The Social Network star Jessie Eisenberg studied magic for his role as an illusionist for upcoming film Now You See Me.
The 29-year-old actor plays a member of a team of illusionists who pull off bank heists during performances and Eisenberg felt it was important to be able to relate to the role.
Speaking to The Los Angeles Daily News, Eisenberg said: ''I learned a few things... I can do card and coin tricks now. I can do small parts of the movie's bigger tricks.
''You first see me on the street in Chicago. I get a girl to choose a card then toss the deck up in the air, and that card appears in lights on a tower behind me.
''I can make someone focus on the one card in a deck that I want them to see. But I don't know how to wire a skyscraper.''
Jessie explained that he could further relate to the role as his mother worked as a party clown when he was growing up.
He added: ''My mother didn't do magic. She had a list of things she didn't do because they scared some kids; big floppy shoes, I'm not sure what all. She didn't do magic because while some people like it, not knowing how something is done can alienate others.
''She traded off our birthdays with a kids party magician, though. My mother would perform at his children's parties and he'd perform at ours, because her doing that for my birthday would just have been weird.''
