In his quest for authenticity in his role in the film ‘Gandhi,’ Mr. Kingsley not only shaved his head and lost 20 pounds on Gandhi's vegetarian diet, but he also studied yoga, began to meditate and learned to spin cotton thread on a wooden wheel, as Gandhi had done while holding conversations.

For Mr. Kingsley, such training is the catalyst for an alchemy even he does not understand. ''When I have totally immersed myself in the mechanical, logical preparation of a part, if I and my craft are totally bonded and fully exploited, something else in me is awakened and begins to inform my work,'' he explained.