‘Man on a Ledge’: Sam Worthington a ‘pussycat’ in real life

"Man on a Ledge" star Sam Worthington should be pretty accustomed to working with green screen by now, after "Avatar" and "Terminator: Salvation," but the comforts of a visual-effects-ready backlot stage were not an option for the Aussie star this last time around.

Going out on a ledge isn't a figure of speech here: The actor literally spent several days filming on the ledge of a New York building, about 200 feet above ground. The actor and filmmakers chalked the decision up to savvy audiences who can tell when CGI has created an artificial background.

"I think sometimes an audience demands a certain authenticity. People actually knowing that I'm up there 200-odd feet in the air adds to the thrilling aspect of it," Worthington told the Ministry of Gossip at the film's L.A. premiere Monday at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre.

PHOTOS: 'Man on a Ledge' black carpet arrivals

It's Worthington's character who does most of the high-up dancing with death, but others involved with the movie got to give it a try, too, including Anthony Mackie and Ed Burns. Actor Titus Welliver, who plays an NYPD officer in the movie, wasn't feeling quite as adventurous.

"I was offered the opportunity, and I flatly refused because even when I would watch Sam when I was on the ground, when he was on the ledge, it would make my hands perspire. It made me so nervous," Welliver said.

Worthington started the film with a fear of heights but eventually found that "you get comfortable out there when your confidence builds."

Director Asger Leth and producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura both walked out onto the ledge.

"The director and I both said, 'If we're going to ask our actors to go there, we're going to out there, too,'" Di Bonaventura said.

The producer said aside from testing out the ledge for Worthington, the most daring thing he's done from far off the ground was climbing on Yosemite's Cathedral Rocks. Leth revealed he had a "scary" experience at about 14,000 feet in Argentina’s mountains shooting a commercial for Guinness.

But Worthington had no tales of daring feats to regale reporters with.

"Trust me -- in real life I’m a pussycat," he said. "I stay at home, make scrambled eggs, watch 'Law and Order,' pretty normal stuff. I only do crazy stuff in the film."

Summit Entertainment's "Man on a Ledge" hits theaters Friday. The thriller also stars Elizabeth Banks, Ed Harris and Jamie Bell.

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--Emily Rome

 Photo: Sam Worthington at the L.A. premiere of "Man on a Ledge" with Crystal Umphrey. Credit: Matt Sayles / Associated Press

PREACH IT! Sigourney Weaver oughtta shut her pie hole! And we wrote that all by ourselves!

Sigourney Weaver: She not only fights the forces of anti-rain-forest evil but she can also read minds! Hundreds of them! And all at the same time!

For example: She knows why James Cameron, her director in "Avatar," didn’t take home the best picture trophy this year.

"Jim didn't have breasts, and I think that was the reason," Weaver told Brazilian news site Folha Online over the weekend. "He should have taken home that Oscar."

Which brings us to the introduction of a brand-new category here at the Ministry of Gossip: Yeah, No.

No, honey. Kathryn Bigelow didn’t get the Oscar just because she has boobies, although that likely was a large factor. (Actually, to be fair, we don’t know if it was a large factor; we don’t know Bigelow’s bra size.) No, Cameron didn’t get the Oscar because: (a) he already has one for best picture, and that sort of thing does tend to sway the academy, and (b) more important, he can’t write. At all. Even a little bit.

'Avatar' without Sam Worthington? Damon, Gyllenhaal said no to playing Jake Sully [poll]

 
 "The Jake Sully Identity"? "Brokeback Home Tree"?

James Cameron has put on his 3D-hindsight glasses for our friends at the Hero Complex for a look back at his woulda-coulda-shoulda stories regarding casting for the lead role in "Avatar."

Let's forget the "shoulda" part, because the film's done pretty well with Sam Worthington rocking the role. But, the director says, he "coulda" cast Jake Gyllenhaal or Matt Damon in the role of Sully, opposite new Avon ambassador (was it the blue skin?) Zoe Saldana. He talked to both, both turned him down, and first-choice Worthington got the gig. 

Why would Cameron go flirting with the box-office big boys, if Worthington had already won his bio-luminescent heart? Hero Complex has that answer.

Who'd be your "woulda" in the role of Jake Sully? Our department of Absolutely Accurate Online Statistics presents a nonscientific online poll ... click onward.

'Avatar' premiere: Hollywood's night on the blue carpet [Photo gallery]

The stars of "Avatar" made a fine showing in the flesh on Wednesday evening in Hollywood, hitting the blue carpet in support of James Cameron's hotly anticipated sci-fi effort, which opens this Friday. 

Among the cast members on the not-red-at-all carpet? Sam Worthington, with girlfriend Natalie Mark; Zoe Saldana; a sparkling Sigourney Weaver, playing with a toy version of her avatar, Grace; and Giovanni Ribisi.

Behind-the-camera types included director James Cameron, of course, and his wife, Suzy Amis; "Single Ladies" music video director Jake Nava, who helmed Leona Lewis' video of the film's closing tune, "I See You"; and "X-Men" director Bryan Singer, who's already using new technology from "Avatar" on his upcoming "Jack the Giant Killer."

Also seen Wednesday night? Click on the "photo gallery" image of Zoe Saldana for a peek at lots of familiar faces.