# Jamie Beamish’s teenage connection to director led to RTÉ casting

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/he-was-the-most-hated-man-on-tv-for-a-period-as-the-villain-of-the-piece-in-bridgerton-but-character-actor-jamie-beamish-reveals-it-was-a-much-more-personal-connection-that-landed-him-his-current-rol/
- Published: 2026-10-28T13:24:20+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-28T13:39:40+00:00
- Original publisher: Daily Mail (publisher lean: Right)
- Original article: https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16233679/He-hated-man-TV-period-villain-piece-Bridgerton-character-actor-Jamie-Beamish-reveals-personal-connection-landed-current-role-RTEs-Unreal.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
- Topics: Celebrity, Entertainment, TV, World

## Key points

- Jamie Beamish joins the third series of RTÉ’s The Unreal as Lenny.
- Director Bonnie Dempsey contacted him through a direct message.
- A filming delay opened up his schedule after rehearsals in Galway.

## Summary

Actor Jamie Beamish says a long-standing personal connection with director Bonnie Dempsey helped bring him to RTÉ’s The Unreal, where he plays Lenny, a pub and grocery shop owner. The casting came together by chance after Dempsey contacted him directly and filming was delayed, giving him time to join the production.

Beamish, from Waterford, and Dempsey had known each other as teenagers but had not met for about 25 years. He was rehearsing a play in Galway when she got in touch; after watching the earlier series, he was keen to take the role. The article also recounts his Hodgkin’s lymphoma diagnosis in 2007, relapse two years later and stem cell transplant in 2009, as well as his better-known role as Lord Berbrooke in Bridgerton.

---
Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.