There's no better way of putting it: A new star has been born thanks to a bit of "Stardust."

A radiant Claire Danes plays the star, quite literally, in the new romantic fantasy that's being mentioned by many in the same company as "The Princess Bride" in story and "The Lord of the Rings" in scope. But the cast member who shines bright in his first major role is Charlie Cox, a British-born performer who better get used to the moniker of The Next Big Thing.

Not since Orlando Bloom in the first "Lord of the Rings" movie has a relative unknown actor so suddenly appeared out of nowhere and stormed the screen with a bounty of charm and leading-man charisma. In fact, with the way he so subtly transitions through the growth of his character during the film, you can't help but believe that this guy's been acting for decades.

The great thing is about Cox is that there's not a hint of arrogance in him at all. Smacking of refreshing honesty, the 25-year-old actor recently flew to the U.S. from London to talk about the film, which opens in theaters nationwide on Friday.

"A lot of people have asked me what attracted me to the role in this film and I try to give honest answers. But the real reason is, I was an unemployed actor and was looking for a job," Cox said with a laugh of relief in an @ The Movies interview. "Of course, 'Stardust' is a better job than most and was an amazing opportunity. But at the same time, I wasn't being picky."

Based on the popular graphic novel by Neil Gaiman and co-written and directed by Matthew Vaughn, "Stardust" tells the story of Tristan (Cox), an awkward Victorian-era shop boy who's trying to win over Victoria (Sienna Miller), a flirtatious yet cold-hearted woman who considers herself a class above her potential peasant suitor. When they suddenly witnesses a falling star, Tristan feels that the ultimate way to win Victoria over is to cross through a mystical wall separating his small village and Stronghold, a mysterious, magical and forbidden kingdom.

Little does Tristan know, the star from the heavens is actually a young woman in the form of Yvaine (Danes) -- and that this "star" is needed by Lord Stormhold's (Peter O'Toole) three living sons in their vie for the throne; and a sister trio of witches, headed by Lamia (Michelle Pfeiffer), who need it to restore their youthful beauty.

Finding Yvaine first, Tristan and his new star soon find themselves on the run from their selfish counterparts -- and encounter sky pirate Captain Shakespeare (Robert De Niro), a shady trader (Ricky Gervais) and possibly, love, along the way.

What Cox loves about "Stardust" is the story's originality. It has so many different elements, from action and romance to comedy and fantasy, that it was hard to wrap his head around the potential of the film.

"When I was reading the script, I didn't know how to visualize it," Cox recalled. "For a long time I didn't know what this movie was -- even after I finished filming. It's a mixture of so many things. All the actors involved really had to trust (Vaughn in what he was doing). People ask me, 'What's your movie about?' and I respond by saying, 'To try and tell you would be doing you a disservice because I won't get it all in in a few minutes.' It's kind of unexplainable. You just have to experience it."

The bonus for Cox on "Stardust," was, not only did he experience something extraordinary as a viewer; as a performer, he reveled in the opportunity to learn from the likes of Dane, Pfeiffer and De Niro.

"You learn sub-consciously and consciously. You can't help it -- when you watch somebody like Robert De Niro work you can't help but just be struck by what he's doing and take it in," enthused Cox, who shares some sword-crossing scenes with the veteran Oscar winner. "To some extent, you can learn something from any actor, but from Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer and Claire Danes you're going to learn a lot because they're seriously talented in my view and also they have ridiculous amounts of experience."

The funny thing is, this isn't the first time Cox has had a shot to learn from the greats.

In the past three years, not only has he shared the screen with De Niro, but another icon in Al Pacino, in "The Merchant of Venice." And now that the dust from "Stardust" is beginning to settle, Cox said that he's had the time to sit back and marvel at those amazing opportunities. But the full impact, he added, won't hit him until somewhere down the road.

"It's amazing now to think that I've been that I've worked with both of those legends -- but in years to come, when I look back, I'll realize there weren't many of us that did at all," Cox said, humbly. "I'll treasure that forever. I really will."