Dave Franco still pinching himself over co-star Michael Caine

Dave Franco acts like an idiot whenever he's in a room or on a film set with Michael Caine, because the movie veteran is such an "icon".

The actor teamed up with his hero again for the sequel to 2013's Now You See Me, and admits he still can't relax when he's around the great Brit, who reprises his role as insurance tycoon Arthur Tressler in the film.

Dave, who plays illusionist Jack Wilder, also reteamed Morgan Freeman and Woody Harrelson for the project, but it was Get Carter star Caine who left him weak at the knees.

"It’s interesting, because the entire cast gets along so well, it’s almost a family bond," Dave told HollywoodChicago.com, "but I still feel nervous around Michael Caine. He’s, like, the one person who is an icon. Whenever I would approach him, I'd overthink how I want to interact - in my head, it has to be the greatest interaction of all time.

"Counter to all that, he’s such a mellow and cool guy, that I should relax and be myself. He’s also a great storyteller, he’s happy to talk about past jobs and the people he has worked with in his career."

Dave was keen to learn from his co-stars and remembers the stories Morgan and Mark Ruffalo told about the "weird occurrences" they've encountered on set. The 21 Jump Street star admits Mark's reputation as a serious actor masks the fact he's a goofball.

"He's one of the silliest guys I ever met," Dave smiled. "He knows how to have a good time, as much as the Woody Harrelsons of the world. Being around them, and seeing how loose they are, just makes the job that much more fun."