Barry Keoghan Says He “Cracked All My Knuckles Open” Filming Pigsty Fight in ‘Peaky Blinders’ Movie

Barry Keoghan didn’t exactly ease into the world of Peaky Blinders.

The actor recently revealed that his first day filming the upcoming movie continuation, Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man, ended with bloody knuckles after a particularly messy fight scene.

Keoghan has joined the film as the son of Thomas Shelby, the iconic character played by Cillian Murphy. The two actors had previously worked together on Dunkirk, but Murphy’s message about the new role came with a bit of perfect timing.

According to Keoghan, Murphy texted him about playing his on-screen son on Father’s Day — an irony the actor clearly appreciated.

Still, even with his familiarity with the series, Keoghan didn’t quite anticipate what his first day on set would look like.

Given the violent reputation of Peaky Blinders, which follows a crime gang navigating the aftermath of World War I, the actor expected he might be thrown into a few intense scenes. What he didn’t expect was just how rough things would get right away.

Speaking with The Guardian, Keoghan recalled that the first scene he shot involved a full-blown fight in a pigsty.

“I cracked all my knuckles open,” he said of the opening day of filming.

And yes — the pigsty was exactly what it sounds like.

Keoghan clarified for anyone who might assume the set was simply dressed to look like one: “No, it was s*it.”

According to the actor, he even punched the ground during the fight sequence — something he didn’t actually need to do for the choreography — simply to pump himself up for the moment.

Despite the painful start, Keoghan said working alongside Murphy was a highlight of the experience. Even as a newcomer to the Shelby universe, he said the cast made him feel welcome right away.

The actor has previously spoken about being a huge fan of Peaky Blinders, making the opportunity to join the franchise especially meaningful — bruised knuckles and all.

Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man premiered on Netflix in the U.K. on March 6 and is set to arrive on the streaming platform in additional countries on March 20.