Barry Keoghan Says He Put Himself 'Out There' with Nude “Saltburn” Dance: 'Impressed with How I Moved'

"It’s freeing to see that body move around in the way it does," Keoghan told 'Vanity Fair' for the magazine's 30th annual Hollywood issue

Barry Keoghan is happily working outside his comfort zone.

In a newly published interview for Vanity Fair's 30th annual Hollywood issue, the Saltburn star reflects on stripping down for his full-frontal dance scene at the end of the Emerald Fennell-directed psychological thriller, saying he was "pretty impressed with how I moved."

"I was like, 'Wow,' " said Keoghan, 31. "In the final moment of the dance, I twirl twice, and if you look at my footwork, it’s linked to boxing. It’s all about footwork and moving the hips and stuff like that. That definitely came into factor, subconsciously."

"I was afraid to move my hips and move my body in a certain way, but the set was made quite comfortable for me," he continued. "Once the camera goes up, I always feel a bit safe, and I have the license to kind of waltz in that environment."

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories.

Related: Barry Keoghan Channels His Saltburn Character as He Bares All for Vanity Fair Hollywood Issue

Keoghan also touched on whether he felt objectified by the public due to the scene, which sees him dancing to Sophie Ellis-Bextor's "Murder on the Dancefloor" and has garnered its fair share of awards-show jokes.

"It’s crazy," the Irish actor told Vanity Fair of the attention. "It can be detrimental to the mind and your mental state if you read into it too much or you look at too much stuff being said."

But at the end of the day, "I wouldn’t go there if I wasn’t prepared for that, or if I wasn’t open to receiving what people want to say," Keoghan explained. "I think it shows an act of maturity in your craft, and if it justifies the story and moves it forward, why not? You look at European cinema and they tend to have a lot of scenes that involve nudity, and it’s not a massive thing, really."

"But I think it’s true art. It really is. And it’s true vulnerability as well," he continued. "You’re really kind of putting yourself out there in the most vulnerable state. It’s beautiful to look at. I’m not saying it’s because of my body, but it’s freeing to see that body move around in the way it does. It’s like a moving painting, almost."

Related: Barry Keoghan's Shirtless Photos for Bumble Are the Thirst Trap You Needed This Valentine's Day

In Saltburn, Keoghan plays Oliver Quick, an Oxford University student invited to a lavish estate owned by the family of his classmate Felix for the 2007 summer holiday (Jacob Elordi).

Of relating to moments from his own life to play Oliver, Keoghan told Vanity Fair, "I didn’t really draw parallels to him the way I have to certain other characters."

"I do dance around naked though, in my house," he continued, laughing. "Everyone does, man. We all sing in the shower. We all act silly when we’re alone and we feel this freedom. It’s one thing that I did relate to. Not dancing around a manor of that sort with that fecking drip hanging about — but I sing out loud, I dance silly and move my body silly."

Of "Murder on the Dancefloor" by the "great" Ellis-Bextor, 44, Keoghan said, "I remember that song coming out years ago when I was a kid, and it being a massive hit as it was. Never did I think I’d be fecking dancing around with no clothes on, moving to the beats of it."

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.