Actress Jill Scott continues to praise Anthony Minghella, the British director of her film "The No 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" who died last week at the age of 54.

In a new interview with UK newspaper Daily Telegraph, Scott says it was Minghella's past work that prompted her to take the lead role of private detective, Precious Ramotswe.

"The thought of working with Anthony was all the incentive I needed," she said. "One of my all-time favorite films is 'The Talented Mr. Ripley.' So I was thrilled by the prospect of collaborating with Anthony; the very idea of it took my breath away."

The film shoot in Botswana lasted several months, during which Scott developed a special working relationship with Minghella.

"With an Oscar-winner you never know if there'll be a large amount of ego and pretense, but Anthony was such a great director," says Scott. "He was like my uncle - silly, fun, intelligent, and sensitive. He was also a huge Motown fan, so between takes we all sang the Supremes.

"Anthony believed in the team. He understood that it wasn't just about him or me on the movie - it was about the entire cast and crew, including the extras and the people who made the lunch. He understood precisely why it's called a film unit.       

"He was also an amazingly creative creature - he had such a rare talent. He saw things that no one else saw. Who knew? It was like he was showing you shooting stars every few minutes. He captured the essence of Botswana in this movie. When I finally saw it, I burst into tears. There were no words to describe what he'd done."