Denzel Washington has revealed that he was forced to seek medical help to deal with the stress of his directing debut.

The actor felt so out of his depth when he started shooting Antwone Fisher in 2002 that he was unable to sleep or stand up straight.

He said: "The fear of the unknown is paralysing. I mean I had to go to a chiropractor about a week out because I was freaking out."

Washington's next directorial outing was 2007's The Great Debaters, which has been nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Film.

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