Ray Winstone | |
|---|---|
 Winstone in 2014 | |
| Born | Raymond Andrew Winstone (1957-02-19)19 February 1957 (age 68) Homerton, London, England |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1976–present |
| Spouse | [1] |
| Children | 3, includingLois andJaime |
Raymond Andrew Winstone (/ˈwɪnstən/; born 19 February 1957)[2] is an English television, stage, and film actor with a career spanning five decades. Having worked with many prominent directors, includingMartin Scorsese andSteven Spielberg, Winstone is known for his "hard man" roles, usually delivered in his distinctive London accent.
Besides playing gangster roles, Winstone has also worked in comedy (Martha, Meet Frank, Daniel and Laurence) and as the romantic lead (Fanny and Elvis). He starred asHenry VIII in the2003 TV serial of the same name.[3] He has appeared in many TV shows, includingRobin of Sherwood (1984 to 1986),The Bill,[4]Boon,Ever Decreasing Circles,One Foot in the Grave,[4]Home To Roost,Birds of a Feather,Kavanagh QC,[4] andAuf Wiedersehen, Pet.
Winstone received aBAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role nomination for his performance inNil by Mouth (1997). He also starred in the British independent filmsScum (1979),Quadrophenia (1979),The War Zone (1999),Last Orders (2001), andSex & Drugs & Rock & Roll (2010). Winstone's other notable films includeSexy Beast (2000),Ripley's Game (2002),Cold Mountain (2003),King Arthur (2004),The Departed (2006),Beowulf (2007),Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008),Hugo (2011),Snow White and the Huntsman (2012),Black Widow (2021), andDamsel (2024).
Winstone was born on 19 February 1957 inHackney Hospital, London.[2] He first lived in Caistor Park Road,Stratford E15,[5] and attended Portway infants and junior school. He moved toEnfield when he was seven.[2] His mother, Margaret (née Richardson; 1932–1985) had a job emptyingfruit machines, and his father, Raymond J. Winstone (1933–2015), ran a fruit-and-vegetable business.[6][2]
Winstone has recounted how, as a child, he used to play with his friends on bomb sites (empty plots of land with rubble fromSecond World War bombs).[5] He joinedBrimsdown Primary School and in 1968, enrolled toEdmonton County School,[7] which had changed from agrammar school to acomprehensive upon his arrival.[7] He also attendedCorona Theatre School.[2] He did not take to school, eventually leaving with a singleCSE (grade 2) in drama.[4]
He recounted an early encounter with a notorious gangster:
"I was still a baby the dayRonnie Kray came round to see Dad, but I've been told this story so many times I can see it unfolding in my mind. Everyone was on their best behaviour, but then Ronnie picked me up, and by all accounts I pissed all over him. He had a new mac on, which had probably cost a few bob, and I absolutely covered it. The room fell silent, then Ronnie cracked up, so everyone knew it was safe to join in."[5]
Winstone had an early affinity for acting; his father would take him to the cinema every Wednesday afternoon. Later, he viewedAlbert Finney inSaturday Night and Sunday Morning, and said: "I thought, 'I could be that geezer'." His other major influences includedJohn Wayne,James Cagney, andEdward G. Robinson. After borrowing extra tuition money from a friend's mother, a drama teacher, Winstone took to the stage, appearing as aCockney newspaper seller in a production ofEmil and the Detectives.
Winstone was also aboxer.[8] Known to his friends as Winnie, he was called Little Sugs at home (his father already being known as Sugar, afterSugar Ray Robinson). At the age of 12, Winstone joined theRepton Amateur Boxing Club.[2] Over the next 10 years, he won 80 out of 88 bouts.[9] He was London schoolboy champion atwelterweight on three occasions,[10] and fought twice for England.[10] The experience gave him a perspective on his later career: "If you can get in a ring with 2,000 people watching and be smacked around by another guy, then walking onstage isn't hard."[11]
Deciding to pursue drama, Winstone enrolled at theCorona Stage Academy inHammersmith, when he was aged "about 17".[4][12][5] At£900 a term, it was expensive considering the average wage was then about £36 a week.[citation needed] He was ultimately expelled for vandalising the head's car.[4]
In 1975, Winstone landed his first professional role inWhat a Crazy World at theTheatre Royal,Stratford in London.[13] One of his first TV appearances came in the 1976 "Loving Arms" episode of the popular police seriesThe Sweeney,[14] where he was credited as "Raymond Winstone" (as he was inWhat a Crazy World[13]) and played a minor part as an unnamed young thug.
