Eminem Grammy Duet with Elton John

Feb. 12 -- Eminem says the foulmouthed, violent Slim Shady is just an act — and the rapper says he may take his acting skills to the silver screen.

The singer, giving quick answers to a stack of questions from pop fans in a BBC Radio One interview today, revealed that celluloid could be his next step. "If you people stop buying my records so that I get a break, then I will do a movie," he said.

"There is an offer that came across recently that does sound appealing to me. It is an action movie. That is all I can say. I would be the villain. This is the first offer I have got that actually sounded appealing to me."

Critics accuse Eminem of peddling hate-filled lyrics that are both homophobic and misogynist. Adoring fans hail the 28-year-old Detroit rapper as an urban poet — and he has frequently defended his material as fantasy.

New Singing Partner: Elton John

His act will see a new twist when he performs at the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on Feb. 21.

Targeted by gay activist protesters after receiving four nominations, the rapper will perform his hit single "Stan" with gay British icon Elton John.

Record Academy President Michael Greene hailed the controversial duet: "We view this moment not only as musically significant but also as an opportunity to help tear down some of the unfortunate walls of division that Eminem's lyrics have built."

The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, which has organized a protest to be held outside Staples Center during the awards show, condemned John's decision to join the rapper.

"GLAAD is appalled that John would share a stage with Eminem, whose words and actions promote hate and violence against gays and lesbians. Last year GLAAD bestowed upon John one of our most prestigious honors, named in honor of GLAAD founder Vito Russo, for outstanding contributions to combating homophobia. We believe John's actions today violate the spirit of this award."

John, who will apparently sing the lyrics from the Dido vocal sample in "Stan," has spoken out in the past in support of Eminem.