Forest Whitaker has described his role in Lee Daniels' The Butler as the 'most specific' work that he has ever done.
The actor is set to take on the role of White House butler Cecil Gaines in the new biopic directed by Daniels.
And while Whitaker may already have a Best Actor Oscar under his belt he admits that he was nervous about taking on this role.
Speaking to The Huffington Post the actor said: "I was really nervous that I wasn't going to be able to accomplish this. For me, this is the most specific work I've ever done, and possibly one of the most difficult roles I've ever played. Part of that is because of the silence."
"Part of that is because I needed to convey what I was thinking and feeling without doing anything or saying anything. Part of it is the complexities of the relationships with my alcoholic wife, all the presidents and my son.
"But honestly, I was grateful, because at that point I needed a challenge like this for myself as an artist. I needed to be afraid. Being afraid is good. I knew I was going into new territory. I thought maybe I'll expand myself."
This is the first time that Whitaker has worked with Daniels, who has been behind movies such as Precious and The Paperboy in recent years.
The movie is already being tipped as a major Oscar contender and Whitaker could find himself in the running for the Best Actor gong once again.
Lee Daniels' The Butler has topped the U.S. box office over the weekend. A UK date is yet to be finalised.
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