NEW BEDFORD — Hollywood may seem far away, but it's not uncommon to catch a glimpse of A-list celebrities in the rustic city of New Bedford.
The Whaling City has become a popular destination for film productions and has attracted celebrities for leisurely visits and dining experiences. Here are some of the memorable celebrities who have visited New Bedford over the years, including famous stars like Justin Timberlake and Tommy Lee Jones.
tommy lee jones
In May 2022, filming for the feature film Finestkind took place throughout the New Bedford area and parts of the South Coast. Celebrities such as Ben Foster (Hell and High Water), Toby Wallace (The Society), Tim Daly (Wings), and Jenna Ortega (Wednesday) have had custom They were spotted filming in locations such as House Square. Fairhaven Bridge, Fairhaven Bars, and North End Homes. The film, directed by New Bedford native Brian Helgeland, tells the story of two brothers caught up in a deal with a Boston organized crime syndicate.
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Oscar-winning actor Tommy Lee Jones was spotted in The Black Whale.
“It was awesome,” William Silverstein, general manager of the pier's seafood restaurant, said in a previous article. “A good guy. He kept to himself and no one bothered him.”
Tatiana Maslany
In November 2022, New Bedford's downtown area was transformed into the 1930s to film scenes for the AMC series “Invitation to the Bonfire.” The film was also filmed in front of the Wamsutta Club and the Whale House on Madison Street.
Unfortunately, the show was canceled midway through production, but actress Tatiana Maslany from the Marvel movie She-Hulk also showed up at several stores downtown to film her scenes.
bill murray
In August 2022, Bill Murray enjoyed dinner at Turk's Seafood in Mattapoisett after playing golf at Kittansett Club in Marion.
“I was a huge fan, so I flipped out,” Kimberly McCarthy said in a previous Standard-Times interview.
McCarthy, who has worked at Turk's Seafood for more than four years, was in charge of takeout that night, but was quickly transferred to the dining room. When Murray arrived, he surprised them by leading a group of 13 people.
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This was not the only time Murray was seen in the Southcote area. On August 12, 2019, Patti Geary, owner of Patti's Pierogis, said she was shocked to find Murray sitting in her restaurant. Ten days after being spotted at Patty's house, Murray made another surprise appearance at Café Mimo, a Portuguese restaurant located at 1528 Acushnet Avenue.
Justin Timberlake, Jessica Biel
In September 2008, Justin Timberlake and his then-girlfriend (now wife) Jessica Biel were spotted having breakfast at Margaret's in Fairhaven, and the news spread quickly.
According to an interview with the Standard Times, the couple were in town for the wedding of Beal's college classmate from Boston's Tufts University. Timberlake was also seen dancing in the street while waiting for a table for about 20 minutes.
taylor shilling
Netflix's “Orange Is the New Black” star Taylor Schilling was spotted in New Bedford in March 2019, raving about Brothers Artisanal, a former jerky spot on Williams Street in New Bedford. Was. Schilling's father and brother live in the New Bedford area. Her younger brother Sam worked in the awkward field.
In January 2023, Schilling returned as the lead reader for the New Bedford Whaling Museum's annual Moby Dick Marathon.
martha stewart
On July 16, 2009, Martha Stewart arrived unannounced at a Portuguese restaurant with her six-person entourage. According to reports, Stewart has a vacation home on Mount Desert Island and she wanted to try seafood. She was offered Antonio's to her.
kevin james
In September 2021, “King of Queens” actor Kevin James visited the former Whaling City Diner on Purchase Street. James asked Sterling how to correctly pronounce the name of a popular (in these parts at least) Portuguese smoked sausage, but he never had a head of linguica.
James is best known for his Emmy-nominated role as Doug on the CBS sitcom King of Queens. He is also known for the films “Grown Ups,” “Paul Blart: Mall Cop,” “Here Comes the Boom,” and “Zookeeper.” He recently appeared in the Netflix series “The Crew.”
tony danza
Tony Danza was also spotted walking around downtown New Bedford before performing his one-man show at the Zeiterion Theater in November 2022.
“We've been working on this for a while, and it's finally here. We're very excited,” Danza said.
Danza is known for appearing in television series such as “Taxi,'' “Angel in the Outfield,'' and “Who's the Boss?'' This work earned him four Emmy and Golden Globe nominations. The actor recently made headlines for joining the cast of Season 2 of the Sex and the City spinoff, And Just Like That.
alan cumming
Alan Cumming, the Tony Award-winning actor for “Spy Kids'' and “The Good Wife,'' attended DATMA's “Threshold'' production at Custom House Square in June 2023 with his dog Lala.
Cumming posted a video of himself visiting the 17-foot-tall doorway on Instagram while visiting downtown before performing at his cabaret, Ouch & Oi, opposite Zayterion's Ari Shapiro. did.
“It's Saturday night on Broadway. Pow!” he sang at the door.
SStandard-Times staff writer Seth Chitwood can be reached at schitwood@st.com. Follow him on Twitter:@chitwoodreports. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to the Standard Times today.
