London, Jan 23: Shooting for new film `I Love You Phillip Morris' turned out to be a `cagey' experience for actors Ewan McGregor and Jim Carrey - because the film had real prisoners as extras.

Inspired by true events, the film has Carrey playing jailed con artist Steven Jay Russell who falls in love with his cellmate, Phillip Morris, played by McGregor.

And to get the atmosphere of an authentic prison, the director made the actors to shoot in an actual penitentiary filled with convicts in New Orleans, Louisiana.

However, McGregor has said that he was "shocked" by his criminal co-stars and his confining surroundings.

"I had never been in a prison before. I had an idea from movies what it would be like, but the intensity was quite shocking from the moment I arrived in the morning through bars and barbed wire," The Daily Express quoted him as saying.

He added: "A lot of the prisoners live in dormitories and are quite calm. It took us a couple of days to get used to the fact our extras were real prisoners."

On the other hand, funnyman Carrey managed to enjoy the experience by cracking jokes with the hardened outlaws. (ANI)