Hundreds of fans, some standing five and six feet deep, greeted the stars of Leatherheads during a whistle-stop promotional tour that brought Renee Zellweger and George Clooney back to the Salisbury Depot, where portions of the film were shot.

Last year film crews spent time in Salisbury and other parts of the region filming the 1920s-era romantic comedy, which is set against the emergence of the first professional football league.

The Oscar winners arrived by train and spent time signing autographs and greeting fans before holding an official press conference inside the Depot.

 “In general, you can’t create places like this,” Clooney said of the Depot. “This was a spectacular location for us … You couldn’t ask for anything better … we didn’t have to change the interior of this place at all.”

The stars also discussed using locals for extras in filming, saying that they brought a fresh perspective to the filmmaking process.

 “The enthusiasm was contagious, definitely,” Zellweger said.  

 “Leatherheads” opened in Salisbury on April 4.

Photographs by Ben Martin, courtesy of Historic Salisbury Foundation.