t5m spoke to producer Sam Mendes at the premier of new film 'Things We Lost In The Fire', about how he had to ‘struggle’ to cast Benicio del Toro. The actor had reservations about the responsibilities of taking the role of a heroin addict. Thank goodness Sam Mendes coerced him; his performance is phenomenal."We had to fight for Benicio; he doesn’t commit lightly. I think he was very concerned, that playing a drug addict you’re taking on a whole subculture, taking on a whole way of being, moving, that you have to get right. And he did that, brilliantly". The film is a compelling insight into the lives of two people brought together by fate and grief. Halle Berry stars opposite the hard-to-tie down Benicio, as a newly widowed wife who provides shelter for her husband’s oldest friend. Sam worked on the film with the Danish director Susanne Bier. 'Things We Lost In The Fire' is the director’s first English-speaking movie. "She speaks English pretty well, and other than mispronouncing some of the actor’s names, it didn’t create any problems!" The film is the latest success in Sam’s career as a critically-acclaimed director and producer, which includes films 'Road to Perdition', 'The Kite Runner', and his Academy Award-winning debut 'American Beauty'. As for what’s coming up next, Sam’s currently finishing directing a film with his wife Kate Winslet and her old colleague Leonardo DiCaprio, called 'Revolutionary Road'. It’s the first time the pair have worked together on a film since the Oscar-winning 'Titanic'. Something tells us it’s going to be pretty special!