Irish BAFTA winner, Barry Keoghan, 33, has invested in an aggressive Alsatian to keep him safe after his split from US megastar Sabrina Carpenter
He’s taken on a lead role in the new Beatles biopic, and Barry Keoghan has been working like a dog off screen too… Training his new protection pup.
The Irish BAFTA winner, 33, has invested in an aggressive Alsatian to keep him safe. The dogs are a must-have for VIPs, including Premier League footballers, who often snap them up to avoid being targeted by burglars.
Barry has spoken of coming under intense public scrutiny, particularly after his split from US pop megastar Sabrina Carpenter. Clips shared on Instagram show the star learning how to handle pooch Duke and throwing him a blue chew toy.
READ MORE: Peaky Blinders extras needed – with only one hairstyle allowedREAD MORE: First look at Beatlemania in new movie as Paul Mescal transforms into Paul McCartney
A trainer from firm Lawless K9 wrote: “During a recent visit we got to get some great bonding in with Barry and Duke, and they got the opportunity to work together which was really nice to see..and Barry naturally picked it up fast.
“Plenty more to come from Duke, lots of training and development. He has been nurtured and trained by us to make sure he is a well-rounded dog, and his protection training is done correctly over time and not forced. Teaching him to box before he gets in the ring.”
Keoghan, who shot to fame as Oliver Quick in thriller Saltburn, is playing Ringo Starr in a new four-film Beatles bonanza. He gave fans a small taste of what’s to come at a red carpet event last month by sporting the drummer’s signature ‘moptop’ hairdo.
Keoghan recently admitted he couldn’t look Beatles legend Starr in the eye when they first met, saying: “He asked me to play, but I wasn’t playing the drums for Ringo.” Separate films for all four Beatles band members will be released simultaneously as part of a cinematic event in 2028. Paul Mescal is set to play Paul McCartney, Harris Dickinson is John Lennon, and Joseph Quinn has taken on George Harrison.
Filming for the four-part series, which was described by producer Tom Rothman as “the first bingeable theatrical experience”, has already begun. All four actors have been seen dressed as their respective Beatles in London, which has been done up to look like New York in the 1960s, at the height of Beatlemania.
After the cast’s announcement was made in April 2025, critics were quick to label the biopics as “horribly miscast”. One X user remarked that the actors did not look much like the iconic band and wrote: “If these are any good at all, the hair and makeup team need to be awarded the Nobel prize.”
Another said: “Even if I squint, I don’t see The Beatles.” A third, specifically talking about Keoghan’s casting as Starr said: “It’s horribly miscast. The only thing in common is they’re both vaguely weird-looking.”
John Lennon’s own sister, Julia Baird, took aim at the cast, though she criticised the choice of Mescal as McCartney. She told The MailOnline that she felt there were many actors “waiting for a chance”, whereas Mescal, famed for Normal People and Gladiator II, had been “in everything”.
She argued that the casting should have included more actors from Liverpool, the city the Beatles hailed from. “I don’t think anything other than, have they been investigated and looked at Liverpool actors? Paul Mescal is in everything – get real, come on,” she said. “There are more actors out there waiting for a go and for a chance.”
After the first images of the four done up like the iconic musicians were released, fans remained sceptical. One shared a picture of Starr on X and said: “What have they done to my boy?” Another said: “Barry Keoghan is a squashed face Ringo Starr.” However, some have said that, of the four, Keoghan and Mescal look the most like the men they are playing.
Less has been said about the casting of each of the band’s partners. Soairse Ronan has been cast as Linda McCartney, Anna Sawai as Yoko Ono, Aimee Lou Wood as George Harrison’s wife Pattie Boyd, and Mia McKenna-Bruce as Maureen Starkey, Starr’s first wife.
Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: mirror.co.uk
