Stars make sweet music

NEW YORK -- There was no power struggle between Oscar winners Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe on the set of their new crime drama, "American Gangster." Instead, they worked as a team when filming their scenes together.

"It's not about a heavyweight fight," Crowe told the AP. "What it is, is much more like two (guitarists) playing together, two people singing together."

"American Gangster" is based on the life of Frank Lucas, played by Washington, who became filthy rich in the 1960s by smuggling heroin into New York.

Crowe portrays a police officer who investigates Lucas.

"… If you can blend, if you can harmonize and you can sing together still from two completely separate points of view, now you are talking," said Crowe, 43.

Washington said he felt less pressure to perfect his role in "American Gangster" than he did for 1992's "Malcolm X" because the real-life Lucas put him at ease.

"In 'Malcolm X,' we were under a lot of pressure," he said. "There were a lot of folks showing up, like, 'You better get this right or it could cost you.' … One might have expected it to be the case in this film. That wasn't the case with Frank. He was real cool."

The 52-year-old actor said he's trying to ignore the early Oscar buzz surrounding "American Gangster," directed by Ridley Scott, which has been getting positive reviews from critics.

"We don't even hear about it until you sit down and do interviews," he said. "First of all, the film hasn't even come out yet. Let the film come out and let the public decide how they feel about it."

"American Gangster" opens Friday.