It’s rare in today’s day and age to meet someone who has never heard of Taylor Swift. It’s even rarer to meet someone who’s never heard of her and has been in one of her music videos. In fact, there might only be one person in the entire world who fits that exact description: 83-year-old Barrie Reynolds.
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Reynolds, a grandfather from the village of Capel-le-Ferne in Kent, England, was featured in the star-studded music video for her Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 “Opalite.” In it, Reynolds plays a judge who gives Swift and actor Domhnall Gleeson a score of zero in a fictional dance competition. He’s joined in the video’s cast by actors and musicians like Lewis Capaldi, Cillian Murphy, Jodie Turner-Smith and Greta Lee.
In an interview with BBC Radio Kent, Reynolds recounted his experiences on set and learning just how massive Swift is. Prior to filming, Reynolds was unaware of who she was until alerting his granddaughters, Millie and Francesca, of his involvement in the video.
“I’m afraid I have no idea who she was,” Reynolds recounts telling his granddaughters. The two were, of course, “very surprised” by his big news.
If Reynolds didn’t know about Swift, then how did he end up featured in her music video? He himself is an artist. Reynolds performs regularly with an amateur drama group at a nearby village and works with an acting and modeling agency. The agency got him the “Opalite” role.
After receiving the assignment, Reynolds read about her in a newspaper and became aware of Swift’s stardom.
Despite not being familiar with the megastar, Reynolds was quick to come up with an on-set nickname for her. According to the BBC, Reynolds calls her “Niftie Swiftie,” a moniker he gave her due to her speed when dancing.
Although his character may not have been very impressed by Swift’s dancing, Reynolds enjoyed both working with her and listening to the song itself. He described the artist as “kind and compassionate” and said to the BBC, “This particular song was very catchy, even though I scored her a zero!”
Even though he didn’t know her before, Reynolds may be the newest member of the Swiftie fandom.
