Alex Pettyfer and D.J. Caruso 'like father and son'

Alex Pettyfer sees D.J. Caruso as a father figure.

The 20-year-old actor grew close to the director as they worked together on the set of 'I Am Number Four' and their harmonious relationship reflected on the rest of the crew.

He said: "D.J. and I were the father and son of the set and we tried to keep the energy vibrant, every day. It's a different kind of pressure. The better you are on set the better they work. That was something very powerful."

Alex, who plays reluctant hero John Smith in the sci-fi thriller, also said D.J. taught him about "team work" and helped him understand the gravity of playing a movie's leading character.

He explained to BANG Showbiz: "I discovered about team work. For the first time, I had done a few movies before, but I had never had the experience that D.J. had passed on to me, and that is when you are number one on the call sheet, you have to basically lift everyone's morale up."

Late last year the British hunk revealed how he worked with his "icons" on the film.

He said: "You know it's funny, you're a kid and you idolise these people like D.J., Steven Spielberg, Michael Bay, and you think of it as a lifelong dream and when it finally happens it kind of takes your breath away."