PAULA PATTON TAKES ACTING ADVICE FROM DENZEL

Paula Patton, most recently seen as an aspiring speakeasy singer in Idlewild stars in Déjà vu as the object of Denzel Washington’s ATF agent’s affections. A novice compared to Denzel, Paula says she tried to get Denzel to reveal his acting secrets to her.

Denzel couldn’t be with her for all of her scenes, one especially where she’s alone at home wearing very little clothing. Paula says she felt very vulnerable as if the camera was spying on her.

“It’s a miracle. I can’t tell you. I mean it’s just really incredible that I got to work with him. He is one of the best actors of our time period. And I learned so much from him. He is really kind, really generous with his knowledge. I would be like, ‘what is the secret?’ Tell me the secret to your brilliance and he would try but he’s pretty humble so he would say, ‘I do this.’ So I just did whatever he did. He certainly wasn’t schooling me all the time but if I asked a question he was so willing to answer it. He sort of made a pact with me that if he thought I was doing horrible in a moment in a scene that he would tell me. I said, ‘please tell me because I would just die.”

Acting aside, Paula says Déjà vu is an attempt to right the wrongs of things that are beyond our control.

“And you had to make sure you’re not overacting and make sure that you are really being honest to how you are in life when you’re by yourself. When you’re in your house by yourself in your underwear how do you really act? And I wanted to be as truthful with that as possible and I tried so I’ll see what people think. It is a strange thing; it makes it more challenging actually as an actor to just let the camera follow you like that. You feel like you’re on a reality show.”

Déjà vu opens Friday in theaters.

“I think we all ask that question with 9/11, what if we had done something, what if we knew and had done something. And with Hurricane Katrina, what if we had done this differently. I think in life we all have had experiences, on a personal level too why didn’t I take a left instead of a right? And Déjà vu gives you the opportunity to think, what if you could and how does that change things.”