Gleeson cast in OPALITE music video
Taylor Swift’s latest music video arrived on streaming platforms Friday afternoon, bringing with it an unexpectedly Irish flavor that has fans buzzing about the transatlantic collaboration. The singer tapped Domhnall Gleeson to star opposite her in the visual for OPALITE, a nearly six-minute cinematic piece that Swift herself directed, with the two playing archetypal characters simply known as “lonely woman” and “lonely man.” The chemistry between Swift and the Irish actor unfolds against a narrative backdrop that’s already generating significant attention, though perhaps not as much as the surprise appearances woven throughout the production.
Sharp-eyed fans began piecing together the puzzle hours before the official release when promotional billboards surfaced on social media, sparking immediate speculation about Gleeson’s involvement. The confirmation came as the video dropped on Apple Music and Spotify, revealing not just the HARRY POTTER and STAR WARS actor but also cameos from fellow Irish luminaries Cillian Murphy and Graham Norton.
The convergence of these Irish talents had actually been foreshadowed back in October when a clip from THE GRAHAM NORTON SHOW showed Swift, Gleeson, and the Oscar-winning Cork actor Murphy appearing together, though at the time no one quite connected the dots to what was brewing behind the scenes.
OPALITE marks the second single from THE LIFE OF A SHOWGIRL, Swift’s record-breaking album that dropped October 3rd and continues to dominate charts worldwide. The song carries personal significance for the pop superstar, as she’s revealed it was written about her fiancé, NFL player Travis Kelce, whose birthstone happens to be opal. That intimate detail adds another layer to the visual storytelling, transforming what could have been just another music video into something more confessional and tender. The Irish connection runs deeper than just the casting choices, too.
Swift brought her massive Eras Tour to Dublin in June 2024, playing three completely sold-out shows at the Aviva Stadium, cementing her relationship with Irish audiences and perhaps planting the seeds for these creative collaborations that would bear fruit months later in this visually striking piece of work that brings together talent from both sides of the Atlantic.
One man. Eight characters. Pure theatrical magic. ✨
Andrew Scott`s VANYA won Best Play Revival at the WhatsOnStage Awards after its triumphant West End run at the Duke of York`s Theatre and now tops the list of best one-man shows of recent times.
More Andrew at irishfilmtv.com.
HOW TO GET TO HEAVEN FROM BELFAST drops Feb 12 on Netflix.
DERRY GIRLS star Saoirse Monica Jackson has been talking about the new series and her excitement is absolutely contagious.
Landing on Galentine`s Day feels perfect for this kind of ladies-celebrating-ladies energy.
Watch now at irishfilmtv.com.
Jamie Dornan is about to make you forget every role you thought defined him.
THE WORST, a pitch-black British comedy, casts him as Danny, a talent agent so pathologically addicted to self-promotion that he can`t stop name-dropping even as the dinner party around him combusts into spectacular social carnage.
More Jamie at irishfilmtv.com.
The awards season darling you`ve been hearing about is finally streaming.
Chloé Zhao`s HAMNET—the haunting exploration of grief, love, and the creation of Shakespeare`s HAMLET—brings together Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley in performances that have kept both firmly in the Oscar conversation.
If you missed it theatrically, now`s your chance to see what the buzz is about before Oscar night. This is the kind of film that reminds you why cinema matters.
More HAMNET at irishfilmtv.com.
Taylor Swift just dropped the OPALITE music video and it`s giving major Irish vibes ☘️✨
The nearly 6-minute visual sees Domhnall Gleeson starring as Taylor`s love interest, playing two lonely souls who find each other. But here`s where it gets even better: eagle-eyed Swifties spotted cameos from Cillian Murphy and Graham Norton, making this a full-on Irish affair.
Want the full breakdown of this transatlantic collaboration? Head to our blog for all the details on how this stunning video came together. Link in bio! 🔗
The creator of DERRY GIRLS just dropped a murder mystery set at an Irish wake, and honestly? It`s the genre mashup we didn`t know we needed 🕵️♀️
Lisa McGee is back with HOW TO GET TO HEAVEN FROM BELFAST on Netflix, and if you loved how she found humor in the Troubles (Protestants! Toasters! Cupboards!), you`re going to eat this up.
Three friends reunite for their childhood bestie`s funeral, only to realize her death isn`t what it seems. Cue an eerie adventure across Ireland that`s equal parts creepy and hilarious.
More at irishfilmtv.com.
British Vogue just put Jessie Buckley on their February cover and it`s not just a magazine shoot—it`s a coronation.
Shot by Jack Davison on the windswept Norfolk coast near her home, these images are pure cinema. Sky, sea, and a woman at the exact moment her entire life is about to change.
She`s the frontrunner for Best Actress. HAMNET is destroying audiences. She`s a new mother standing at the edge of the kind of fame that alters everything.
And Vogue captured it all—the grit, the greatness, the quiet mastery that got her here.
More Jessie at irishfilmtv.com.
Caitriona Balfe has just landed her next major role in THE HOUSEKEEPER.
Set in a grand historic manor against Cornwall`s dramatic landscape, Balfe plays Danni, a housekeeper who falls into a forbidden affair with none other than writer Daphne du Maurier (played by Mackenzi Laird).
While we`re counting down to OUTLANDER`s final season premiere on Mar 6th, Balfe is already proving she`s so much more than Claire Fraser. 🔥
More Caitriona at irishfilmtv.com.
After over 20 years of mesmerizing us on screen, Saoirse Ronan is ready to call the shots—literally.
The four-time Oscar nominee is making her directorial debut with PAPER PLANE, an Irish short film she`s also writing, and honestly, this feels like the natural next chapter for someone who`s been acting since she was nine years old.
Details about PAPER PLANE are still under wraps, but with Ronan`s track record, expectations are sky-high. What are you most excited to see from her behind the camera? 🎬
More Saoirse at irishfilmtv.com.
