The 37-year-old actor, who is tipped for success at the upcoming Hollywood awards season for his role as a mental health patient in David O Russell's new movie, said he was initially unsure whether to take the job, reported Daily Express.
"The reputation that preceded him for me was stellar. I spoke to Jessica Biel, who I'd been on The A-Team with, and I said, 'You know, I think I might do this David O'Russell movie,' and she said, 'Run. Don't walk to that'.
"She did a movie that never even came out with him, actually, and she loved him," he said.
Biel, 30, had worked with Russell in "Nailed", a film about a woman fighting for better healthcare after being shot in the head with a nail gun, in 2008 but the project was halted due to numerous production problems. The film remains unfinished.