London, Apr 4 : While most actors have to slog hard for the roles they play, American actress Jessica Biel has shown that some roles come naturally for her.

Biel, 27, plays a burlesque stripper in new flick `Powder Blue', and preparing for the role came easy for her.

"I've gained such a respect for the women that actually do this for a living. It''s so difficult," the Sun quoted her as saying.

Being a former gymnast helps her as she performs the routines, especially since she has already mastered the art of flexibility and balance.

"She''s very athletic... the learning curve I thought was going to take months took weeks," director Timothy Linh Bui said.

The film, which also has Patrick Swayze, Forest Whitaker and Lisa Kudrow starring in it, is about a mortician, an ex-con, a suicidal ex-priest and a stripper brought together on Christmas Eve by a mixture of circumstances. (ANI)