Actor Barry Keoghan has skyrocketed to widespread fame with his starring role in the thriller “Saltburn,” for which he was already nominated for several “Best Actor” awards. He also recently welcomed his first child with then-girlfriend Alyson Sandro. But after his son was born, he said he was allowed just one day off of work as paternity leave.
In an interview with GQ, Keoghan spoke about the movie, as well as the birth of his son, Brando. “They gave me a day off. Good on them! Day off, and straight on to night shoots and night feedings – boom! You see me tired. Yeah. Brando. Good ol’ Brando,” he said, adding, “It was probably the best time of my life, to be quite fair. Havin’ a baby boy, and leadin’ a movie. It was the best time of my life, I must say – yeah.”
Hollywood is notoriously anti-child, particularly in regard to its starlets, who have frequently been pressured into — or outright forced to have — abortions. And outside of Hollywood, Keoghan’s story is a reminder of why support for families is so important.
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Pro-lifers, including Live Action founder and president Lila Rose, have increasingly advocated for paid family leave. It’s also become more mainstream to realize that it’s not just new mothers who need time off after a baby is born; fathers need paternal leave as well, to provide much-needed support for a mother recovering from childbirth and to increase bonding between father and child, which is known to improve health and engagement outcomes. Most men have to return to work soon after the birth of a child, not because they want to work, but because they believe there is no other choice. Maternity leave is considered by many to be woefully inadequate in the United States, but paternity leave is nearly non-existent.
Despite having to work immediately after his son was born, and the stress and fatigue having a newborn brings, Keoghan is still thrilled with his new role as a father.
“I feel a responsibility. I feel an enormous amount of pressure, which is good,” he said. “And I can’t get the little boy off my mind. It’s beautiful. Y’know, it’s crazy, but when he looks at you, you feel like the most important person in the world. That’s the effect he has on me. He smiles at you and you’re like, Wow. You’re smiling at me like that? I don’t deserve that, but anyways, thanks.”
