(Cover) - EN Showbiz - Alex Pettyfer was inspired to star in Beastly after meeting a facially-disfigured man.

The British actor-and-model plays Kyle Kingson in the upcoming film, which is a modern take on the classic fairytale Beauty and the Beast. Kyle is a wealthy and arrogant high school student who is empowered by his own physical appearance. After he foolishly chooses a classmate rumoured to be a witch as his latest target for humiliation, he is transformed into someone as unattractive on the outside as he is on the inside.

Alex was unsure about committing to the script, but his mind was quickly changed when he heard the story of a man who had suffered discrimination all of his life for being facially-disfigured.

I didnt really know if I wanted to do the movie. I went round my friends house who is a photographer, and he takes portraits. He had some pictures of a man who had elephantitus, he explained in an interview with BBC Breakfast. I actually have a picture with him. He told me he went to the zoo at the age of 18, and as he was leaving the zoo keeper said no animals were allowed to leave and to go back inside. That choked me up. I said Im going to do this movie for you.

Alex who shaved his head for the movie underwent gruelling prosthetic make-up application every day before shooting. The 21-year-old star says that it was interesting to see peoples reactions as he emerged from the trailer after hed been transformed into his Beastly character.

Every time I left the trailer not one person would look at me in the same way. I walked around Montreal, where the movie was filmed, and the reactions you got were awful, he said. I had a glimpse of what this man felt like. I treat everyone the same and after doing this movie its been a better life experience. (C) Cover Media