Actor Barry Keoghan brings an Irish sense of humor to his character Lieutenant Curtis Biddick in the new TV drama Masters Of The Air. The Dublin-born 31-year-old, best known for his roles in Saltburn (2023) and The Banshees Of Inisherin (2022), stars in the new Apple TV+ series based on Donald L Miller’s book of the same name.

Speaking to the PA news agency, he said: “(With) Biddick, I’d like to say he kind of brings that humor in these very extreme situations, it’s especially when death is there. As an Irishman we tend to bring the humor in a lot to kind of soften it. So I think Biddick eased a lot of stuff and brought that firecracker kind of thing into it.”

The series, set in the Second World War, involves action shots with flying planes and Keoghan described these scenes as “intense”. He explained: “It was quite a tight space and you’ve gotta know every single switch around you and it’s making it look organic up there (that) was the trick. And you’ve got, I think, four or five layers on and you’re sweating, which kind of adds to it. It was definitely a tight space. Minimal. It’s (the acting) all within the eyes and if you can kind of convey what’s going on through the eyes I think you’re doing a good thing. But yeah it was quite intense. Definitely quite intense.”

The TV programme, filmed in England, tells the true story of the airmen from the 100th bomb group and follows 10 of the young men from the US Air Force as they wedge themselves into B-17’s to conduct bombing raids on Nazi Germany in 1943. Keoghan’s character Curtis is a pilot who helps acclimate Major Gale Cleven, played by American actor Austin Butler, to the brotherhood upon his arrival. The Irish actor also stars alongside Callum Turner, Anthony Boyle, Bel Powley, Rafferty Law and Ncuti Gatwa, among others.