Denzel Washington turned down a stuntman and insisted on shooting a tough waterboarding scene himself in new film Safe House.

The star plays a fugitive in the movie - with Ryan Reynolds playing a young CIA agent tasked with looking after him - and in one scene is subjected to gruelling punishment.

Denzel told Vulture: "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 recalled: "I went up to Denzel and told him, 'Time to go, now is the moment where the stunt guy kicks in', and he looked at me and he said, 'Let's go.' 'Are you sure?' 'I'm sure.' And I was terrified, but I let him go and I had to watch him do it."

Ryan added: "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."