Keeping Things Old School

Growing up in a working-class area of London, Ray Winstone was better-known for his prowess in the boxing ring than on the stage. But the acting bug had bitten him hard, and over the years he became known as a jobbing actor who brought an air of dangerous, streetwise authenticity to portrayals of thugs and tough guys.

Gradually, though, the industry became aware that there was more to Winstone than met the eye, that he possessed range, wit and a rough-hewn sensitivity that made him a good fit for a wide variety of roles. That eventually led to him to working in Hollywood with the likes of Martin Scorsese (he charmingly describes his Departed director as “this little geezer with big eyebrows... you wanna pick him up and give him a cuddle”) and Steven Spielberg.

Winstone didn't expect that. And he certainly didn't expect that he'd be cast as an action hero as he approached his sixties. But viewers can catch him busting through walls, kicking down doors and roughing up villains in The Sweeney, the big-screen remake of the classic UK cop show, when it opens in cinemas February 14.

Of course, as a fan of the original 1970s TV series, which starred John Thaw and Dennis Waterman as members of a tough London police squad, Winstone jumped at the chance to be involved in a 21st century version.

“It was the most iconic thing that ever happened to British TV,” Winstone says of the show. “Before that, we had shows like Softly Softly and Z-Cars – all very chappy and very good in their own right but it weren't for us, it weren't for the kids who lived on the street. Then you get The Sweeney and it was groundbreaking. It was very working-class; all car chases and people getting nicked.”

Indeed, one of Winstone's first acting gigs was a Sweeney episode. “I was probably about a year in when I went along as an extra, and there I was on the set with John and Dennis,” he laughs. “I didn't know 'em, of course, but now it's come full circle and here I am, doing the business.”

Doing the business is right. Winstone's Detective Inspector Jack Regan leads a by-any-means-necessary team (which includes his second-in-command George Carter, played by actor and hip hop artist Ben 'Plan B' Drew) that takes on London's most violent offenders, combating fire with fire.

The actor played a pivotal part in the production from the beginning, steadfastly waiting six years for the script to be perfected while potential co-stars came and went and even suggesting Drew for the role of Carter. (“This kid can act, and he also looks like he can kick a door in,” was Winstone's impression.) But he also admits that he briefly succumbed to self-doubt before filming began.

“A couple of days before we started I said 'I must be completely off my head here',” he says. “'This is the most iconic show ever on British TV, this character Jack Regan is as well-known as James Bond and I think I can go along and do this'. I wasn't going to pull out or anything but I did have to sit down and have a good think about what I wanted to do here. I had to bring my own stuff to it. And it passed, but I did have that moment of thinking I was gonna get kicked in the arse.”

Ray Winstone getting kicked in the arse? Never. If anything, he shows his Sweeney co-stars a thing or two. “I'm 56 years of age, so it's not too bad shooting guns and jumping over things and kissing young women,” he laughs. “These kids ain't got a clue, mate. Old school, we know how to go about it.”