25 Things You Didn't Know About The Shawshank Redemption

15. Tim Robbins Spent Time In Solitary Confinement To Prepare For The Role

In order to prepare to play Andy, Tim Robbins spent time in solitary confinement, asking to be locked into solitary for an afternoon in the hope of understanding the isolation and hopelessness.

Robbins of course accepted that he'd only learn a fraction of what a truly solitary inmate would feel, given that his "incarceration" was ultimately voluntary and he could leave at any time.

He also visited the zoo to observe caged animals, spoke with both prisoners and guards, and had his arms and legs shackled for several hours to better appreciate the physical rigours of being imprisoned.

Despite his considerable preparation and the eventual brilliance of his performance, however, Robbins ended up missing out on an Oscar nomination, likely due to both Morgan Freeman effectively stealing his Best Actor slot, and the generally crowded slate of quality lead performances in 1994.