John David Washington lied about his fear of heights in order to film a scene in 'Tenet'.

The 36-year-old actor has confessed to lying to the movie's director, Christopher Nolan, ahead of shooting a scene in Mumbai, India, for the much-anticipated blockbuster.

John - who is the son of actor Denzel Washington - recalled: ''When we were filming in Mumbai, I had to jump over a balcony. But my relationship with heights wasn't great.

''So it forced me to find some courage and for the love of the art, you jump! So yeah, I loved every other take of that.''

John actually thinks actors are prone to lying when it comes to some of their fears.

He told a press conference: ''I'm sure most actors have been there. They ask, 'Can you ride a horse?' And you're like, 'Sure, I can ride a horse.' You say yes and get over it later.

''Christopher was very patient with me on that particular night so a thousand thank yous, Mr Nolan. I usually take notes well, but that night I wasn't great for that particular moment. But we got it.''

The upcoming spy film - which also stars the likes of Robert Pattinson, Sir Michael Caine, and Sir Kenneth Branagh - features lots of hand-to-hand fight scenes, which required the cast to undergo an intensive rehearsal period.

John - who was previously signed to the St. Louis Rams NFL franchise - thinks his sports background made the fight scenes easier for him.

The Hollywood star shared: ''Being an American football player, it's very familiar to me to rehearse and to practice and to rep at it to where it becomes a familiar body language.

''They say, amateurs practice until you get it right, professionals practice until you can't get it wrong.''