Sam Keeley has responded to early criticism of RTÉ’s new gangland drama, Kin.
The Irish actor plays Eric ‘Viking’ Kinsella in the series, which follows the lives of a fictional Dublin family embroiled in a gangland war.
Since it premiered earlier this month, the show has received backlash as some viewers have claimed it “glamourises” gangland violence.
Responding to the backlash, Sam told the Irish Independent: “We make these shows and create art for people to judge and to scrutinise if that’s how they feel.”
“I think it would be remiss of us as artists if we told these stories in a censored sort of way — where we didn’t show drug use and shootings and scraps in the street.”
“Unfortunately, because these are real stories that have affected people’s lives, these are integral parts of those stories.”
“I think people should go and watch the show, because to me there is nothing glamorous about losing your kids, there is nothing glamorous about drug use, there is nothing glamorous about fighting in the street — but unfortunately these things are part of the stories of the characters and we have to do that justice.”
The 30-year-old also gushed about his co-star Yasmin Seky, who plays his girlfriend Nikita Murphy in the series.
“She’s a natural talent, she’s got a great passion for the work, she’s a wonderful person,” he said.
“Yasmin is a great scene partner, and I think as the show progresses you will see their relationship flower more and more, and see the lengths they’ll go to help each other out.”
