Actor Denzel Washington. - REUTERS

(Bangshowbiz):

Denzel Washington has thanked his mother for saving him from drugs.

The Déjà Vu actor became addicted to heroin after his parents divorced when he was 14, and he says he would be dead now if it wasn't for the support of his mother Lynne.

He told Britain's Live magazine: "When everyone was getting on with their lives, I was doing everything in my powers to shorten mine. Everyone was getting strung on heroin. In those situations everyone gets a tap on the shoulder at some point. Mine was starting to listen when I realised my mother really cared about me."

Pressure of fame

The two-time Oscar-winner has also blasted fellow stars who complain about pressure of fame, as he has a different perspective on it.

He said: "It's only acting. Sure, I'm recognised, but that's not pressure.

"Pressure is being a 20-year-old kid in Iraq with a gun slung over his shoulder. It's important to keep some perspective on all this."