Did you hear about the Franciscan friar who briefly traded his brown habit for a black Cossack to star in a TV show filmed at an Episcopal Church made to look like a Catholic Church?
That Franciscan friar is Fr. Michael Duffy, OFM, who appears with Oscar nominee Amanda Seyfried in the Peacock murder mystery series “Long Bright River,” set on Philadelphia’s Kensington Avenue, where he serves at St. Francis Inn.
Author Liz Moore, whom Fr. Michael met during her research trip to the area, asked him to audition for the TV adaptation of her book. He declined.
“Thank you, but I am not an actor,” he said. “I can’t memorize other people’s words. I can’t even get over how singers remember all their own lyrics.”
But he was perfect for this role.
The crew needed a Catholic priest for two scenes: a cameo at a vigil and a speaking part at a funeral. Liz asked Fr. Michael to consider it. He replied to the casting director’s email with a 30-second video reading from a book, then forgot about it. A week later, he received a memorable reminder.
“I got an email from the casting director,” Fr. Michael said. “It said, ‘Sony Pictures is pleased to offer you the part of Father Gerald in ‘Long Bright River.’
“I nearly fell on the floor. What am I getting into?”
Liz and producer Nikki Toscano had a Zoom call with Fr. Michael. Since the local diocese discouraged filming in their churches, the production needed to transform an Episcopal church and asked, “Can we make sure it looks Catholic?”
Fr. Michael helped the crew adjust various items for the scene, including chalices, candles, and a white cloth on the cross meant for Easter.
In June, Fr. Michael took a train to Brooklyn for his costume fitting. “It was in a big warehouse with every costume you could ever want,” he said. “I could have been a Viking, a Roman citizen, a cowboy…”
Fr. Michael learned he was to perform a speaking role in the funeral scene, instead of leading a silent vigil. Despite not rehearsing his lines, he found himself heading to Yonkers in a limo for his big-screen debut.
At the Episcopal church where the day’s filming was set, he found a busy scene with cranes, wires, generators, a food truck and lighting, and exited the limo hesitantly. “I was shaking like a leaf,” he said.
The real priest, playing a fictional one, had no rehearsal time. After a brief stay in the green room with co-star Amanda Seyfried and Ashley Cummings, he went on stage.
“I was in your world,” said Amanda. “Now you’re in mine.”
Seyfried, 39, who earned a Best Supporting Actress nomination for her role in Mank and starred in other hit movies such as Mamma Mia! and Mean Girls, plays Mickey, a devoted officer in Kensington, raising a son alone. She suspects a serial killer when several sex workers are found dead.
All eight episodes, set in Philadelphia but filmed in Brooklyn, are streaming on Peacock.
Seyfried, cognizant of Kensington’s opioid crisis, volunteered at St. Francis Inn before filming Long Bright River and found a supportive community. Having lost an uncle to addiction, she hopes the series promotes compassion for those dealing with substance abuse.
“If I was going to leave my family five nights a week, it was going to be for something that was really important,” Seyfried, who has two kids ‒ Nina, 7, and Thomas, 4 ‒ with actor husband Thomas Sadoski, told USA Today.
“Would I rather do comedy? Of course. The levity and challenge of that is fun. But this strikes so close to home for so many people with the addiction storyline, including me.”
Originally from Allentown, Pennsylvania, Seyfried grew up in Philadelphia. For Long Bright River, she felt a duty to portray her role accurately—as did Fr. Michael, who would have preferred to wear his brown friar habit, but producers asked that he wear a black collared shirt and white collar instead.
On his first day of filming, he entered the church, somewhat nervous. The actors sat motionless in the pews. He heard a voice say, “Rolling, rolling,” and then, “Fr. Michael, ACTION!”
The congregation came alive, opening hymnals, removing coats and whispering. Despite shaky legs, Fr. Michael performed his task effortlessly, repeating the scene 23 times from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The crew applauded him afterward.
The only interruptions: a lunch break and a 45-minute break in his trailer – yes, he had a trailer! – where they said he could rest.
“I was too nervous to nap,” he said.
He worked hard for his 40 seconds of fame, made friends, and left a mark. His co-stars have mentioned him on late-night talk shows, and one now wants her son to volunteer at St. Francis Inn.
Long Bright River has garnered acclaim in the United States and is set for distribution globally. The Franciscan brother from Juniper Friary in Philadelphia will be streaming all over God’s creation.
Now that everything is over, Fr. Michael can finally rest and enjoy watching his work, eventually
“I haven’t seen it yet,” said Fr. Michael, who went back to serving the poor and hungry at St. Francis Inn as soon as filming ended.
To learn more about the St. Francis Inn and to help Fr. Michael serve those who come to the Inn for help, visit https://stfrancisinn.org/
