Saltburn's Barry Keoghan Reacted To Filming His Full-Frontal Nude Scene With Three Words

While there were plenty of shocking movies released in 2023, one of the most chilling and disturbing was undoubtedly Emerald Fennell's dark comedy "Saltburn." A story of desire, judgment, envy, and lust, the film culminates in a devilish and debaucherous final celebration from Oliver (Barry Keoghan) as he finally gets everything he wants.

Viewers who have seen "Saltburn" will surely recall how his victory is celebrated with a naked dance through the titular house. It turns out it really was Keoghan busting a move and that no body doubles or prosthetics were used for the sequence. In fact, the actor embraced the nature of the scene pretty quickly and found his groove for what many might consider an uncomfortable shoot.

"After take one, I was ready to go," Keoghan told Men's Health. "I was like, 'Let's go again. Let's go again.' You kind of forget because there's such a comfortable environment created, and it gives you that license to go, 'All right, this is about the story now.'" 

"The Banshees of Inisherin" actor continued by explaining, "It's ownership. This is my place. It's full confidence in, 'I can do what I want in this manor. I can strip to my barest and waltz around because this is mine.'"

From a thematic standpoint, it's easy to see where the performer is coming from, and considering the nature of the scene, it makes a lot of sense as the wrapper for Emerald Fennell's sophomore feature. In the case of Barry Keoghan's final naked dance in "Saltburn," it was also a mix of feeling powerful in his own skin and practice making perfect. According to Screen Daily, Keoghan shot the scene 11 times in order to get everything just right. 

"I was trying to perfect it because I wanted it to look gorgeous with this naked figure roaming about all those rooms with their grand paintings and drapery," Keoghan told the publication. "It's also a thing of him feeling his power that this is his now."

However the scene came together; like many other moments in the film, it's destined to leave a mark on viewers who sit down with the dark comedy.