Hollywood star puts city in picture

One of Hollywood's biggest stars put two Northern Ireland politicians in front of the camera on a whistle-stop visit to Belfast.

Vince Vaughn came face to face with Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams and loyalist politician David Ervine during a visit to the city at the weekend.

Vince Vaughn interviews Gerry Adams Enlarge Image

The star of Swingers, Wedding Crashers and Old School interviewed Mr Adams in west Belfast and Progressive Unionist Party leader David Ervine in the east for a documentary on Belfast's murals.

Local people were surprised to see Mr Vaughn and two cameramen in Andersonstown interviewing Mr Adams in front of a mural of the IRA hunger striker Kieran Doherty at Slemish Way.

One of them said: "Vince Vaughn was really friendly, really open. He talked to the locals, signed autographs and had a bit of craic with them.

"He seemed really interested in the murals."

Mr Vaughn, who is dating Friends star Jennifer Aniston, then travelled to the east of the city to interview Mr Ervine off the Newtownards Road.

Mr Ervine said the 36-year-old actor told him he had developed a fascination with the murals during a previous visit to the city.

"We did a spot of filming in Dee Street around a mural depicting people coming to the shipyards," the PUP leader said.

Vince Vaughn is dating Friends star Jennifer Aniston

"I was explaining to him that years ago we would not have a mural like this because it would all have been about politics and our divisions.

"I told him that, for me, the mural was the epitome of the change process that is going on in Northern Ireland. The murals are changing.

"He was taking a break from shooting a film in London with Kevin Spacey to do this documentary and came over for this weekend.

"There's no question he's genuinely interested in the subject.

"He was telling me his interest was sparked on a previous visit when he took a black taxi tour from the Europa Hotel. He knew nothing about the murals before that trip.

"I have to say it was really interesting meeting him."

Belfast's loyalist and republican murals have become a tourist attraction since the 1994 ceasefires, with buses and taxis taking visitors to the city to see them.