Why does the Priest from The Abandons look familiar? Here’s where you have seen the actor before

Timothy V. Murphy as Father Killian Duffy in The Abandons (Images via Instagram/timvmurphy and Netflix)
Timothy V. Murphy as Father Killian Duffy in The Abandons (Images via Instagram/timvmurphy and Netflix)

If you’ve been looking closely during The Abandons and thinking, “Why does this priest look so familiar?” we've got you! Father Killian Duffy has arrived in Angel’s Ridge with a suspiciously upgraded wardrobe, but the man behind the collar is anything but new to us. In fact, he’s been playing TV’s most unhinged villains long before he stepped into the confessional booth.

Irish actor Timothy V. Murphy plays Father Duffy on The Abandons.

From Sons of Anarchy to Criminal Minds and Disney’s The Lone Ranger, he’s been here for over two decades. So if you’re itching to put a name to that face, let's find out where you’ve seen Murphy before!


What happens to Father Duffy on The Abandons?

As we discussed, Timothy V. Murphy plays the role of Father Killian Duffy. He is a childhood friend of Fiona, who used to come to town every month. In The Abandons Episode 2 (“The Hunt,”) we see him as a newly minted Monsignor. He now has a shiny horse and a calm smile to hide a mess.

Fiona is desperate to help Dahlia overcome her trauma, so she encourages both of them to confess to the priest they trust. But when the women bare their souls, we see that Father Duffy is no longer as incorruptible as he used to be in their childhood. Fiona soon discovers the letter, which means that the Archbishop never sent Duffy money. Someone else paid for his luxuries.

And in return, he agreed to break the seal of confession.

Her children’s credit is ready to deliver frontier justice, and Duffy accepts their verdict without protest! But Fiona calls mercy before murder and sends him away. But his exit reeks of guilt instead of the usual absolution.

Is this the last time we see Father Duffy on The Abandons?

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Timothy V. Murphy's movies and TV shows before The Abandons

Timothy V. Murphy was once voted “Best Villain in American Television,” and his CV proves that typecasting has never looked better! Viewers might recognize him as Galaan from FX’s Sons of Anarchy. Then there’s Ian Doyle from Criminal Minds. Are these not ringing bells yet?

Try these movies:

  1. Disney’s The Lone Ranger, opposite Johnny Depp
  2. National Treasure: Book of Secrets, alongside Nicolas Cage and Ed Harris
  3. Appaloosa, starring and directed by Ed Harris
  4. MacGruber, opposite Val Kilmer
  5. Road to Paloma, Jason Momoa’s directorial debut

In the last two years, he’s been in these TV shows:

  1. The Company You Keep (Patrick Maguire)
  2. Law & Order: Organized Crime (Eamonn Murphy)
  3. Tacoma FD
  4. Mob Land
  5. Herd

And perhaps in a casting quirk, Murphy has been keeping a streak of clergy roles. They include Resurrected’s Father Flynn, Doc’s Chaplain Eamon O’Leary, and now Father Duffy. Hollywood is determined to make him a man of God, but of course, thanks to his skills, he is always a suspicious one.


The Abandons is streaming on Netflix.

Edited by Sohini Sengupta