Denzel Washington

Washington prepared for the role by spending time alone with his onscreen family. 'One of things we did right off the bat was I took Kim and Daniel on a trip to Niagara Falls,' he relates. 'It's like a two- or three-hour drive from Toronto [where the movie was being shot] down there - and we really got a chance to bond together. Went to lunch and took the boat ride under the Falls. Tried to be a normal family. People were running around taking pictures and stuff. But we did the best we could.'He also ensconced himself in the character's life by working a few shifts in the factory. 'I've worked in a factory before. And I was a garbage man. And I worked in a post office before. It's not that long ago, so I remember. You kind of tap into that. And I like to think that I'm closer to that kind of character, just a regular guy as far as I'm concerned.'

New directions

Washington's own journey - from a blue-collar childhood in the Bronx to the elite of Hollywood - has similarities with the first film he has chosen to direct. The Antwone Fisher Story is based on Fisher's rise from a life of abandonment, abuse, violence and petty crime to become one of Hollywood's most sought-after screenwriters.

'I have a new respect for filmmakers, that's for sure, 'cause it's not easy,' Washington says of the experience. 'But I had fun. If I'm allowed to, I'll be directing for the rest of my life. We just showed the film for the first time to about 20, 25 people and got a good response. I love it. I love the process.'

Fisher, who wrote the screenplay, has given favourable reviews to Washington's efforts from the director's chair. 'He loved it. He saw it and he just went on and on,' says Washington. 'It's got to be weird for him, seeing his life up there. He was very complimentary. I'm just glad I didn't mess it up...unless everybody's lying,' he adds with a laugh.

'Every day was new. I didn't know what to expect. I got a lot of grey hairs after that. Every time I did something, it's something I never did before. I found out how much I actually know about it, just from osmosis. But one of the first things I knew was to put the best people around me and let them do their jobs. So even if I was terrible, it's going look good; it's going to all cut together nice.'

Washington will be hoping he receives similar plaudits for his directing as he has for his acting. He won both the Oscar for Best Actor and the American Film Institute's Best Actor of the Year honours for his role in Training Day and was nominated for the Golden Globe. Despite such attention for his work in the cop action thriller, the 48-year-old actor's future choices are unlikely to be in the action genre. 'I don't like running around for two weeks without saying anything, ducking,' he says. 'That's not my forte. I don't care for it - fight scenes and all, hanging off of stuff. It's just not for me. I'm getting too old for that stuff. It hurts.'