But he's never carried a movie before.

That is, until Wayward Son -- a small-budget, slow-moving, period drama about an ex-con adjusting to life outside jail in 1930s Louisiana.

"I didn't even think about it," says the smooth-talking Connick, 32, of carrying his first film. "I just was looking for a good piece of writing, 'cause I read a lot of stuff, and some of it's the lead role, some of it's a little, tiny role. But a lot of the stuff I read is garbage, and I'm like, 'Man, I don't need to do this.' If I do something and invest that much time and emotion in it, I want it to be worthwhile."

Wayward Son, written and directed by New York-based, first-time filmmaker Randall Harris, had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on Wednesday night. It isn't expected to hit theatres until January or February.

Harris, who is also a partner in a digital post-production company, says Connick was pretty much his first choice for the role of ex-con Jesse Banks Rhodes. Other actors in the film include British import Pete Postlethwaite (In The Name Of The Father) and Patricia Clarkson (High Art).

"Before I met Harry I always liked him," said Harris, seated by the singer in a Toronto hotel room this week.

"I'd been a big fan of his acting 'cause I thought that it was honest. There was a very straightforward honesty to it that I thought was perfect for this character. And Harry's Southern, so he understood, on a deeper level, a lot of the issues that we deal with in the film."

Connick, who is still in the middle of touring to support his latest album, Come By Me -- he played the Air Canada Centre here in late June -- says juggling music and movies can be hectic at times but one rarely takes away from the other.

"I've never had to cancel the tour because some great movie offer came along. Normally they cast the principal characters months and months in advance," says Connick, who has also recently shot the improvisational, ensemble drama The Simian Line with William Hurt and Lynn Redgrave.

He also says he's glad he made the move into film nine years ago with Memphis Belle.

"I just love to perform. I love to be creative. When I was 20 somebody from Warner Brothers suggested I audition for a movie. That's when I fell in love with the process. I just like escaping and inventing a new person. And, you know, I started small. It wasn't about being a movie star or anything. I like fantasizing and pretending and telling the truth as another person. I really like that."

Connick also doesn't find it unusual that other musicians -- like Jewel, Sheryl Crow, Alanis Morissette, Mariah Carey and Gloria Estefan -- are all making their feature-film debuts this fall in various projects.

"Back to Bing Crosby, that's been happening," he says. "Anybody's who's attracted to getting up in front of people and singing, I think, would be attracted to movies. I mean, I'll spin on my head. Even if we're shy people, we're entertainers, we're performers. It's a very clear reason why we do it. It's another chance to be creative."