Exec Decribes Alex Pettyfer as “ambitious, hungry, cocky, very ahead of himself”

With starring roles in three 2011 films, including the sci-fi thriller I Am Number Four, opening Feb. 18, British actor Alex Pettyfer is developing a reputation as a hot young star. However, inside Hollywood, he’s developing a reputation as being especially difficult and demanding. Salary disputes, requests to renegotiate his contract and the firing of his agent add fuel to the stories swirling around Pettyfer and his up and coming star status.

Several sources close to I Am Number Four recall that tensions between Pettyfer, 20, and director D.J. Caruso ran so high  on the Pennsylvania set that DreamWorks CEO Stacey Snider was forced to intervene. (DreamWorks and Pettyfer’s reps declined comment.)

Headstrong young actors are nothing new in Hollywood. And Pettyfer’s charismatic performances in I Am Number Four, Beastly and the October sci-fi thriller Now are said to be of star-making quality. But during recent weeks, Pettyfer has been courted for two projects — Mortal Instruments at Screen Gems and The Last Apprentice at Legendary — and the actor’s behavior has left some scratching their heads. A meeting at Screen Gems ended abruptly when Pettyfer and his team asked for close to $10 million, drawing outrage from studio topper Clint Culpepper, according to sources. (Screen Gems insiders insist talks with Pettyfer are ongoing.)

“Pick your words: ambitious, hungry, cocky, very ahead of himself,” says a producer who has worked with him. “But if he delivers, he’ll be worth it.”

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