From: National Post

The last thing British actor Jim Sturgess wants is to become a teen poster boy. That may be too late to fret over. He already is in North America after his Jude character in last year’s Across the Universe scored with the under-20 crowd of mostly females.

While his latest portrayal is less fanciful, Sturgess has lots of swooning heartthrob moments in 21, which opens in theatres in a few weeks.

In the movie, Sturgess plays a brainiac MIT student who is led by one of his professors (Kevin Spacey) on card game sojourns to Las Vegas where their
card counting earns the gang millions.

Based on a true story, Sturgess, 26, said Thursday at a Las Vegas hotel that he gambled for research in Vegas but tired of that lifestyle quickly. and what about his status as a teen sensation. “I’m slightly terrified by it.” he said. “But it kind of passed me by.” He maintained he’s still an unknown in Britain, but started to suspect something was up when he began doing promotion for 21 this week. “I’ve noticed a lot of wandering eyes,” he acknowledged smiling.

His 21 co-star Kate Bosworth isn’t surprised. “He has an amazing charm but real strength to who is,” she said. “He is going to be a big star.”

Spacey, who also produced 21, agreed. “When he sent me this very primitive audition tape for the part I could see him jump off the screen even though it was this herky jerky thing he did himself,” recalled the Oscar-honoured actor.

Sturgess grinned again when heard that assessment and shrugged it off. “We will have to wait and see,” he said.

OK. So is it true he’s being pursued by Across the Universe director Julie Taymor to star in her Broadway musical adaptation of the Spider-Man comics? He shrugged again.

Whatever the speculation, it’s a long way from his more obscure days playing the younger Charlie in The Quest series of TV movies or being the featured attraction in the National Youth Music Theatre from 1993 to 1995. “I finally feel like all that hard work is gettingme somewhere,” he said.