Cannes 2024: Barry Keoghan jokes about doing a musical after ‘Bird’

At Cannes 2024, ‘Bird’ stars newcomer Nykiya Adams as 12-year-old Bailey, who is living with her young and checked-out father Bug (Keoghan) in a crumbling squat in Kent, in southeast England

Does Barry Keoghan have a musical in his future? After dance scenes in two recent films, including director Andrea Arnold's fresh new Cannes Film Festival entry "Bird," the Irish actor joked that he is on the lookout.

"Yeah, I'm looking for a musical, by the way, if there's any out there," Keoghan told Reuters.

"Bird" stars newcomer Nykiya Adams as 12-year-old Bailey, who is living with her young and checked-out father Bug (Keoghan) in a crumbling squat in Kent, in southeast England.

To make easy money, Bug imports a toad that sweats hallucinogenic slime, but only if it is relaxed by music.

In a wink at Keoghan's infamous nude dance scene in last year's black comedy "Saltburn," Bug's least favourite song to play for the toad is none other than "Murder On The Dance Floor."

Keoghan said his boxing background was integral to his dance abilities: "I do a lot of boxing, I grew up doing a lot of boxing and so, you know, moving the hips and letting the body kind of be free and loose, and it's sort of in my nature."

The film, Arnold's fourth entry in competition for the festival's top prize after 2005's "Red Road," "Fish Tank" in 2009 and "American Honey" in 2016, was one of the most challenging for her to make.