SHE said a few weeks ago that she'd make a trip to Belfast to support the arts in the newly regenerated city, and double Oscar winning actress Meryl Streep stayed true to her word.

Meryl made journey to the North last Saturday to help raise funds for the city's Old Museum Arts Center (Omac), which is looking to construct a new building at a cost of more than $30 million.

"I'm proud to come to Belfast to celebrate this city's commitment to Omac and its great good work,'' she said.

"Sometimes it is easy to despair in the face of world events. It can feel like divisiveness and the urge to destroy has won the day. That's why the Omac project is a cause for celebration and a template for hope.''

Streep was guest of honor at a fundraising dinner, where she mixed and mingled and took questions from local actors who were undoubtedly mesmerized by having a star of her stature in their midst.

Taking a break from filming the movie version of the ABBA show Mamma Mia! -- Pierce Brosnan is her co-star for that one, and they'll soon be on location in Greece -- Streep was asked by one audience member if she could do a Northern accent, and in reply gave a more than passable attempt.

There have been all kinds of celestial sightings in the North recently -- the Hollywood kind, we mean. Tom Hanks, according to The Belfast Telegraph, slipped in and out of the city last week to visit the set of the film City of Ember, which his company is producing.

"He met the cast and crew, shook hands and had a look around. He was definitely impressed," said a spokeswoman for the movie, which is currently shooting in the old Paint Hall in the Titanic Quarter.

"He didn't stay overnight but fitted the visit in between whatever else he was doing."

The film, with its fat $50 million budget, is the biggest production ever made in Belfast. It's adapted from a novel by Jeanne DuPrau which tells the story of two kids who create an underground city to escape the planet's toxic atmosphere.

Bill Murray stars, and according to the Telegraph he's quite enjoying his northern exposure by availing of the city's golf courses and sights during his time off.