Gaard duty: Peter Sarsgaard's new movie getting some buzz

How do you see your character, David?
I think because a lot of us think that people that do morally bad things--like he does in the movie--that he is a bad person. What he does doesn't necessarily make him a bad person.

You worked with Carey Mulligan in the Broadway production of "The Seagull." How cool was it working with her again?
She's just so on it every day, so focused, so ambitious and creative. It's nice. It was a blast.

Did you work with a dialogue coach for this film to perfect your British accent?
I did. But a lot of what I did was just speak in a British accent every day and go to the grocery store and ask for things and talk to my castmates every day in a British accent. The only time when I was filming that I didn't speak with a British accent was when I was with my wife and child, or when they would come to set.

Your daughter Ramona (3 years old) is still young. Is she showing any signs of joining the family business?
It's so hard to tell. I think all kids so immediately gravitate toward that kind of thing--toward singing and dancing and pretending. I think most of us are kind of born with the ability to sing, dance and act. We all just grow up and grow out of it, except for those of us who don't.

How old were you when you realized acting was what you wanted to do?
I realized I was interested in acting for the first time when I was 19, not when I was young. I realized I was going to be a professional actor when I was 23.

You grew up in southern Illinois, but what's the first thing you have to do when you visit Chicago?
Go to a record shop. That's the main thing in Chicago for me. I love the music scene there. I love Facets Video. They have lots of out-of-print films. I get stuff from them online.

Do you like to watch yourself on screen?
Before "An Education," I had only seen one of my previous five movies. I go through phases where I don't watch any of them because the final product is often something
I have nothing to do with. I might watch it out of curiosity.

Some actors say they are drawn to things that scare them initially. Is that part of your process?
With this one, it definitely was. For some reason, it wasn't the prospect of being British. ... What mostly scared me about the part, weirdly, was playing Jewish. I thought, "How do you play Jewish? What is that?" I'm married to a Jewish woman. What does she do? Nothing!

What's the coolest part about being married to another actor?
They're able to move around with you when you go. It's nice having a traveling companion.
MIKI TURNER IS A REDEYE SPECIAL CONTRIBUTOR.

At the head of her class
Associated Press

A memorable guest spot in a "Doctor Who" episode gave British actress Carey Mulligan a sci-fi cult following.

Now Mulligan is finding Hollywood fame with a star-making turn in "An Education," in which she stars as a brilliant teen whose dream of an Oxford University education gets sidetracked by an affair with a man (Peter Sarsgaard) twice her age.

"The quality of her acting, the freshness, the non-cynical nature of her acting. ... She has no tattoos, do you know what I mean?" Sarsgaard said. "All of her feelings were just right on the surface. She's, like, quaking with feeling."

Sally Sparrow, her "Dr. Who" character, now is getting bumped down Mulligan's list of credits during a breakout year. Here's a look at the 24-year-old actress' big year, plus a peek at 2010. REDEYE CONTRIBUTED.

January
» "An Education" premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, and Mulligan has been on Oscar-watchers' short list for a best-actress slot since.
» Mulligan was a part of a second Sundance entry, the domestic drama "The Greatest," which starred Pierce Brosnan and Susan Sarandon and centered on a troubled family as it tried to get over the loss of its son.

July
» In her first role in a major Hollywood film, Mulligan co-starred with Johnny Depp in "Public Enemies."

October
» "An Education" opened to great reviews and box-office results in limited release, with the film expanding to more theaters as awards season progresses.

December
» Mulligan will appear in the drama "Brothers," alongside Tobey Maguire, Natalie Portman and Jake Gyllenhaal. The film is about a man who comforts his older brother's wife and children after he goes missing in Afghanistan, according to imdb.com.

Next year
» Mulligan stars in a juicy supporting role as the daughter of Michael Douglas' Gordon Gekko in the "Wall Street" sequel, directed by Oliver Stone.
» In "Never Let Me Go," about a woman who reflects on the dark secrets of her private school years in the English countryside, Mulligan reunites with good friend Keira Knightley, whose "Pride and Prejudice" gave Mulligan her first film role.

Review: Straight A's for 'An Education'
By Matt Pais
Metromix

"An Education" (PG-13): 3 1/2 stars

In 1961 London, Jenny (Carey Mulligan), who appears much older than her 16 years, longs to escape her repressive schooling and protective parents for liberated thought, music, language and more at Oxford University. When she falls for older, successful David (Peter Sarsgaard), a life full of swanky jazz clubs, great restaurants and adult conversation suddenly seems within reach and takes priority over her studies.

The buzz: Winner of the World Cinema Audience Award and Cinematography Award at this year's Sundance film festival, "An Education" has a lot going for it between screenwriter Nick Hornby and the always-interesting Sarsgaard. Dutch director Lone Scherfig ("Italian for Beginners") and Mulligan (who had a small role in "Public Enemies") will mostly be starting from scratch with American audiences.

The verdict: From what experiences do we gain and learn the most? Is it reasonable to seek a life of pure satisfaction? Whatever the answers, the film is a wonderful meditation on understanding life's many choices and hierarchies--among them age, race, gender, religion, nation--and deciding to abide or rebel. Wit is not as common at the movies as it should be, and "An Education" practically overflows with smarts and class, even if the ending soft-pedals the ambiguity of big decisions. The film paints a delicious, complex portrait of ambition and infatuation, power and privilege. Mulligan, who's like a ravishing, remarkable cross between Audrey Hepburn and Michelle Williams, levels Jenny's perspective into a mix of excited, fragile youth and deceptively sturdy maturity. She's a lock for an Oscar nod and just might win.

Did you know? Jenny's father (an excellent Alfred Molina) tells her that it's not necessary to practice a hobby and thus she can still get credit on university applications for playing the cello even if she never practices. Dads can be such good time-savers. MATT PAIS IS THE METROMIX MOVIES PRODUCER.