Checking In With the Stars of Disney Channel’s The Luck of the Irish

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A pot of gold awaits you at the end of this anniversary. 

The popular Disney Channel Original Movie, The Luck of the Irish, is celebrating its 25th anniversary on March 9th, just before St. Patrick’s Day.

The 2001 film features Ryan Merriman as Kyle O’Reilly Johnson, a high school basketball player who doesn’t know he’s Irish—or that his family has a magical curse. To save himself and his family from being turned into leprechauns, Kyle needs to find his family’s stolen gold from the villainous leprechaun, Seamus McTiernen, played by Timothy Omundson.

Although the movie is clearly focused on Irish culture, Merriman noticed his character had a lot in common with a well-known basketball player who also starred on Disney Channel.

Merriman, speaking with TopMob News, jokingly claimed to be the original Troy Bolton, referencing Zac Efron’s character in High School Musical. He pointed out the many parallels between his own film, The Luck of the Irish, and High School Musical.

“Just let me explain,” he said, clearly frustrated. “Both films feature two incredibly good-looking, popular basketball players who are hiding serious secrets. And, surprisingly, they’re both also great singers and dancers! Each movie even ends with a musical performance about bringing people together. Seriously?”

Besides High School Musical, The Luck of the Irish also seems to have inspired director Ryan Coogler. He confessed to loving the movie as a kid and said it made him think about the common ground between Irish and Black cultures. This early interest eventually led to his 2025 horror film, Sinners, receiving nominations for all awards at the 2026 Oscars.

Growing up in Oakland, California, I first noticed the connections between Irish folk music and the music we played,” he told Deadline in November. “There was a small Irish community in the Bay Area, and we often discussed those similarities.

Ryan explained that the movie served as a starting point for their exploration of a culture that his family had long been interested in.

If you’re planning to watch The Luck of the Irish on Disney+ to celebrate its 25th anniversary, here’s an update on what the movie’s stars are up to now.

Ryan Merriman played Kyle Johnson, a high school student who doesn’t realize his family’s secret: they’re descended from leprechauns.

Since his role in The Luck of the Irish, Merriman has appeared in numerous TV shows and films. He’s best known for playing Ian Thomas in the popular series Pretty Little Liars, but he’s also been in movies like 42 with Chadwick Boseman, The Congressmen alongside Treat Williams, and recently Diamond Rose with Joey Lawrence.

Alexis Lopez, who played Bonnie, Kyle’s best friend in the movie, stopped acting to pursue a career in modeling shortly after The Luck of the Irish came out. Later, in 2020, she co-founded Compass Empowerment Society, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering women, children, and the community through education and volunteer efforts.

Marita Geraghty, who played Kate O’Reilly Johnson, had the job of revealing to her on-screen son, Kyle, that their family was Irish. After appearing in The Luck of the Irish, she went on to act in several other popular shows like Charmed and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.

Timothy Omundson played the villainous leprechaun Seamus McTiernen, who steals a charmed gold coin. This theft sets Kyle Johnson off on a journey to uncover his family’s Irish heritage.

Since then, Omundson has continued acting, appearing in TV shows like Cold Case, Without a Trace, Supernatural, Psych, Lucifer, and Galavant. He drew on his own experience recovering from a stroke in 2017 when he played a stroke victim on This Is Us.

Though he’s retired from playing basketball, Thurl Bailey remains active in the sports world. After acting as Mr. Halloway in a film, he became a broadcast analyst for the University of Utah and the Utah Jazz, the team he once played for. He also continues to offer private coaching through his service, Coach Up, and dedicates time to charities like Make-A-Wish and D.A.R.E.

Charles Halford, known for his role as McDermott, has continued acting in popular television series including The Walking Dead, Supergirl, True Detective, and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.. He also appeared in the 2018 film Bad Times at the El Royale with Dakota Johnson and Jon Hamm. More recently, he’s been seen in episodes of The Righteous Gemstones and Chicago Med.

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2026-03-09 10:17