Filmmaker Declares End to Irish Star Privacy.

The Irish public are not quite as ‘unfazed’ by big celebrities as we once were, Power Ballad director John Carney has said.

John got Hollywood star and former Disney Channel sensation on board for the musical dramedy, which was shot in Ireland in 2024 and came out in cinemas this weekend.

The man who also directed the hits Once and Sing Street told the Irish Mail on Sunday, ‘part of the reason’ he likes making films in Dublin is that ‘you can wrap at six o’clock and go for a drink or a coffee or a meal, and people kind of leave you alone’.

He said: ‘The Irish are great at leaving stars alone and letting them get on with it, but that’s actually changing a little bit now. But hopefully, they’ll continue to do that, because it brings [famous] people to the country, and they like the vibe.’

Asked if the change was due to smartphones, the Dubliner said: ‘Exactly. [There’s] a little bit of a culture of, “Can I get my photograph with you?” 

'And that’s kind of depressing, because I think a lot of movie stars don’t mind meeting people and talking to them. In fact, it’s kind of what they want.’

The writer/director added there is ‘a lot about Irish culture that we’ve done a very good job of selling’ to international visitors, famous or otherwise. 

'There’s a reason there’s a kind of a romantic relationship that a lot of people have with Ireland, and Paul Rudd is certainly one of them’.

John and Paul, the star of comedies such as Anchorman, Knocked Up and I Love You, Man – as well as superhero films Ant Man and The Avengers series – regularly frequented the pubs and restaurants of Dublin during the shoot.

‘We definitely had a few drinks in the Stag’s Head [at Dame Court],’ John recalled. ‘And we ate in Tribeca in Ranelagh. He liked that.

‘He just liked the vibe, the whole thing. He just has a big soft spot for Ireland, thank God.’

And Paul’s co-star Nick Jonas was here for the whole shoot too, though their director said he ‘saw less of’ Nick mingling with locals.

‘[Nick] is very good at keeping himself to himself.

‘Paul likes going out, and Nick is a little bit more cautious about that,’ John added.

While Paul is by far the more established film star, Nick is globally recognised from the sibling pop group Jonas Brothers.

If Instagram were the only metric, his 35 million followers make Nick 92 times more famous than Paul .

And Nick’s wife, the Indian actress and film producer Priyanka Chopra Jonas, blows them both out of the water: her 93 million followers place her in the world’s top 50 most followed people on Instagram.

John said that the couple ‘were around in the house, and we all had lunch with them, and they helped us do the dishes, which was very nice of them. [Priyanka] is fantastic. She’s a great actor as well, actually, but a lovely person. She helped [John’s wife] Marcella with the dishes.’