Twenty-six-year-old British actor Joe Anderson has been a familiar face in the high-profile music-based films from last year—he played Peter Hook in Control, the gorgeous black-and-white tribute to Joy Division, and he also played Max Carrigan, the rebellious brother of Evan Rachel Wood's character in Across the Universe, sporting an impeccable American accent, singing songs like "Hey Jude" and "Happiness is a Warm Gun," and going off to Vietnam in the stunning scene struck to "I Want You/She's So Heavy." The latter may have not been a box office hit, but it has gone on to a vigorous life on DVD and raised Anderson's profile considerably with the film's many ardent teenage fans: "Thirteen-year-old kids singing The Beatles—brilliant, right?" said Anderson.

Last night at the American Express Insider Center, Anderson took a minute to chat about his recent spate of rocker roles (he does play the guitar and bass in real life), including the Festival selection The 27 Club, where, coincidentally, he's a mourning rocker on a road trip. (And yes, the title stems from the "rockers die at 27" legend. See Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain, and others.) "It wasn't something I wanted to get into, it just happened," he said. "That's going to change. I just played the German in The Ruins."

For Anderson, The 27 Club may be a movie about rockers and road trips, but it isn't a film that's rooted in the ever-cliché quick-cut style of super-hip music channels. "It goes back to the old style of filmmaking where actors are allowed to pause," he said. "It's about what people are not saying. It's about sweetness." With that said, the friendly Anderson, who isn't quite used to being recognized yet, was due to go over to the Brits party with his mates. I took a quick photo that was akin to a mug shot. The light was unflattering. Yet Anderson's Kurt Cobain eyes still pierced the camera. "Sorry we couldn't get a better photo, babe," he said, and was off into the night.