He often makes headlines for his political views, but as an actor Tim Robbins is fondly remembered for his uplifting performance in The Shawshank Redemption, and earlier turns in satires like (directorial debut) Bob Roberts and The Player. In 1995 he won critical acclaim for Death Row drama Dead Man Walking, starring Susan Sarandon and Sean Penn. He continues to direct but now re-teams with Penn, in front of the camera, for Clint Eastwood's meditative crime drama, Mystic River.

This is a very dark role, and quite an unusual conflict to play...

As actors, we are always looking for something that we can get our teeth into, and this had so much to it - so much past experience that plays in the present in a suppressed way. To be able to read the book, and to understand the psychology and the subtext, and to be able to play that kind of subtext... you don't usually get that kind of opportunity. For me it was a great challenge.

How did you come to be involved with the project?

I read the script, and I knew Sean was involved. Then I met with Clint, and he gave me the job.

Being a director yourself, did you pick up any tips from Clint Eastwood on the set?

I learned a lot. There's a certain quiet confidence on the set that I had never experienced before. There's not any kind of Hollywood tripping, not any kind of attitude, no gossip or things happening, no games being played. It's just very, very calm, very professional, and very efficient. The great revelation for me was that you could do one take and get the performance. You don't need to torture yourself with 20 takes. Also, when you only do one or two takes, you really remember what you did three weeks ago - instead of trying to figure out which one of those 20 takes was the good one. It gives you a sense of confidence. And Clint only works with people who he's worked with for many, many years, so you feel like you're being invited into a family. It's a very warm environment.

You shot on location in Boston, which adds to the authenticity. Does it lend anything to your performance when you can shoot on the proper location?

Yeah, I love working on location, but I like it when it's the real location. I've been asked over the past few years to go to Toronto, and Montreal, and Vancouver and imagine that those cities are New York. But they just aren't, and there's no way to get that feeling. We were working with local actors from Boston - and the crew members - so this film has that feel, because we were there. We were in the streets.