John Travolta, who was at the Toronto International Film Festival to attend the premiere of Philip Martin's "The Forger", has said he picked up some unusual skills while preparing for his role.

Travolta plays an expert art forger in the crime thriller who gets released from prison early so that he can spend time with his dying son, played by Tye Sheridan, a young American actor on the rise.

But Travolta is forced to pull off one major heist in return for the favour.

Travolta said he was drawn to the story right off the bat, according to Xinhua.

"This one beckoned me because I had never read anything quite like it. I loved the idea of playing an artist who was influenced by the wrong side of doing it," he told reporters on the red carpet Saturday.

Travolta may have played many different roles throughout his career, but he did not take this one lightly. To prepare himself, Travolta said he learned the secrets of the trade by interviewing forgers and learning the craft. But he said it all came naturally to him.

"My grandfather was an artist and so was my father, and so it was in the family. I studied a little bit, I loved Edward Hopper. I did water colours, oil painting was newer to me, so studying with a man in Hong Kong helped me quite a bit. But the forgers also helped me understand the thinking behind authenticity and forgery," he said.

Travolta shares the screen with Canadian acting legend Christopher Plummer, who plays his father.