TribBlog: Rep. Allen Vaught, D-Hollywood [Updated]

Iraq War veteran and Dallas state Rep. Allen Vaught will add one other credential to his resume this week: movie star.

Vaught plays the role of a staff officer in the movie Green Zone, which comes out in theaters on Friday. He'll act alongside a superstar cast, including Matt Damon and Greg Kinnear. The movie is directed by Paul Greengrass, of the Bourne movies and United 93 fame. Vaught's even got his own IMDB page.

In a press release on Tuesday, Vaught said the movie is unique because it includes many Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans as actors. Vaught was first contacted about the movie in 2007, and was asked about "technical matters, such as uniforms and other historical aspects of the war."

Green Zone is based on a book written by the former Baghdad Bureau Chief of The Washington Post.

“While my character is completely fictional and has nothing to do with who I was as a soldier, or my actual role in the Iraq War, [the director] did let me name my character after my son, Jonathan Vaught," Vaught said in a statement. "That was very special to me and something that I hope Jonathan will appreciate when he is a few years older."

During the Iraq War, Vaught served as a captain in the U.S. Army Reserve’s Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command. He saw combat in Fallujah and Sadr City, and was the "de facto" mayor of Fallujah during the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Vaught was injured in a roadside bombing in Sadr City and discharged.

[UPDATE 1:58pm: A clip from Vaught's appearance is now available online, but embedding's disabled. Check it out.]