Winstone auditioned forAlan Clarke's BBC playScum (1979). Because Clarke liked Winstone's cocky, aggressive boxer's walk,[2] he got the part, though it had been written for aGlaswegian.[4] The play, written byRoy Minton and directed by Clarke, was a brutal depiction of a young offender's institution. Winstone was cast in the leading role of Carlin, a young offender who struggles against both his captors and his fellow cons to become the "Daddy" of the institution. Hard hitting and often violent, the play was judged unsuitable for broadcast by the BBC, and was not shown until 1991. The banned television play was entirely refilmed in 1979 for cinematic release with many of the original actors playing the same roles, including Winstone. In a commentary for theScum DVD, Winstone cites Clarke as a major influence on his career and laments the director's death in 1990 from cancer.[15]
After a short run in the TV seriesFox (1980), and a role inLadies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains (1982),[14] alongsideDiane Lane andLaura Dern. He starred in the opening episode of the third season ofBergerac (1983), asWill Scarlet inRobin of Sherwood.[4] He again teamed up withJason Connery in a film which also featuredAmanda Donohoe andMaria Whittaker, inTank Malling (1984).[14]
Winstone was asked to appear inMr Thomas,[4] a play written by his friend and fellow LondonerKathy Burke. The reviews were good, and led to Winstone being cast, alongside Burke, inGary Oldman's dramaNil By Mouth (1997).[14] He was widely lauded for his performance as an alcoholicwife-batterer, receiving aBAFTA nomination (17 years after his Best Newcomer award forThat Summer).[14] He continued to play "tough guy" roles inFace andThe War Zone – the latter especially controversial, as he played a man who rapes his own daughter – but that obvious toughness also allowed him to play loved-up nice-guys in romantic comediesFanny and Elvis andThere's Only One Jimmy Grimble. InLast Christmas, he played a dead man, now a trainee angel, who returns from heaven to help his young son cope with his bereavement which was written byTony Grounds. In 1995, he played the sinister and mysterious Thane in the comedy drama seriesThe Ghostbusters of East Finchley. The series was also written by Grounds, with whom Winstone worked again onBirths, Marriages & Deaths andOur Boy, the latter winning him theRoyal Television Society Best Actor Award. They worked together again in 2006 onAll in the Game where Winstone portrayed a football manager. He did a series ofHolsten Pils advertisements where he played upon the phrase "Who's the Daddy", coined in the filmScum.
In 2000, Winstone starred alongsideJude Law inLove, Honour and Obey.[14] He then played lead role inSexy Beast (2001),[4] which earned him great acclaim from UK and international audiences and brought him to the attention of the American film industry. Winstone plays "Gal" Dove, a retired and happily married former thief dragged back into London's underworld by apsychopathic former associate (Ben Kingsley, who received anOscar nomination for his performance). In 2000, he starred inTo the Green Fields Beyond at theDonmar Warehouse and directed bySam Mendes. In 2002, he performed at theRoyal Court as Griffin inThe Night Heron. Two years later, he joinedKevin Spacey for24 Hour Plays at theOld Vic, a series of productions that were written, rehearsed, and performed in a single day.
After a brief role alongside Burke again in thetragi-comicThe Martins (2001),[14] he appeared inLast Orders (2001), where he starred alongsideMichael Caine,Helen Mirren,David Hemmings, andTom Courtenay. Next, Winstone got a prime part inRipley's Game (2002), the semisequel toThe Talented Mr. Ripley, in which he once again played agangster. He followed up withLenny Blue, the sequel toTough Love, and the short "The Bouncer". Now internationally known, Winstone was next chosen byAnthony Minghella to play Teague, a sinister Home Guard boss in theAmerican Civil War dramaCold Mountain (2003).
