Toronto’s friendly festival is a draw for Hollywood

“The Toronto International Film Festival is an absolutely huge festival which attracts some of the top stars in Hollywood.”

As a city, it’s cosmopolitan, vibrant and incredibly friendly. The locals even say “aboot” rather than “about”. It sounds like Glasgow but this is Toronto rather than my home town.

I’ve been enjoying a jaunt north of the US border to Canada’s biggest city for the Toronto International Film Festival.

The past five days have been incredibly busy sleep was something I grabbed between interviews. I’m now so good at napping I can do it with my eyes closed.

This is an absolutely huge festival which attracts some of the top stars in Hollywood for a couple of reasons. Not only are the locals very welcoming but there’s no paparazzi here.

One of my fellow reporters told me he went for a Starbucks and found himself standing in the queue beside an interesting-looking guy Johnny Depp!

This year, the relaxed atmosphere attracted the likes of Robert Downey Jnr, Michael Douglas, Dustin Hoffman, Benedict Cumberbatch, Naomi Watts, Salma Hayek and Bill Murray. I chatted to all of them, and a whole lot more. Told you I was busy!

One of my first interviews was with Robert Downey Jnr, who stars in The Judge alongside Robert Duvall. He plays a lawyer who defends his father who’s been charged with murder.

It’s probably time to forgive Godfather star Duvall for his role in A Shot At Glory where he was acted off the screen by Ally McCoist and this movie got some positive reviews.

After that I spoke to Dustin Hoffman, who was in town to promote Boychoir, a great wee movie about a children’s choir master who helps a young orphan.

Hoffman’s performance has already attracted some Oscar buzz. I had a chat with wee Dustin, who was in the city with his wife Lisa, about how he was enjoying Toronto he loves it there.

I also spoke to co-star and rambling funnyman-cum-actor Eddie Izzard. I didn’t really have to ask him a question he just launched into a typical Eddie Izzard routine.

He used to stay in Toronto with a family called the Christmasses, and gave me an entire routine about the city which left me in stitches.

After that, Bill Murray, the hangdog star of Ghostbusters, enjoyed a day dedicated entirely to him at the festival.

There were showings of Ghostbusters and Groundhog Day before he went to the premiere of his new comedy drama, St Vincent. In it, the Lost In Translation star plays a dishevelled veteran who helps look after a neighbour’s child.

Murray played it cool, by turning up in a crown, which he proceeded to lose.

“Well I got a crown, I had a pageant sash and people were saying it was kind of funny,” he drawled when I spoke to him afterwards.

“It makes you think: ‘Should I do this every year?’ Maybe I should do this every month.”

IT Crowd star Chris O’Dowd stars alongside Murray, and he’s doing exceptionally well for himself these days.

He’s starred in movies such as This Is 40, Bridesmaids and Calgary since he graduated from the cult sitcom, and he’s in St Vincent, too.

I congratulated him as it was announced right before our interview that he and his partner, the gorgeous TV presenter Dawn O’Porter, are expecting their first child.

“How did that happen?” I immediately regretted asking.

I’ll spare you the details of Chris’s droll reply! I also got to speak to the always-nice Benedict Cumberbatch about his movie The Imitation Game.

He plays mathematician Alan Turing, and is an early shout for Best Actor at next year’s Oscars. He told me he has no plans to give up Sherlock and he’s greatly enjoying filming a one-off special.

I presented him with a wee gift I found a Benedict Cumberbatch colouring-in book. That’s right, you can colour-in pictures of Benedict. And they say airport shops are full of rubbish!