It’s all just super for Mario

When singing, Frank Sinatra used to act out the emotions contained in his songs. So when he started acting in movies, it turned out to be a natural transition.

R&B singer Mario, who’s set to star in two upcoming films, is following the same strategy.

“They’re both the same type of action,” he says. “Singing is even better when you’re able to visually see the song in your head.

“I think some people have that and some people don’t. I mean, I see a song in my head before we set up the visuals for the video. I sort of act the words out as I sing them.”

Mario is set to star in “Step Up,” which reaches theaters on Friday, and “Freedom Writers,” expected out in January.

If he uses the Sinatra approach, who knows, maybe he’ll grab an Oscar, too. Ol’ Blue Eyes won a best supporting actor award for his performance in “From Here to Eternity.”

“I’m not going to say it’s easy but it didn’t take me long to get comfortable with it … being on the spot or doing a thing over and over,” Mario says of acting.

“Doing interviews … there may be questions that come up, and you have to answer that question but it may be the same question that somebody has asked you,” he explains.

“You answer it with a certain type of confidence because you’ve done it and you know exactly how you’re going to answer.

“To get your point across with acting, it’s the same thing with me – you know how to relive that moment over and over again.”

“Step Up” is a sort of “Save the Last Dance” meets “Fame” story, with Mario’s character a leading DJ in an arts school.

In “Freedom Writers,” Oscar winner Hilary Swank plays a teacher who overcomes multiple obstacles to reach kids passed over by society.

“The teacher comes into the school and teaches kids the school board had already given up on … they wanted them to stop coming to school,” Mario says. “These kids were born into broken homes, gang homes and ethnic background wars.

“It’s her walking into the lion’s den because that’s a heavy weight on her shoulders, helping them excel in their lives.”

So far, Mario – born Mario Barrett in Baltimore – has excelled in the music biz.

The 19-year-old premiered in 2002 with “Just a Friend.” His sophomore album, “Turning Point,” produced the No. 1 hit “Let Me Love You.”

But it hasn’t been an entirely smooth ride. Earlier this year, Mario sued his former manager and guardian, claiming that he was bilked out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

“I’m pleased with how it’s going,” he says of the suit. “I’m happy to have made some of the decisions I’ve made to make my business better for me. Still, it’s personal at the same time.”

He says his third album, due early next year, will “be a lot different from the other albums in terms of growth, in terms of creativity, in terms of melodic sounds and in terms of what I’m saying – the characters in the songs.”

“I think that’s what makes my music unique, the different characters that I show in the songs.”

And now in the movies, too.

The birthday bunch

Humorist Garrison Keillor is 64. Singer B.J. Thomas is 64. Actor David Duchovny (“The X-Files”) is 46. Singer Raul Malo is 41. Actress Charlize Theron is 31.