Sturgess was drawn to '21'

• By JOHN WIRT
• Movie critic
• Published: Mar 27, 2008 - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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NEW ORLEANS — There he was, Jim Sturgess, a real live movie star, at a shopping mall in suburban New Orleans. The occasion was a preview screening of his new film, 21, at the AMC Palace Clearview 12. 

The 26-year-old British actor, previously seen in the Beatles-based musical, Across the Universe, and the historical-costume drama, The Other Boleyn Girl, plays a super-bright MIT student in 21. His character, Ben Campbell, joins a group of fellow card sharks from MIT for hugely profitable weekend treks to gambling mecca Las Vegas.

Sturgess appeared in a Clearview 12 auditorium a few weeks ago, immediately following a screening of 21. He answered questions from the delighted audience.

“Many different things attract me to a role,” he responded to the first question. “But this one, I read the script and, at that point, I just thought it was a piece of fiction. I had no idea that it was a true story.

“So, I thought it was a cool story anyway and then, when someone said, ‘No, this really happened, these MIT kids really did this in Vegas,’ my ears pricked up. So the fact that it’s a true story was a big plus for me.”

Sturgess’ prep work for 21 included arriving in Vegas before the rest of the cast and hanging out with Jeff Ma, the former MIT student who inspired the story.

“Yeah, we hung out a lot in Vegas,” the actor said. “And then a lot of the other MIT students came and were hanging out on the set. We would all go out and gamble and cause trouble, do all the crazy Vegas stuff.”

Once filming commenced, the line between scenes in the film and the real Vegas high life the cast experienced off the set began to blend.

“We would go out on the weekends and have just a mashed-up night in Vegas,” Sturgess said. “Then, the next day, we would be re-creating almost what we’d done the night before, but for professional work. The boundaries were getting blurred.”

One audience member asked Sturgess, still a relatively young actor at 26, if he learned anything from his seasoned co-star, Laurence Fishburne.

“Yeah, you do, instinctively,” Sturgess said. “Just from being in a room with him. He’s such a great actor. Kevin Spacey, too. They didn’t sit me down and teach me anything, but you learn so much from watching how they approach it and what they do.”

Every film he’s made has been a great experience, albeit in its own special way, Sturgess added.

“They’re all so different. That’s the joy of doing them. In Across the Universe, it was amazing indulging in that ’60s life and living in New York. All the mad stuff that Julie Taymor was throwing at us each day, giant puppets and rock stars.