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Hollywood star Ben Stiller is scouting film locations on Newfoundland’s Bonavista Peninsula, and Bob Bartlett of Trinity Eco-Tours is calling his short encounter with the actor surreal.
Bartlett said he was on his way to a lecture at the Sir William F. Coaker Heritage Foundation about Ediacaran fossils in the area’s Discovery UNESCO Global Geopark when he happened upon the Zoolander star in Port Union on Wednesday.
“When I was walking across the parking lot, I thought I was having a stroke or something, ’cause somebody looked exactly like Ben Stiller,” Bartlett said.
“I said, ‘Ben,’ I said, ‘You’re a long way from home. What are you doing here?'” he said.
A photo of the pair is picking up a lot of steam on social media. As of Thursday afternoon a picture on Trinity Eco-Tours’ Facebook page had been shared 1,600 times with nearly 400 comments.
Bartlett said he struck up a conversation with Stiller, who told him he was in Trinity and Port Union with a crew scouting film locations for an upcoming project. He said the star of There’s Something About Mary was gracious throughout their chat.
“Actually he was the first one to extend his hand to me, to shake my hand,” Bartlett said.
Bartlett, a tourism operator, offered his assistance and a free tour to Stiller, since he’s going to help a film crew next week that is shooting a feature film in Keels.
Bartlett said Stiller is one of his favourite comedic actors, on a list that also includes Christopher Walken, Robert De Niro and Jim Carrey.
“The most memorable comedic movies in the last 20 years basically have been his,” said Bartlett, who added Zoolander and Starsky & Hutch are some of his favourite Stiller flicks.
Read more from CBC Newfoundland and Labrador
