Ben Stiller found sex scene hard to direct

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Ben Stiller found sex scene hard to direct

Ben Stiller found it ''weird'' directing a sex scene.

The actor-and-director helmed 1994 romantic comedy 'Reality Bites' starring Winona Ryder and Ethan Hawke and admits it was strange to give them direction while shooting an intimate bedroom scene.

He told Empire magazine: ''I had to direct a love scene with Winona Ryder and Ethan Hawke in 'Reality Bites'. I hadn't done a lot of love scenes as a director. That was weird. I knew them both, but they took care of it ... they did well on their own.''

The 48-year-old star also reveals he was inspired to go into acting after seeing Steven Spielberg's hit killer shark film, 'Jaws'.

He enthused: ''I have to say the biggest influence for me is probably 'Jaws'. I saw it when I was 10 years old when it came out in 1975. I just think it's the perfect movie, one of the best ever. When you look at it in terms of what's going on on the screen, it's very simple stuff, not a lot of crazy action, but those characters and that situation and the filmmaking are amazing.''

Stiller - who recently suggested he may quit acting to move into directing full time - is full of praise for young Hollywood star Jake Gyllenhaal after seeing him in 'Prisoners'.

He said: ''I find Jake Gyllenhaal a very interesting young actor - very dark, handsome, magnetic. I like him.''