Few directors were as young as M. Night Shyamalan when they first made it in Hollywood. Born in India and raised in Pennsylvania, he made his first film, "Praying with Anger," at the age of 22, and quickly made a name for himself as a screenwriter and director in the US.

Science fiction films such as "Unbreakable" (2000), starring Bruce Willis, and "Signs" (2002), with Mel Gibson, brought him international success. He's also had forays into the fantasy genre, like with the 2010 blockbuster "The Legend of Aang."

The character of the little boy in "The Sixth Sense" (1999), who sees dead people, remains unforgettable. Shyamalan's fans love him for these stories, which, despite being fiction, have real life at their core.

We met the director at his home in Pennsylvania to talk about his meteoric rise in Hollywood, life on set and working with big stars.