By Chris Richburg
In 2007, Common is making the most of his opportunities.
The Chicago-based lyricist, who is gearing up for the release of his new album Finding Forever, has spent the past few months in Prague filming a new movie titled Wanted with Morgan Freeman and Angelina Jolie.
The rapper has become a student of another game, with his expanding presence on the big screen.
"It was an incredible experience," Common told Northern Ireland's Belfast Telegraph. "I had some of the best lessons working with Morgan Freeman and James McAvoy. He's an incredible actor and real cool. Angelina [Jolie]'s one of the best people, she's a good soul and very gifted."
Wanted, a comic-book adaptation based on the graphic novel by Mark Millar.
The movie, which is being directed by Russian filmmaker Timur Bekmambetov, revolves around a white-collar worker (McAvoy) who discovers he is the son of the most evil supervillain on Earth.
When his father is assassinated, he inherits the dead man's powers and begins life among the other supervillains (Freeman, Jolie and Common) who secretly control the planet.
Common will play the Gunsmith, an assassin with an unparalleled knowledge of firearms, who is enlisted to help train and transform McAvoy's character into the world's most feared and powerful hit man.
Wanted is due out in 2008, while Common's seventh album Finding Forever hits stores July 31.