Barry Keoghan refused to play drums for Ringo Starr ahead of Beatles biopic
The actor, 32, who is set to portray Ringo Starr in an upcoming Beatles biopic, got candid on a once in a lifetime hangout with the famed drummer, 84.
'I met him at his house, and he played the drums for me,' Keoghan revealed on Wednesday's episode of 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!'
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'He asked me to play, but I wasn't playing the drums for Ringo.'
10 The Beatles, from left Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr and John Lennon.
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10 Ringo Starr in 1964.
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Host Jimmy Kimmel asked the 'Saltburn' star if he was there to absorb all he could from Starr, to which Keoghan concurred.
'And when I was talking to him, I couldn't look at him,' he added. 'I was nervous, like right now. But he's like, 'You can look at me.''
Despite being starstruck by the Beatles drummer, Keoghan never lost sight of the fact he was there for work purposes.
10 Barry Keoghan attends Valentino 'Le meta-theatre des intimites' show.
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'My job is to observe and kinda taken in mannerisms and study him,' he said. 'I want to humanize him and bring feelings to it and not just sort of imitate.'
In order to embody Starr, Keoghan has been practicing playing the drums on his own time.
He noted Starr was 'absolutely lovely.'
Director Sam Mendes announced the news that he was making a biopic for every member of the Beatles, including John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison.
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10 Musician Ringo Starr of Ringo Starr And His All Starr Band performs on stage at Harrah's Resort Southern California on March 21, 2019 in Valley Center, California.
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10 Joseph Quinn, Barry Keoghan, Harris Dickinson and Paul Mescal attend CinemaCon 2025- Opening Night.
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Paul Mescal will play McCartney, 82, Harris Dickinson will star as Lennon, who was assassinated in 1980 at age 40, and Joseph Quinn will take on the role of Harrison, who died in 2001 at 58.
The films, collectively called 'The Beatles – A Four-Film Cinematic Event,' are set to premiere in April 2028.
'We're not just making one film about the Beatles — we're making four,' Mendes said. 'Perhaps this is a chance to understand them a little more deeply.' He also called the film series 'the first binge-able theatrical experience.'
10 Harris Dickinson, Paul Mescal, Barry Keoghan and Joseph Quinn.
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'There had to be a way to tell the epic story for a new generation,' the Oscar winner continued. 'I can assure you there is still plenty left to explore and I think we found a way to do that.'
The official logline for the movie is: 'Each man has his own story, but together they are legendary.'
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In November, Starr gave his stamp of approval for Keoghan to play him.
'Well, Barry's great,' he told Entertainment Tonight at the time. 'I believe he's somewhere taking drum lessons. And I hope not too many.'
10 Ringo Starr performs on stage at The Holland International Blues Festival in Grolloo, Netherlands, 9th June 2018.
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The Beatles formed in 1960, with their original drummer being Pete Best, who played with the band from 1960 to 1962. Best, 83, was then replaced by Starr.
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After gaining notoriety in the mid-1960s as the drummer of the Beatles, Starr shows no signs of slowing down in his later years.
'Sometimes when I finish a tour, I'm like, 'That's the end for me.' And all my children say, 'Oh, Dad, you've told us that for the last 10 years.' And they get fed up with me,' he told People in March.
10 Barry Keoghan at CinemaCon.
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'I do feel, 'Oh, that's got to be enough,' and then I get a phone call: 'We've got a few gigs if you're interested.' Okay, we're off again!'
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The musician has sons Zak, 59, and Jason, 57, and daughter Lee, 54, with his late ex-wife, Maureen Cox.
Come June, Starr is off again on a 10-date tour with his All Starr Band. In September, his namesake band will play six shows during a Las Vegas residency at the Venetian Theatre.
10 The Beatles try their luck on a pair of fruit machines in Las Vegas in 1964.
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Starr founded his group in 1989, and the current musical lineup stars Steve Lukather, Warren Ham, Colin Hay, Gregg Bissonette, Hamish Stuart and Buck Johnson.
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'In those days, I had a phone book, so I found guys who were musicians and I'd call them,' he recalled of the group's early days. 'We opened in Texas in a field and it was great. And we've been doing it ever since because I love to play live. I love the audience, I know they love me and we have a great time.'
Starr, however, 'doesn't even look' at his drums when he's by himself at home.
10 The Beatles.
Bettmann Archive
'I've never liked just drumming by myself,' he told USA Today in 2024. 'I always want to be in a band with players. If you play whatever, I'll play with you all night. [As a kid] I went upstairs the traditional way from all of those black and white movies where the drummer goes upstairs to his kit and hits them.'
'Well in my neighborhood, I was this close to being stabbed!' he recalled. 'Everyone in the neighborhood was going, 'SHUT UP!' But I'll play anywhere. My first band was the guy from next door, Eddie Miles, and my best friend Roy taught us bass and that's what we've done: just keep playing with other guys.'
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