You might have thought Ray Winstone, ‘The Daddy’ of British movie hard-cases, has gone Hollywood recently, what with his digitized (and very Sean Bean-esque) warrior Beowulf and playing Harrison Ford’s sidekick in the forthcoming Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. But Winstone’s not one to deny his roots, as he proved when IGN caught up with him, picking up an Honorary Richard Harris Award at the recent British Independent Film Awards.
IGN: Congratulations! You sounded genuinely touched in your acceptance speech.

Ray Winstone: Well, it’s a complete honour, isn’t it? [Richard Harris] was someone I watched as a kid, and I was lucky enough to meet him. In fact one of the times I met him was the night before 9/11 in Toronto, sitting in a wine bar with Richard talking about films we’d just done. I’d watched him in This Sporting Life and it did quite honestly change my outlook. It really opened the doors for people like me or people from Liverpool or Coventry or wherever. Probably I didn’t even realise it at the time but those kind of films, Look Back in Anger, This Sporting Life, it’s like a circle that’s gone round. If you’d asked me twenty years ago, I’d have said ‘Bollocks, awards what do they mean?’ but I’ve got to be honest with you, it does give you a lot of confidence to go on and do what you want to do and it’s a great thing when people in your industry say well done and you feel accepted. I’m overwhelmed by it.

IGN: You’ve been a big BIFA supporter for a long while…

Ray Winstone: Well I’ve only been a big BIFA supporter by doing independent films. And independent films usually have the parts you want to play. You get studio scripts through, especially being an English actor, but you’re usually the feed to an American actor and it’s a bit part – but sometimes you gotta pay the rent and there’s nothing wrong with that. But when an independent movie comes through – and not all of them are great – you pick up the script and love it and know you can go and perform, and that’s whether they’re French, German, Russian – it ain’t just about being a British independent film, you know?

IGN: You don’t seem afraid to work with new directors either.

Ray Winstone: I think I’ve done about 30 independent films in the last few years and most of them have been with first-time directors. I like that because they break the rules because they don’t know ’em. And I find that quite exciting.

IGN: Do you have the same principle for short films?

Ray Winstone: Yeah, I’ve done quite a few shorts. I think in the last 10-15 years, short films are the most important thing to happen to our industry because the BBC’s dead for teaching. There used to be great directors, writers, DOPs going there but it’s not there any more. So now, instead of kids having to go around with their scripts, trying to sell them to producers, if they’re really talented they can make a 15 minute short and go ‘Here you are, what do you think of that?’

IGN: Where do you go from here?

Ray Winstone: I don’t know. I’ve never really made any rules about it. You might find it hard to believe but I’m not really ambitious in the way that, I don’t really know what I want to do or what I’m capable of doing. I just pick up a script and if it touches me then I want to do it, you know? And in a way, I don’t get disappointed I guess. But if you are ambitious, what happens when you get there? You commit suicide do you, because you got no place to go? I don’t see this plan, like, ‘I’m going to make this gangster film today and tomorrow I’m going to do a musical’ – the musical might be s**t! So you just pick something up and think, ‘Yeah I really fancy that.’ Or. ‘I’m really skint and I need to pay the rent.’

IGN: But specifically what’s next for you in 2008?

Ray Winstone: I’m doing a film with the guys who wrote Sexy Beast. David [Scinto] and Louis [Mellis] wrote a thing five years ago called 44 Inch Chest and we’re going to make it in April. We’re doing a film Nick Cave wrote, who wrote The Proposition, with John Hillcoat, called Death of a Ladies Man.

IGN: Do you play the Ladies Man?

Ray Winstone: Yeah, you better believe it!…And I’m going to L.A. on Sunday. My old mate Jason Connery, who I did Robin of Sherwood with, he’s a director now in Hollywood, I’m going to do two scenes in a film for him. He’s been my mate for 28 years and he’s a good old pal.

IGN: Your daughter’s seeing the actor Alfie Allen – how does he measure up in your book?

Ray Winstone: [putting his palm out] He’s about that tall… and he’s a really nice kid.

IGN: So he gets your approval then?

Ray Winstone: I have no say in it. I ain’t gotta like him, she has. He’s a nice kid. They’re kids, you know? That’s what they do. You can’t wrap ’em up all the time. Could be worse, you know.

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The published article can be read on IGN – ‘Ray Winstone Q&A’