alyson Kierans and their son Brando.
Alyson, an orthodontist, grew up in the City of Discovery.
They relocated from London in November and recently bought their own house in The Ferry.
Angelina Jolie selfies
The couple met in a pub in London in February 2021 – with The Batman actor failing to impress the 35-year-old with his acting credentials.
He later told GQ magazine: “She didn’t care.”
Barry, who picked up the best supporting actor gong at Sunday night’s Baftas, even showed Alyson selfies with Eternals co-star Angelina Jolie in a bid to prove to her he was telling the truth.
She added: “He was saying he plays a superhero in a film. I went, ‘Who, Spider-Man?’”
The pair welcomed baby boy Brando in August 2022, with the Barry posting an intimate family snap on Instagram.
He wrote: “Welcome to the pack my boy.”
‘It’s a love I’ve not felt before’
Barry’s story has captured the hearts of fans across the world.
The actor, from Summerhill in Dublin, lived in 13 foster homes growing up and his mum died from a heroin overdose when he was just 12 years old.
Speaking about fatherhood last year, he said: “It’s indescribable. It’s a love I’ve not felt before.
“You can learn from how you were raised.
“I have the chance to do the things that weren’t done for me.
“Wherever Alyson or my boy is…that’s home for me now.”
He added: “I’m not gonna sit here and say I’m very independent.
“I rely on Alyson to do a lot for me, you know, but you build this thing in you without your mother or your father.
“You have to figure it out yourself.”
‘Just a normal guy from Dublin’
Barry, also a Golden Globe nominee, and his partner will head for Hollywood next month and the bookies have him second favourite to take home an Oscars gong.
Alyson’s younger brother Danny told the Sunday Mail: “Barry and Alyson, and me and my two daughters, sat and watched the movie [The Banshees of Inisherin] in Broughty Ferry.
“We watched it before he went to the Golden Globes and before he actually got the nomination.
“We ordered a Chinese and Barry kept telling us all to be quiet when it was his bit. It was hilarious.
“We all thought the film was really, really funny and I thought Barry’s part was definitely the funniest.
“I think he has a good chance of winning.”
When the credits rolled, Barry sent a voice note to co-star Colin Farrell.
Danny said: “We all got to say hi to him. Our mum’s actually been out with Colin when she went to America with Barry and Alyson.
“She’s been out drinking with him and she’s in her 70s.
“She thinks he’s great, she’s met him a few times now. Barry also got The Rock to send a birthday message to Alyson.
“It’s so funny we have these celebrity connections, we’re just a normal family from Dundee and Barry’s a normal guy from Dublin.”
Awards spotlight
The screen star’s role in Banshees also earned him a Golden Globe nomination last month but he lost out to Everything Everywhere All at Once’s Ke Huy Quan.
He hit the red carpet in baby blue Louis Vuitton and was pictured with movie legend Jamie Lee Curtis.
Barry has also appeared in Dunkirk, The Eternals, The Green Knight and Irish gangster drama Love/Hate.
But he is not the first Dundee resident to enjoy the Oscars spotlight.
Former Dundee United captain Neil Paterson won the Academy Award for best adapted screenplay for Room at the Top in 1960.
Last year gift bags at the ceremony featured a three-night stay at Turin Castle near Forfar – claimed to be worth about $50,000.
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