According to actorDominic West, Ray Winstone was the original choice to play the now iconic role of "Jimmy McNulty" in the HBO seriesThe Wire (2002). West stated Winstone turned down the role because he did not want to live in Baltimore, Maryland, and the role subsequently went to West.[14]
At this time, Winstone set up Size 9 and Flicks production companies with his longtime agent Michael Wiggs. The first effort wasShe's Gone, in which he plays a businessman whose young daughter disappears inIstanbul (filming was held up by unrest in the Middle East). He followed it up withJerusalem, in which he played poet and visionaryWilliam Blake.[citation needed] Winstone made his action-film debut inKing Arthur (2004),[14] starringClive Owen, directed byAntoine Fuqua, and produced byJerry Bruckheimer. Fuqua lauded his performance, proclaiming he was "the BritishDe Niro". Winstone provided the voice ofSoldier Sam in the screen version ofThe Magic Roundabout. In 2005, he appeared oppositeSuranne Jones inITV dramaVincent about a team of private detectives. He returned to the role in 2006 and was awarded anInternational Emmy. He also portrayed a 19th-century English policeman trying to tame the Australianoutback inThe Proposition. In 2006, American criticRoger Ebert described Winstone as "one of the best actors now at work in movies".[16]
A complete change of pace for Winstone occurred when he provided the voice for the cheeky-chappy Mr. Beaver inThe Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, also in 2005. Winstone appeared inMartin Scorsese's 2006 filmThe Departed as Mr. French, anenforcer toJack Nicholson'sIrish mob boss. CriticRoger Ebert singled out Winstone for praise among the ensemble cast ofThe Departed, writing that the actor "invests every line with the authority of God dictating to Moses".[17] He providedmotion capture movements and voice-over work for thetitle character in theRobert Zemeckis' filmBeowulf. He then co-starred inIndiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, which was released on 22 May 2008. He returned to television drama inThe Changeling-inspiredCompulsion, originally shown in May 2009. Since 2009, Winstone has fronted the advertising for betting firmBet365.[18] He also co-founded a sports-management business, Integral Sports Management, in 2020.[19]
Winstone has mixed work in Hollywood productions with work in lower-budget, independent films. In 2010, Winstone starred as Arjan van Diemen in the filmTracker withTemuera Morrison[20] He had a role asCIA agent Darius Jedburgh in theEdge of Darkness remake, replacingRobert De Niro.[21] Winstone starred in British independent filmThe Hot Potato in 2011, and the following year in a big-screen remake of popular 1970s showThe Sweeney (2012).[14]
In April 2013, while a guest host of the comedy quiz showHave I Got News for You, he provoked controversy by stating that Scotland's chief exports were "oil, whisky, tartan, and tramps", leading to a headline inThe Scotsman claiming, "Ray Winstone calls Scots 'tramps' on TV quiz show". Viewers complained toOfcom and theBBC.[22] In 2015, he played the role of ex-criminal Jimmy Rose inThe Trials of Jimmy Rose, a three-part drama for ITV. In 2006, Winstone appeared as the Star in a Reasonably Priced Car duringseries 8 of BBC'sTop Gear.[23]
In 2015, he starred inThe Gunman withSean Penn; the film was a box-office failure. That same year, Winstone also featured in remakePoint Break,[14] a relative box-office success, though critically panned.[24] In 2017, the actor starred in the critically acclaimed British independent filmJawbone, before 2018's critical and box-office failureKing of Thieves. In 2019, Winstone starred in critical disasterThe Queen's Corgi, and critical and box-office bombCats. Winstone then starred in Marvel'sBlack Widow in 2021.[14] He appeared as career criminal Bobby Glass inGuy Ritchie's eight-part seriesThe Gentlemen, which debuted on Netflix in March 2024.[25]
