"Amy Irving in 'Traffic'"

Portraying Barbara Wakefield, the tired, look-the-other-way mother and wife of drug czar Robert Hudson Wakefield in the Oscar-winning Traffic was an eye opener for seasoned actress Amy Irving.

"I walked out of the film and I said to [director] Steven [Soderbergh], 'This is a horror film'," says Irving. "For a mother, it's a horror film. I'm so glad it shook my world."

In Traffic, Irving's character lived a nightmare when her intelligent, privileged, teen-age daughter became addicted to drugs, eventually stealing items from the family and running away to continue her new lifestyle of sex and drug dependency.

"I'm such a strict parent when it comes to drugs," says Irving, noting that now she jokes her two boys–one from her ex Steven Spielberg and another from Bruno Barreto–must pass drug screens before they enter the house.

Although she experienced a self-termed "hippy" past growing up in San Francisco, Irving doesn't tread lightly on the subject of drugs. "I'm getting very militant," she says. "It's not so innocent anymore. You have to be aware."

During the filming of Traffic, there were times when Irving had a rough time.

"There were moments when you just didn't want to go there," she says.

For example, one especially heart-wrenching scene in the film shows the character of Barbara waking up one morning after her daughter has been missing, only to discover all of her jewelry and many other possessions are gone–taken by her daughter in the night to fund a virulent drug addiction. Irving says she couldn't even imagine the horror if that scene played out with her teen-age son in real life.

"It [would be] awful to live it," she says. "[Making Traffic] taught me and helped guide me to be a better parent."

Irving has a varied and accomplished past of which to boast. From her early days playing Sue in the unforgettable horror classic Carrie, to lending her singing voice to Jessica in Who Framed Roger Rabbit and earning an Oscar nomination for her supporting role in Barbra Streisand's Yentl, Irving has made quite a name for herself in the industry.

Yet she felt honored and blessed to be making Traffic, with its all-star cast and meaningful themes.

"It was a very fertile experience," she says. "It was a very rich experience. It enriches your life to make a movie [that has a message to tell viewers]."

Working for the first time with the Academy Award-winning Steven Soderbergh was "magic," Irving says.

"He makes you feel you're the only one who could ever play this part," she says. "[When he's filming], it's like he's looking into your soul."

In addition, Soderbergh provided the optimum work environment, letting the actors feel their characters and even improvise a little.

"He loved to capture the accidents. And there he'd be, with a safety net," Irving says. "Without all the tension and pressures, with all that lifted, it leaves room for you to be creative."

Traffic was nominated for five Academy Awards, walking away with four on March 25. The film is slated for a day-and-date VHS and DVD release May 29.