Denzel Washington Brushes His Teeth to Stay Awake  11/6/06

Brushing his teeth helped Denzel Washington get into character as a sleep-deprived agent in his new movie Deja Vu, after a real-life crime buster revealed it is his trick to staying awake.

The Oscar winner worked with Jerry Rubin, who was among the anti-terrorist experts at the forefront of the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995, to perfect his character Doug Carlin.

And the actor learned one valuable tip that helps top crime solvers stay on their feet for days on end.

He explains, "When he would get tired working 20, 30 hours at a time he said to me, 'If you brush your teeth it's like getting an hour's sleep.'

"I put that in the movie and I brushed my teeth in the scene. I like finding real people and using their methods in the film."