Hollywood loves an OutKast. Andre Benjamin, the innovative dandy known as Andre 3000 of the Atlanta superstar duo OutKast, is the newest hip-hop star courted by the big screen. But instead of just taking token parts as rappers or streetwise thugs (as he did for last spring's "Be Cool"), Benjamin boasts an impressive roster of diverse new roles.

With six Grammys already tucked under his belt, could an Academy Award be next?

In "Four Brothers," now in theaters, Benjamin plays one for four adopted siblings (the others are played by Mark Wahlberg, Tyrese Gibson and Garrett Hedlund) who set out to avenge the murder of their mom. In contrast to the hyperbolic high jinks he delivers as Andre 3000, Benjamin's performance is quiet, controlled and thoughtful.

Other upcoming films include "Revolver," a Guy Ritchie gambling flick; "Charlotte's Web," an animated movie in which he plays a crow; "The Hit," in which he'll don the wings of Cupid; and the highly anticipated OutKast project "My Life in Idlewild," a Prohibition-era musical co-starring Benjamin's bandmate Antwon (Big Boi) Patton (the group's next album will be the soundtrack).

Then there's that producing deal for feature and cable television projects with MTV and Nickelodeon.

"I stopped touring a year and a half ago," says Benjamin, tucked on a chair in a hotel suite. "I just got dead with it."

Soft-spoken and startlingly earnest, he's a far cry from the campy caricatures he adopts as his OutKast alter ego.

"I was tired," he adds. "I can't even perform (2004 hit single) 'Hey Ya!' right now because I am in a totally different space. I am just looking for something new."

That something includes a turn at clothing design. In addition to acting, the stylish star — named Esquire's best-dressed man in the world this year — is developing a fashion line separate from the OutKast Clothing Co. already on racks.

"I truly hate the cliche of it all," he says with a wry grin, acknowledging that dozens of hip-hop performers before him have invaded Seventh Avenue and the silver screen. "But a lot of musicians get the jobs because they will bring people to the theaters. Even with clothing, to a lot of (other artists), it's just a licensing thing. It's a cool business move, I understand it. But for me, I really have a passion for these things."

"He is a real Renaissance dude," says "Four Brothers" director John Singleton. "The cool thing about him is that he's not that way to call attention to himself — that's just who he is. He is a real chameleon, a real artsy guy."

Benjamin's creative urges were cultivated at an early age. Raised an only child in Atlanta by a single mother, his artistic inclinations — drawing, painting, acting in stage plays — were always encouraged. During freshman year at Tri-Cities School for the Performing Arts, he met Patton, and together the two MCs formed what would eventually become the global phenomenon OutKast, who put out their first album, "Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik," in 1994.

Since then "he has far surpassed being just a rapper," says Erik Parker, music editor at Vibe magazine. "He has never been afraid to take chances, always pushing those boundaries, going beyond what was expected of a rapper. He has become what Prince is, 'the Artist.' You can't pigeonhole him into one particular style."

But pushing the envelope sometimes pushes fans away. He has often chosen knickers and bell-bottoms over hip hop's requisite baggy jeans, and has laced his music with rock, soul, psychedelia and funk. His concoctions — such as the chart-topping "Hey Ya!" — have generated outcry from those who have claimed he has sold out or abandoned his hip-hop roots.

"It's terrible to get those comments," admits Benjamin, now a vegan who doesn't drink or smoke, "but at the same time, I am not 17 anymore. I have put in my time, and if you want to hear hard-core hip hop or rhyming, go back to the earlier albums. I can't pretend that I am in the same place I was when I was 17, 18 years old."

Now, at 30, Benjamin has four gray hairs on his head and global adoration. And he worries that, despite his success, he may never be able to live up to his own reputation.

"I think I have a fear of failure," he admits. "I have always worked better when people kind of doubted me. When I have something to prove. Right now I am trying to lead a creative life, just get a handle on it all. There is so much I want to give."