The high stakes action adventure 21 is inspired by the true story of the very brightest young minds in the country- and how they took Vegas for millions. Ben Campbell (Jim Sturgess) is a shy brilliant M.I.T. student who- needing to pay school tuition- finds the answers in the cards. He is recruited to join a group of the school's most gifted students that heads to Vegas every weekend armed with fake identities and the know-how to turn the odds at blackjack in their favor. With unorthodox math professor and stats genius Micky Rosa (Kevin Spacey) leading the way, they've craked the code. By counting cards and employing an intricate system of signals, the team can beat the casinos big time. Seduced by the money, the Vegas lifestyle, and by his smart and sexy teammate, Jill Taylor (Kate Bosworth), Ben begins to push the limits. Though counting cards isn't illegal, the stakes are high, and the challenge becomes not only keeping the numbers straight, but staying one step ahead of the casinos' menacing enforcer: Cole Williams (Laurence Fishburne).

We took some time to speak with Jim Sturgess (The Other Boleyn Girl, Across the Universe) about the true story of the film, his relationship with Jeff Ma, the real M.I.T stuent he plays, and developing his own unique character while staying true to Jeff's experience.