Denzel Washington Discusses 'Déjà Vu'

Oscar-Winner Says His Time Travel Movie Is Steeped In Science

(CBS)  Two-time Oscar winner Denzel Washington remains one of Hollywood's top leading men and his new movie, "Déjà Vu," promises to be one of his most interesting, complex projects yet.

Washington plays ATF agent Doug Carlin, who is investigating an explosion. A dead woman, played by Paula Paton, washes up two hours before the explosion occurs. The film plays with conventional ideas about time and, although it's a complex topic, Washington says director Tony Scott based the premise on scientific fact.

"He said he didn't want to make a science fiction movie, but a science fact movie," Washington told The Early Show co-anchor Julie Chen. "He did a lot of research about surveillance and what they are capable of and found out a lot of information about the whole investigation in London and those bombings and how they track all that stuff down. So the film was steeped in that reality."

Carlin travels back in time to save the woman and ends up falling in love with her.

"I fall in love with a dead women," Washington said. "That's passion. That's love. That's commitment."

Washington is also enjoying success as an author. His book, "A Hand Guide to Me," is sitting comfortably at No. 6 on the New York Times bestseller list. He wrote the book as the national spokesperson for the Boys and Girls Club, and all the proceeds go to the organization. He interviews past members and alumni as well as other influential figures such as former Presidents Clinton and Carter, as well as Muhammad Ali.

"It's really inspiring," he said. "It's just good snippets of people's lives."

With all his success, Washington said he feels particularly grateful this season. He recently traveled to Thailand to work on the upcoming movie "American Gangster" with Ridley Scott.

"The average salary for a year was $500," he said. "And we went to this open air market. And everything that moves is fried and cooked up — everything. You tend to forget how good we really have it, not just in our positions, but in general. So I am thankful, No. 1, just to be here. I'm telling you, it's not bad."