He may be a breakout star thanks to his role in Flora and Son - but Orén Kinlan didn’t know who Pierce Brosnan was when he met him on the set of the movie.
Father and son actors Laurence and Orén Kinlan did a double act on Friday night’s Late Late Show and the Love/Hate star took a back seat at first as the teenager told Patrick Kielty about his rise to stardom.
He features alongside Eve Hewson in Flora and Son, the latest movie from director John Carney, whose previous hits include Once and Sing Street.
"It’s pretty weird to say the least," Orén told Patrick Kielty after he was asked how it felt to be "a proper" movie star. "It’s definitely new. It’s pretty cool. You get the call and you’re so emotional and all that stuff.
"And I’m being slagged in school," he added, much to Patrick Kielty’s amusement.
There was more laughter all-round when Orén recounted the time a certain former James Bond and Mamma Mia! star turned up during filming to meet the cast of Flora and Son.
"Pierce Brosnan actually came to visit us on set but I had no idea who he was! So he comes into the room and everybody stands up to shake his hand. They’re all starstruck.
"I stood up, I had no clue who he is, and I actually whispered to Eve [Hewson], ‘Who is this guy?’ And she goes, ‘Orén, that’s James Bond.’
"No word of a lie, I actually said to Eve, ‘Eve, that’s not Daniel Craig.’ And it’s fair to say that entire crew got a good laugh out of that one."
Quick as a flash, dad Laurence added: "It must run in the family because when his younger brother Ollie was coming here tonight he said: ‘I can’t wait to see the Toy Show man - Ryan.’"
Laurence Kinlan was also keen to praise his son Orén, who’s still in secondary school, despite his much-lauded role in Flora and Son.
"He’s such a good kid and I knew he would take it well," he said. "It was during summer exams last year when I got the call so I didn’t want to let him know he had a big audition during the exams.
"And then he did the audition and two or three call-backs and landed it. I let him have it all. I didn’t want to be like taking his fame away from him . . . but he had an unbelievable summer.
"It’s just been a whirlwind - the last year especially with Sundance and Toronto. It’s been just crazy for him. It’s amazing."
Laurence also recalled the success of Love/Hate when Patrick Kielty brought up what’s widely-regarded as the greatest Irish TV show in decades.
"It was amazing," he confirmed. "We had 5-6 years of it and I loved every minute of it. The show just went year after year and gained momentum and we got a bigger audience every year.
"I missed the second year," he added. "I went to do some theatre in the US and I was lucky that they kept the role open for me. But I loved it. And I think it ended when it was meant to."
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