In 2025, Winstone was honoured withHonorary Heart of Sarajevo Award at the31st Sarajevo Film Festival.[26]
Winstone met his wife, Elaine McCausland, while filmingThat Summer in 1979.[4][5] They have three daughters; the elder two,Lois andJaime, are actresses.[8] Winstone lives with his wife inRoydon, Essex.[5][4]
He is a fan ofWest Ham United and promoted their 2009 home kit.[27]
Winstone was declaredbankrupt on 4 October 1988, and again on 19 March 1993.[28][29]
In 2019, in the context ofBrexit, Winstone expressed a preference for leaving theEuropean Union without a deal and argued against holding a secondreferendum, stating that it would lead to "rebellion" and that "the country voted to leave. Then that's democracy, you leave."[30]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | The Sweeney | 2nd Youth | 1 episode |
| 1977 | Scum | Carlin | UnscreenedPlay for Today |
| 1980 | Fox | Kenny Fox | 13 episodes |
| 1983 | Auf Wiedersehen, Pet | Colin | 1 episode |
| Bergerac | Tully | 1 episode | |
| 1984 | Fairly Secret Army | Stubby Collins | 3 episodes |
| 1984–1986 | Robin of Sherwood | Will Scarlet | Main role, 24 episodes |
| 1984–1989 | Minder | Arnie | 4 episodes |
| 1986 | C.A.T.S. Eyes | Geoff | 1 episode |
| Ever Decreasing Circles | Harold | 1 episode | |
| 1987 | Boon | Billy | 1 episode |
| Father Matthew's Daughter | Father Charlie | 6 episodes | |
| Pulaski | DS Ford | 2 episodes | |
| 1990 | Birds of a Feather | Malcolm/ Prison Warder | 2 episodes |
| Home to Roost | Bill Bateman | 1 episode | |
| 1991 | Palmer | Eddie Palmer | Television film |
| 1992 | Between the Lines | Sgt. Godley | 1 episode |
| 1992–1993 | Get Back | Martin Sweet | Main role, 15 episodes |
| 1994 | Murder Most Horrid | Terry | 1 episode |
| 1995 | The Ghostbusters of East Finchley | Thane | 6 episodes |
| Kavanagh QC | CPO Evans | 1 episode | |
| 1996 | One Foot in the Grave | Vagrant / Millichope | 1 episode |
| 1999 | Births, Marriages and Deaths | Alan | Miniseries, 4 episodes |
| Last Christmas | Neville | TV movie | |
| 2000–2002 | Lenny Blue | DC Lenny Milton | Main role, 4 episodes |
| 2002 | At Home with the Braithwaites | Steve Searle | 1 episode |
| 2003 | Henry VIII | King Henry VIII | 2 episodes |
| 2004 | She's Gone | Harry Sands | Television film |
| 2005–2006 | Vincent | Vincent Gallagher | Main role, 8 episodes |
| 2006 | All in the Game | Frankie | Television film |
| Sweeney Todd | Sweeney Todd | Television film | |
| 2010 | Ben Hur | Quintus Arrius | Miniseries, 2 episodes |
| 2011 | Great Expectations | Abel Magwitch | Miniseries, 3 episodes |
| 2013 | Moonfleet | Elzevir Block | Miniseries, 2 episodes |
| 2015 | The Trials of Jimmy Rose | Jimmy Rose | Main role, 3 episodes |
| 2016 | The Nightmare Worlds of H.G. Wells | H.G. Wells | Introducer and narrator, 4 episodes |
| Of Kings and Prophets | Saul | Main role, 9 episodes | |
| 2016–2018 | Ice | Cam Rose | Main role, 20 episodes |
| 2020 | Ray Winstone in Sicily | Himself | Travel mini-series |
| 2024 | The Gentlemen | Bobby Glass |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Beowulf: The Game | Beowulf | |
| 2011 | Killzone 3 | Admiral Orlock | Also motion capture performance |
| Year | Association | Category | Project | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | BAFTA Award | Best Newcomer | That Summer | Nominated |
| 1997 | BAFTA Award | Best Actor in a Leading Role | Nil by Mouth | Nominated |
| British Independent Film Award | Best Actor | Nominated | ||
| 1999 | British Independent Film Award | Best Actor | The War Zone | Nominated |
| European Film Award | Best Actor | Nominated | ||
| 2001 | British Independent Film Award | Best Actor | Last Orders | Nominated |
| 2005 | San Diego Film Critics Society | Best Supporting Actor | The Proposition | Won |
| 2006 | Screen Actors Guild Award | Outstanding Cast in a Motion Picture | The Departed | Nominated |
