Barry Keoghan and other Hollywood stars' careers were birthed by gritty and realistic crime drama

Before he was an Oscar-nominated movie star, Barry Keoghan starred in an Irish crime drama series that received huge praise when it originally aired . Love/Hate aired on RTÉ, Ireland's national broadcaster, between 2010 and 2014.

The show was a gripping and realistic telling of the underground crime scene in Dublin and its performances and shocking scenes often left fans gasping, praising the show online. For TV and movie fans, Keoghan isn't the only recognizable face in the series.

However, he is one of the most memorable, given his character's antics and occasional horrific acts in the show. The Dublin native starred as Wayne, a character who was introduced in season 4.

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Wayne was a teenager who is most remembered for shooting a cat in cold blood. The brutal scene proved to be one of the most controversial moments in the history of the hit show, making him an instant celebrity.

Initially, there was a fair bit of controversy over the infamous cat scene with RTE receiving 41 complaints from the public and outrage from animal rights groups. However, the episode was gripping and Keoghan's performance was more than convincing.

"I’ll never get away from that cat," Keoghan admitted in an interview years after. "I was in the MetLife stadium in New Jersey about two years ago. I think there was about 90,000 people there and someone pulled me and said ‘You’re the guy that shot the cat’."

For those who decide to watch Love/Hate, there are a few more faces they will recognize, most notably Robert Sheehan. Sheehan, who now stars in The Umbrella Academy on Netflix , played Darren Tracey in Love/Hate.

The show begins with Darren returning to Dublin in order to lead a peaceful life, away from the world of crime and drugs. However, his brother's sudden death forces him to be a part of the mafia and seek revenge.

Alongside Barry Keoghan and Robert Sheehan is perhaps the series' most quoted and recognizable character, Nidge, played by Tom Vaughan Lawlor. Movie fans will have seen Vaughan Lawlor on screen without even realizing it.

In Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, the Irish actor played Ebony Maw, the right-hand man to the film's main villain Thanos. Among the other recognizable faces in the series is Killian Scott, who fans will recognize from Marvel's Secret Invasion TV show.

There is also Aiden Gillen, who TV fans will know from Game of Thrones, Kin, and Peaky Blinders. A slew of other well-known Irish actors found fame in the show such as the Oscar-nominated Ruth Negga and John Connors.

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