Denzel Washington more cautious about violent roles after Connecticut shooting

Denzel Washington has vowed to choose his roles more carefully in the future following the debate over movie violence in the aftermath of the Connecticut school massacre.

Adam Lanza shot dead 20 children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School last month, and the atrocity prompted calls for US politicians to tighten the country's firearms laws to prevent another gun rampage.

The incident also sparked debate over whether gun violence on the big screen is linked to the high number of shootings in America, and Washington, famed for his role in 2007 crime drama American Gangster, has now pledged to be "more aware" about the possible impact of the movies he appears in.

He tells the BBC, "We are very violent, the most violent society on the planet, and I think we all have to take responsibility.

"I just think now it's more in the forefront. I think I would, I think I already do (consider the impact of violent roles) now, with what just happened and what's been happening... (I'd) definitely (be) more conscious of it and be more aware of it in terms of choosing roles."