Highlights
- Taylor Swift ropes in Graham Norton and his former guests for a retro-inspired video
- Domhnall Gleeson’s on-show quip sparks the central casting idea
- Cillian Murphy, Lewis Capaldi, Jodie Turner-Smith and Greta Lee feature in cameos
Taylor Swift has unveiled the Nineties-tinged music video for her hit single Opalite, revealing that its eclectic cast was born from a spontaneous moment on The Graham Norton Show.
The singer invited Norton himself — along with fellow guests from the same episode — to appear in the video after Irish actor Domhnall Gleeson joked about wanting a role during the chat show’s broadcast last October.
A talk-show moment that became a storyline
Gleeson plays a man stuck in an unhappy relationship, mirroring Swift’s own character. The pair cross paths after being persuaded to try a mysterious product called “Opalite”, advertised in the video by a smiling Cillian Murphy. Their chance meeting quickly turns into a romance.
Lewis Capaldi, who also shared the sofa with Swift that night, appears as a shopping mall photographer snapping pictures of the couple — before turning the camera on himself. Jodie Turner-Smith and Greta Lee pop up in brief cameos, framed on retro television screens that reinforce the video’s throwback feel.
Graham Norton steps into the spotlight
Graham Norton is not just the inspiration behind the casting but features on screen as well. Swift praised the Irish presenter as “insanely charismatic and loveable”, saying she felt “lucky” to have been paired with such a line-up during the original chat show appearance.
Sharing the video announcement on Instagram, Swift wrote: “My favourite part about writing is that first spark of an idea,” before explaining how the concept struck while she was promoting her latest album, The Life of a Showgirl.
From joke to group project
Recalling the moment, Swift said Gleeson’s comment initially sounded like a throwaway line. “He’s Irish! He was joking!” she noted — but the idea stuck. Within a week, she had sent him a script casting him as the lead.
She then decided to extend the invitation to everyone else from the show, including Norton. “Like a school group project but for adults and it isn’t mandatory,” she joked, adding that she was thrilled when everyone agreed to take part.
Swift said the shoot exceeded expectations: “I had more fun than I ever imagined — made new friends, metaphors, and fashion choices. It was an absolute thrill to create this story and these characters.”
The Opalite music video is currently available to stream on Spotify and Apple Music.
