. >> talking about getting better, then you get to play charlie parker in "bird." clint eastwood directed that. you won best actor at cannes, again, before you are 30. nominated for golden globes. was it a heady time. did it go to your head? >> no. i mean, i think i was always so critical. i was just blown away, you know, by the experience. working with clint - i had never done publicity for a movie, and you are thrown into an arena where there are thousands of people. i took my brother and he said "i heard someone say you might win the award." i'm like, "really? no." know. >> you were a hard-working innocent kid. >> yes. >> you threw yourself into the role of charlie parker, you learnt to play the sax and lived a spartan existence, is that something that you have a reputation for, delving deeply into the characters you play? >> yes, i dived into that and lived the character most of the time. my interest in acting was to continue to explore how i was connected to other people. when i pull away the layers of a person's life to get to the core, at the very core there

you were a hard working innocent kid because you threw yourself into that role with charlie parker, learned to play the sax, kind of lived sort of a spartan existence. is that -- was that sort of the beginning of, you know, something you have a reputation for of really, really delving deeply into the characters you portray? >> yeah. it was exploring how it was connected to other people. when i pull away the layers of a person's life to get down to the core, at the core, there is a light or something that connects us all. i put the stuff back up on top. but it helps me go on a journey of trying to understand this individual and find out what his connection is to me. i think that philosophy, which is my real reason for doing my a acting, is the same philosophy i approach the other work that i do in the field, too. >> i thought it was fascinating talking about the layers, the kind of work you put in to becoming edi amin. i learned swahili, learned the accordancy, all sorts of time in uganda talking to people who knew him. how important is that for your process to go that? still only some chara