Barry Keoghan Recalls Fighting Flesh-Eating Disease Before Filming Oscar-Nominated Role

The actor was diagnosed with a case of necrotizing fasciitis last year, and was told by doctors that death and amputation were both on the table.

Barry Keoghan nearly lost his arm — and his life — to a bad case of necrotizing fasciitis.

The Irish actor was about to start filming Martin McDonagh’s “Banshees of Inisherin” (2022) when he caught the flesh-eating disease. In an interview for GQ’s February cover story published Tuesday, he recalled learning about his options from concerned doctors.

Keoghan told the outlet they considered an amputation and informed him that one in five cases are fatal. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the bacterial infection spreads rapidly and is deadly if left untreated with surgery or antibiotics.

Keoghan still recalls asking if he was going to die, only to be told: “Well, we don’t know.”

McDonagh himself remembered visiting Keoghan at the hospital mere days before principal photography began. While the director endearingly told Keoghan to “remember this when you’ve been nominated for an Oscar,” he was genuinely worried.