Matt Dillon made sure his portrayal of his literary hero, Charles Bukowski, was respectful by secretly meeting with the writer's ex. Dillon plays Bukowski's alter-ego, Henry Chinaski, in new movie Factotum and, although he knew a lot about the writer's work, he knew little about the man.

So, against the wishes of studio bosses, Dillon tracked down Bukowski's ex-wife and chatted to her about the writer. The actor discovered a vital fact about Bukowski that helped him play the character with class and dignity - he found out he wasn't the slob he has always been portrayed as.

Dillon reveals, "Knowing that really helped me. It helped me tap into his dignity, in the fact that he had a certain sense of order and carried himself well."

(This news article provided by World Entertainment News Network)