Lynn English librarian ‘starstruck’ upon meeting Wahlberg

SWAMPSCOTT – He’s a Hollywood star with Academy Award-nominated acting and producing credits, but local residents say Mark Wahlberg has impressed them most by being a really nice guy.”He was so humble and so down-to-earth, like I wanted to say, ‘Hey, won’t you come to my house and come to dinner?'” said Lynn English Librarian Linda Barefield, who brought her daughter Allana to try and meet Wahlberg on Wednesday.”We didn’t know where to go, just followed the signs that said ‘crew,'” Barefield said.Then an SUV pulled past them into a parking lot. “My daughter said, ‘Oh my god, that’s him in there’ and he got out of the car,” Barefield said. “I was starstruck – I left the car running, left my pocketbook in the car ? I love all his movies, I’ve been watching him since he was Marky Mark?,” Barefield continued. “But he was so humble, he got out of the car, it was so, so nice. You don’t know how Hollywood people can act these days.”Barefield said that Wahlberg even suggested a photo after her daughter was too shy to ask.”Of course my phone was on low battery,” Barefield said.Barefield said that Wahlberg’s kindness reinforced her plan to ask him to come and visit Lynn English.”It’s funny, because I had e-mailed his foundation (The Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation) that day,” Barefield said. “With his background, I thought it would be perfect to have him come over and talk to kids.”She noted that Wahlberg grew up as “an inner-city kid,” but now is a famous actor and executive producer.”I think he would be a great inspiration for the students,” she said.Wahlberg’s response?”He said, ‘Oh, I’d be glad to do it’ and told me to arrange things with his brother,” Barefield said. “It’s so nice that he gives back and remembers where he came from.”Swampscott teenager Ariel Friedman had a similar experience on Wednesday evening. Friedman said she was also impressed that Wahlberg not only was willing to meet with fans, but also had many friends from his childhood around the set.”He was so nice,” she reported.She added that Wahlberg let Friedman and her friend Emma come over to get a picture in front of his trailer to the dismay of his bodyguard, a childhood friend who Friedman said Wahlberg called “Nacho.”Friedman brought more friends to wait with her at the temple site Thursday afternoon in hopes of seeing him again.Another friend was outside the Atlantic Avenue house where the movie is filming, and Friedman and her friend both swore that they would call each other if certain actors arrived on set.Meanwhile, Friedman and her friends debated whether it was too much to ask Wahlberg for a hug or a peck on the cheek, before dissolving into giggles and deciding that a picture was probably more realistic.”He’s like my favorite actor,” said Swampscott teen Allie Sanchez.Sanchez vowed to stay “as long as it takes” to catch a glimpse of Wahlberg, or at least until her 10 p.m. curfew.