Barack and Michelle Obama to produce new Netflix series in West Cork

The series will begin filming in Union Hall next week, with 'Young Offenders' star Chris Walley among the cast 

Michelle and Barack Obama will be involved in a new TV series, Bodkin, filmed in West Cork.

Barack and Michelle Obama are to serve as executive producers on a new Netflix thriller which begins filming in West Cork next week.

Bodkin, the working title of the first scripted TV series from the Obamas' production company Higher Ground, will be partly filmed in the small fishing villages of Union Hall and Glandore. Filming is also taking place in Dublin and Wicklow.

Part of the series will be filmed in Union Hall, West Cork

Described as a darkly comedic thriller, the plot involves a motley crew of podcasters who set out to investigate the mysterious disappearance of three strangers in an idyllic, coastal Irish town. 

Netflix says the series will challenge “our perception of truth and expose the stories we tell ourselves to justify our beliefs or validate our fears”. 

Will Forte of SNL fame will be one of the main stars of Bodkin.

Will Forte, best known for his Saturday Night Live appearances, will portray Gilbert one of the stars of the series — a Chicagoan podcaster with Cork roots on the hunt for his next big story. Robyn Cara ( We Die Young and Trying) will also star as researcher Emmy, while Siobhan Cullen ( The Dry and Paula) will portray a hard-nosed investigative journalist from Dublin.

Cork actor Chris Walley, who Irish audiences will recognise from his portrayal of Jock O'Keeffe in The Young Offenders, will also feature in the show. 

A local from the village of Bodkin, Walley’s character Sean is described as “a typical Irish country lad — feckless, up for a laugh, and doesn’t seem to be preoccupied with the obligations or responsibilities that usually accompany adulthood”. 

Chris Walley in 'Young Offenders' mode. 

The show's creator is Jez Scharf and the list of executive producers is long. Alongside Barack and Michelle Obama, David Flynn, Paul Lee, Alex Metcalf, Tonia Davis, and Nne Ebong will also executive produce. The lead director is Nash Edgerton.

One of the other production companies involved, the US-based Wiip, also comes with a good reputation following its success with HBO series, Mare of Easttown and Apple-produced Dickinson.

An open casting session for Bodkin was held in Dinty’s Pub in Union Hall on Tuesday last, with the Southern Star reporting that crews are already on-site painting buildings and installing a sculpture for the thriller.

If you're interested in starring as a background actor in the series, you still have time to apply online at celticcasting.ie.