Kingston: Franco a relaxed director

Alex Kingston found James Franco a very chilled out director

Alex Kingston has revealed James Franco was a very "laid back" director when she worked with him on his new film Bukowski.

The This Is The End actor directed and co-wrote the film about American writer Charles Bukowski's formative years, based on his autobiographical novel Ham On Rye, and Chasing Shadows star Alex plays Bukowski's mother.

Alex revealed: "I'd never met James before. He's incredibly laid back.

"I'm somebody who when I go to work I go to work prepared and I felt completely free to do whatever I thought was right for each particular scene. He had an idea of where the scene was going to be set up, but he literally seemed to leave us to our own devices.

"If he wasn't happy he'd say 'Go again'. But he allowed us to explore.

"He was fun. Quite shy. He's not particularly forthcoming but I had a good time doing it."

The actress admitted the role of Katharina Bukowski had been quite challenging as she had had a very difficult marriage.

Alex explained: "It's quite dark. The life his mother had was really not happy at all. She was abused by his father as much as he was. but sadly she just allowed it, didn't stand up to it, and sort of ignored what was happening to him, which was really tragic.

"I didn't know much about him as a poet so it was a great way to be introduced to a fantastic American writer."

::Alex stars in detective drama Chasing Shadows, out now on DVD from ITV Studios Global Entertainment