Actor Ewan McGregor Stops by the Rafael

The is no stranger to movie stars and filmmakers. The last one to stop by was Scottish-born actor Ewan McGregor.

The 40-year-old McGregor appeared after a screening of Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, the tale of a fisheries expert who embarks on an absurd mission to bring salmon to this Middle Eastern desert.

Don't be fooled by the seemingly technical premise of the story. The lively cast, which includes Emily Blunt and Kristin Scott Thomas, keeps the pace moving with snappy wit and some tenderness.

Known for his roles as a drug-addicted youth in Trainspotting and the young Obi-Wan Kenobi in the latest Star Wars movies, McGregor plays fisheries expert Dr. Fred Jones. At first skeptical of the vision to bring salmon to the Yemen, the unemotional and scientific Jones is soon swept up in the idea.

 "He was such a great character to live in for a few months," McGregor told audience after the credits rolled. Jones is trapped in his life, professionally, sexually and romantically, he explained. Eventually, the character grows as the salmon project becomes more probable.

Blunt stars as the optimistic consultant Harriet Chetwode-Talbot, who first proposes the plan, and Thomas is the hilarious press secretary to the British Prime Minister who is overjoyed to discover there are 2 million voters in the UK who love fishing.

"They both just kept us in stitches the whole time," McGregor said of his costars. 

McGregor is currently filming a pilot for HBO serializing Jonathan Franzen's novel The Corrections, which revolves around the troubles of a repressed Midwestern family.

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen will open in the Bay Area in early March.