‘We got the Lindsay Lohan magic:’ Kerry man in Irish Wish reveals what it was like on set
Irish Wish stars Lindsay Lohan, Ed Speleers and Alexander Vlahos
While the Netflix film has received some colourful feedback in recent days, for one Kerry man, landing a role in was “a dream come true”.
Tim Landers from Tralee was cast as barman Scruffy Murphy in the rom-com starring A-list actress Lindsay Lohan. Filmed in Wicklow, the Netflix original follows Maddie Kelly (played by Lohan) as she heads to the Emerald Isle to attend the wedding of her best friend and the love of her life — before a wish changes everything.
Scruffy Murphy is introduced early on in the film in a scene with Ed Speleers, who plays James Thomas. Later, Lohan's character also pays a visit to his pub and encounters the barman.
While Lohan tends to keep to herself on set, Landers was thrilled to have had a scene with the Hollywood actress.
As he says himself, he is a “massive fan” of Lindsay Lohan. While teaching at a stage school, was a firm favourite for Landers as well as his students and quotes from the iconic 2004 comedy have become the basis of many inside jokes.
“Obviously when I got cast as Scruffy Murphy and realised I was going to be in the film — it was awful exciting. When she was on camera opposite me, we got the Lindsay Lohan magic. She has something,” he says of his experience filming alongside the star.
“Being in the film with Lindsay was a massive deal for me. That I now have a scene with her on camera — it is a dream come true. It really is. And everyone was lovely.”
Despite some of the mixed reviews, has been climbing the streaming charts and was the number one film on Netflix in Ireland last week.
Landers has been touring the UK with Seven Drunken Nights — The Story Of The Dubliners but has been keeping up with the feedback from back home.
“It’s been out of this world. Thank God for social media. I'm in the UK. So, this broke Friday. I have had at least 300 messages across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, phone calls. People who I haven’t spoken to in a long time have seen it.
“I remember when I watched it Friday, I was worried because the last thing I want to be is over the top…what I'm really pleased about is I think I give it a bit of energy and there's a bit of banter with [Ed Speleers] and in that scene. So, I'm really proud of the work.
"I'm so proud to be from Tralee and that this is out there now, and it's been wonderful. It's been the most widely seen of my work.”
Following the release of on Friday, the actor — who has been involved in theatre since 1990 — had quite the weekend.
“It's an absolute thrill for it to happen on Friday and then on Sunday night, at the age of 57, I made my West End debut with the Seven Drunken Nights show in the Dominion Theatre in the West End in London. There were 1,800 people there. What a weekend.”
The role of the Irish barman is not unfamiliar to Landers, having previously played a similar character in (2022), starring Olivia Coleman.
When he read the description of Scruffy Murphy, the 57-year-old knew he would be suited to the role and credits his lockdown beard for some of his recent casting success.
“It was just one of those ones that fit me like a glove,” he says of the role.
“I grew a beard at the start of lockdown, and I’ve gotten four films since," he jokes.
As for the film’s feedback, the Tralee man says is more like a “love letter” to Ireland than it is an accurate portrayal of the country and is likely made for an American audience.
With a touch of and wishes to St Brigid, it is also not designed to be realistic, he notes.
“To be fair, in terms of the scenery and everything, they show us off. I think it’s a fairy tale.”
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