Ryan Phillippe’s character in harrowing new drama Stop-Loss was inspired by a real-life soldier who couldn’t get home to see his family because of the U.S. Army’s twisted Iraq War policies.

In the film, Phillippe plays a returning Iraq War veteran, who fights Army officials after they attempt to send him back to the warzone on the day he’s supposed to be dismissed from active duty.

And Phillippe admits it wasn’t difficult to play the wronged character, because he had a real-life soldier as his inspiration - the best friend of director Kimberly Pierce’s brother.

He says, "Her brother signed up after 9/11 in that wave of patriotism I think we all felt and while he was over there, his best friend, Harvey, served two tours and had a child on the way."

Harvey was expecting to return home a hero when his tour of duty had ended, but Army officials ’stop-lossed’ his departure and tried to send him back to war.

Phillippe adds, "These guys and girls, they spent every single free moment over there, of which there are plenty…, just waiting to get shot at.

"They’re dreaming about getting home and getting to that family… I think that’s what gets them through their time over there, because it’s not pleasant. And then to have that taken away from you."