Hunky actor KEANU REEVES was so desperate to convincingly portray an abusive husband in his new movie he moved house.

The Hollywood pin-up moved to Georgia, America three weeks before shooting began for THE GIFT - so he could live the life of the abusive husband he portrays. The MATRIX star got into the role of DONNIE BARKSDALE by driving around town in his character's truck, and even wearing his clothes.

He explains, "It was basically the search for Donnie. I arranged to meet with this couple who deal with spousal abuse. I wanted to find out clinically what some of the defining things that you found in the male are. "Then I got a truck and changed my clothes a bit and started hanging out. I went and found this one particular town Rankin, and that's where I ended up finding Donnie Barksdale."

And after 'finding' his character the star of THE DEVIL'S ADVOCATE felt disgusted by his behaviour. He says, "Physical violence is not something that I practice all the time. It's very complicated and I don't know that I can encapsulate it all. "I do know that power is intoxicating, and the physical power that man can have sometimes over a woman can be scary." (RXM/WN/CPT)

Source: WENN