Barrie Reynolds: The Unexpected Star of Taylor Swift's Opalite Music Video
A man who recently appeared in Taylor Swift's music video for the song Opalite shared that he had no prior knowledge of the global superstar. Barrie Reynolds, an 83-year-old from Capel-le-Ferne, Kent, was surprised when his granddaughters learned about his involvement in the video. Despite Swift's fame, Reynolds admitted that he had no idea who she was. Reynolds, a regular performer with the St Nicholas Players in Ringwold, was recruited for the video through an acting and modelling agency. He recounted his experience of being picked up by a taxi early in the morning to shoot the video in north London.
Reynolds mentioned that he only learned about Taylor Swift after reading about her tour in the newspaper before the video shoot. He described the surreal 1980s-inspired video for Opalite, which features a magical spray that transforms a lonely woman's life and leads her to find romance with another loner, played by Irish actor Domhnall Gleeson. Reynolds appeared as one of the judges in a dance contest scene with Swift and Gleeson. Despite scoring Swift a zero in the contest, he found the song to be catchy and enjoyed the experience.
Reynolds praised Taylor Swift for her kindness and compassion on set, noting that she interacted with everyone involved in the video. He humorously referred to her as "Niftie Swiftie" in relation to her dancing speed. The Opalite video also includes appearances by Graham Norton, Lewis Capaldi, and a cameo voiceover by Cillian Murphy. The video was partially filmed at Croydon's The Whitgift Centre. Opalite is the second single from Swift's album The Life Of A Showgirl, which was the top-selling record in the UK last year.
In conclusion, Barrie Reynolds' unexpected appearance in Taylor Swift's Opalite music video provided a delightful and amusing experience for the 83-year-old performer. Despite his initial lack of familiarity with Swift, Reynolds enjoyed the opportunity to be part of the creative project and interact with the global superstar and other celebrities involved in the production. The surreal and catchy nature of the video, along with Swift's kindness and engagement with the cast, made the experience memorable for Reynolds and added a unique touch to the music video.