The actor had to teach drama to some criminals at working maximum security prison Pendleton Correctional Facility in Indiana for the film directed by Madeleine Sackler.

• May 2, 2018

AceShowbiz - "Logan" star Boyd Holbrook turned into a drama teacher for a group of convicts while shooting new movie "O.G." at working maximum security prison Pendleton Correctional Facility in Indiana. The actor stars in and also produced director Madeleine Sackler's acclaimed new film, which combines professionals with amateur inmates, and he had to teach drama to some of the hardened criminals who had never acted before.

"My job was to give these guys (inmates) a crash course in acting and then I would prime them up to be in this film directed by Madeleine," he explains to WENN. "I kind of gave them a round-about way in fundamental terms - the easiest way to memorise lines, association, the Meisner technique for just pure respondence when doing lines."

"These men were terrified to be in a film set, so I would just reassure them. Every single one of them, whether the role was big or small, it's still as powerful and something that these guys, every single one of them, are doing for the first time."

And his reward came when the film's editor couldn't pick out the actors from the prisoners. "I can't tell you how many times the editor asked me, 'Who's the real actor and who's the non-actor," Boyd smiles.

But it wasn't all fun, as the castmates and crew were constantly reminded they were working with criminals. "Ninety-five per cent of the men in the film are incarcerated. The logistics were completely wrapped around the prison's day to day activity," he said.

"The catering to the crew was not provided to them. Even if I wanted to give them something (to eat) it wasn't possible. It's a different world than we live. It was a very poignant and empathetic experience."

And the experience filming the recent Tribeca Film Festival hit has changed the actor forever. "There are preconceived notions and people are so easy to put labels on things nowadays and not interact and not engage," he explains. "My life is easy, why would I have a struggle. Life is struggle and if you're not engaged in that lifestyle then you're spoiled. The majority of people have too many struggles in their life."