Starring Greenville

The Moody boys were there, including body-double Luke, who was coy about whether the film had gotten him attention from seventh-grade girls. "Maybe," he said. Three football-playing extras were there too: Dustin Madala, who operates an Oreck vacuum cleaner store, Jason Head, who owns a "paintless dent repair business," and Peter Arbore, a UPS salesman. They recalled diving headfirst into the mud to look dirty for the film's climactic game, when Clooney's Dodge Connelly faces off against the Bullet. They also recalled how Clooney kidded about his own days as an athlete, how his high school basketball team went 1-and-25, "the best loser in the county," Arbore said.

He lives in an Italian villa now, but Clooney remembered what it's like to be from a place like this. He was Luke's age when they filmed the miniseries "Centennial" in his part of Kentucky and he'd follow Raymond Burr.

Now they all were going to the Westin to see Clooney and Zellweger get keys to the city.

Brookshire got there an hour early and made his way to the second row behind metal fencing keeping back the crowd, which swelled to the hundreds by the time of the ceremony. Mayor Pro Tem Lillian Brock Flemming urged them to scream a "Greenville welcome" and from the lobby sprinted Clooney in jeans and a long-sleeve black shirt, Zellweger a touch more uptown.

"Today is an historical day," the city official said. "People will always know that Greenville, S.C., exists!"

But then Clooney took the podium and gently reminded them not to overstate the meaning of 114 minutes of light entertainment. "I gotta say," he said, "we were fairly aware of Greenville long before we showed up here."

The star did add, "We couldn't have done it without you, period," and tossed in a joke about how he didn't want to spoil the ending but "everyone dies." Then he and Zellweger strode toward the throng to sign autographs, Clooney heading right at Bobby Brookshire's position. But the ex-Marine was no match for the heartthrob's female fans, who pushed in front of him waving photos and posters. Brookshire held his camera high above their heads and took what he could get.

Clooney and Zellweger worked the crowd for half an hour, then went in the hotel for a news conference, at which a TV reporter asked about the extras, whose organizing efforts have gotten considerable attention. "Tried not to talk to them," Clooney deadpanned. " 'Don't look the director in the eye,' that was one of the rules."

We need more space!" Brookshire said Wednesday. So many extras had signed up for Friday night's festivities -- with spouses and dates, all 700 seats in the theater were taken. And more wanted in. He was checking if Universal could send a second print to show "Leatherheads" in the auditorium next door. Getting everyone their short limo ride was going to be a logistical feat too.

There was much to do. Yet he found time for the same question as Randy Farmer. "What's next?"

"You know," Brookshire said, "Maybe I'll invite Paris Hilton out to get some personal training -- get her away from the Hollywood life."

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paul.lieberman@latimes.com