Denzel Washington pushed himself to the extremes on the set of his new film Safe House after volunteering to experience a horrific waterboarding torture.
The actor plays an ex-CIA agent battling to escape rebel soldiers in Africa, and to fully understand his character, he opted to put himself through a terrifying torture scene, where water was poured over a cloth on his face.
He tells New York Magazine: "I wanted to see what it would be like. It's strange. You can't breathe in, because the water comes in, and it's filling up your mouth.
"And that was just one time for a short time. Imagine having that done for 20, 30 seconds? You will give up the answers! You may not necessarily tell the truth, but you will tell (your captors) whatever they want to hear."
Director Daniel Espinosa was against the star putting himself through the experience - and admits he was left disturbed by what he saw.
He adds: "I was terrified, but I let him go and I had to watch him do it. He went all out for this movie. I would definitely not like to be waterboarded. It was intense. Disturbing. I had sympathetic pain. I always get sympathetic pain. I wish I didn't. I felt like I was drowning."