Alex Pettyfer Hides His True Face in 'I Am Number Four' and 'Beastly'

Alex Pettyfer has just joined a club with a fairly exclusive membership, namely actors and actresses who have two movies in theaters at the same time. Two weeks ago, "I Am Number Four" opened across the country, with Pettyfer playing a survivor of a planet decimated by hostile invaders. The young actor also plays the romantic lead in "Beastly," a darkly comic retelling of the "Beauty and the Beast" fairytale.

When placed side-by-side, it is easy to see similarities between Pettyfer's characters in each film. Both are young men who, whether by intent or design, keep their true faces hidden from the outside world. They also are connected by a strong mystical bond, which is both their curse and salvation.

John Smith, Pettyfer's role in "I Am Number Four," is a refugee from another planet, but he is still tied to his home world of Lorien by magical 'legacies'. Smith's birthright lets him develop these legacies, such as resistance to flames and telekinesis. When he fully matures, John and a handful of others like him will serve as Earth's defenders against the same aliens that destroyed Lorien.

Kyle Kingson from "Beastly," on the other hand, doesn't have any special abilities, except the power to make other people feel bad about themselves. The handsome, wealthy son of a popular anchorman, Kyle grew up in a house where outward appearance was all that mattered. Any inner goodness he might have is buried under a snotty attitude and expensive, tailored clothing.

Kyle pushes his luck one day with a student who actually has magical abilities. She brings his inner ugliness to the surface, which manifests itself as hideous scars and elaborate piercings and tattoos. Kyle has exactly one year to find someone who will love him unselfishly or be forced to live in his new body for the rest of his life.

Deprived of family and friends, Kyle is sent by his father to live in exile with just a housekeeper and a blind private tutor. Stripped of his looks, Kyle must examine the man he truly is inside. He also learns that his high school friends had been afraid to question his cruel behavior and nasty taunts.

John and Kyle also learn about the true nature of love. As a Lorien native, John will find his mate and stay bonded to her for the rest of his life. When he finds love with a beautiful cheerleader, she brings out incredible feelings in him, ones that he never felt before. She inspires John to accept his legacies and his destiny.

As Kyle's tutor and housekeeper tell him, he has to baby step his way to emotional maturity. As he starts a relationship with a beautiful classmate, Kyle can only show his feelings by showering her with expensive gifts. His housekeeper encourages him to stop thinking about himself and to start thinking about what his would-be girlfriend would really want.

In just a single month, Alex Pettyfer has tackled two characters that keep their true selves hidden from the world, either by hiding in plain sight or behind a face that doesn't represent their true nature. They are two different roles linked by a need for acceptance by other people and an acceptance of self.

Note: This was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Join the Yahoo! Contributor Network to start publishing your own articles.