David Boreanaz

NEWHALL, California - Whether he’s deep sea fishing, whitewater rafting or hot air balloon riding, it’s obvious from "The Newlyweds" that Nick Lachey likes adventure.

Today, then, must be heaven. It’s only mid-afternoon and he’s already sped around in a BMW convertible, run through the woods and played with a pistol. And the best part is he’s getting paid to be here.

Nick is on a movie ranch in a valley outside of Valencia, California, shooting his first film, the heist flick "The Hard Easy" (see "Nick Lachey’s Big-Screen Debut: Tough Guy With A Calculator").

"Apparently they shot ’Friday the 13th’ in that cabin over there, which has been freaking me out the past couple of days," he admits, pointing to a porch where he’s about to shoot a scene.

One might think making his movie debut would be the thing freaking Lachey out, but that’s hardly the case. On the set, he’s the same cool, calm and collected Nick that "Newlyweds" fans have grown to love.

Ari Ryan, the first-time director behind "The Hard Easy," certainly has something to do with this.

"One of the first things I said to Nick when he came on board was, ’Acting is reacting,’ " Ryan recalls during a break between fight scenes. "’Do the same thing that you do onstage: You emote to the audience. You react to the audience. We have incredible performers surrounding you, and as long as you react, you can relax.’ "

Between his music videos, "The Newlyweds," the variety shows with wife Jessica Simpson and his guest-starring role on "Charmed," Lachey has become quite comfortable in front of cameras. Shooting a movie, however, has not been as easy as he’s making it look.

"It’s a different process with a movie, a lot slower process," he explains while the creek behind him is lit for his next scene. "You’ve got to make every take count, and you’ve got a lot of other actors that are depending on you. ... And the way everything is not shot in order, you have to have a good understanding of the way your character feels the whole way through ... and all that back story needs to be evident. It’s definitely a challenging process, more so than I thought."

So Nick is taking in as much as he can, and not just from Ryan, but also from fellow cast members, which include David Boreanaz ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer"), Henry Thomas ("Gangs of New York"), Bruce Dern ("Monster") and Peter Weller ("RoboCop").

"I am the most approachable person, [I’m like,] ’Let’s work on it and make it better,’ " Lachey says. "Peter has done this all of his life, he’s done theater, he’s done movies, he is such a pro. So it’s good for me to work off of that and see how he operates, his process. I think as an actor you have to develop your own way of doing things, but it’s cool to see how other people do it and to take little pieces of that and see what works for you."

Lachey first studied acting at a performing-arts school growing up and did some theater in high school. "I just got sidetracked by music for a while, and in the back of my mind it was always something that I wanted to, at some point, see if I am any good at it and just give it a shot," he says.

"It was really funny to find out he had gone to USC like I did and had a theater background and had actually gone to college for a theater degree," adds Ryan. "But really what attracted me to Nick was his easygoing and relaxed nature."

In the movie, Lachey plays one of a group of stockbrokers that plans a jewelry heist to get out of financial trouble.

"He’s the more edgy of the three main stockbrokers," Nick explains. "He didn’t come from a privileged background. This is the guy that kind of grew up on the streets and worked for what he’s gotten and he’s a little more daring than the other two."

Unbeknownst to the stockbrokers, another group of thieves is planning to rob the jewels at the same time.

"It’s this really cool action movie, but when you really get into it, it’s a character piece, and that’s what really intrigued me," Ryan says. "An action movie is cool, and a character piece is cool, but it’s very rare that you see them together."

"The Hard Easy" is due in theaters later this year.

As for Lachey, he’s reading scripts but isn’t rushing into his next movie. "My mentality with acting is just to take time with it and work with a great cast like in this movie and learn," he says. "Do it the right way."