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SHE wasn’t there for long but Hollywood superstar Angelina Jolie left the village of Werris Creek star struck on Wednesday.
Her whirlwind visit had the village in a spin and media hot on her tail as she arrived with her entourage and film executives to scope out locations for her next film.
Jolie arrived in Australia last Friday with her six children ahead of preparations to direct the new World War II drama Unbroken – in which it is hoped some historic locations in Werris Creek will be a big backdrop.
It is understood Werris Creek is among several NSW towns being scouted for the film, but in a brief exchange with The Leader Jolie appeared to be impressed.
“How does it feel to be in Werris Creek?” she was asked by The Leader, to which the Tomb Raider star replied: “It’s wonderful.”
While she didn’t have her own children with her for the fly-in-fly-out visit, Jolie was happy to pose for photos with fans and hug local children on Punyarra St.
A number of houses in Punyarra St were on the list as potential locations for local filming.
Wearing a simple black but slinky sheath, a wide-brimmed hat and big gold reflector sunglasses, the 38-year-old appeared relaxed and casual as she drove around the area with her crew in a silver Hyundai van, leaving the area just after 12.30pm.
“It was awesome,” Werris Creek resident Kelly Saunders said of scoring a photo with the American beauty.
“I told her she looked good and it was good to see her in Australia.
“She said it’s good to be here and asked what all the kids’ names were.
“She was very down to earth.”
Night shift mine worker John Wooderson could have thought he was still dreaming when he woke up to a call that Angelina Jolie was in town.
“I thought my friends were joking when they said she was here,” he said.
“We were very lucky to meet her. She was very friendly and happy to have photos with us, because there weren’t many people around.
“I was shaking afterwards.
“My mates envy me. When I put a photo on Facebook one said ‘nice photoshop’, and didn’t believe me.
“Of all the places in Australia, I wouldn’t have expected her to come to Werris Creek.”
Jolie and her crew were seen to stroll down the main street where she stopped to admire a sign detailing the vast history of rail in the area with excited locals rushing from behind store counters to catch a glimpse of Hollywood in their hometown.
Creek Meats owner Mark Woolfe was greeted by the actress who arrived at the back of his shop to scope it out as a possible film location.
Mr Woolfe said the actress greeted him with a “Hi, sir”.
He said he was going to offer her a “nice steak” but wasn’t sure if she ate meat.
Nonetheless, her visit was great for the town.
“You don’t see this kind of thing every day. I see dead cows every day so this is a big change,” he said.
One of Jolie’s first stops after arriving on a commercial flight into Tamworth was at the Werris Creek Railway Station and Australian Railway Monument and Rail Journeys Museum.
Museum president Chris Holley told The Leader Jolie introduced herself and examined the train station and surrounds about 10.45am.
“They’re looking at a few sites all around NSW. We hope the final decision will be Werris Creek,” he said.
“We’ve got our fingers crossed and hopefully it will come our way; it
would do wonders for our museum’s publicity.”
