Ray Winstone joined Sara Cox on BBC Radio 2 Breakfast today for a chat about family, work, marriage and West Ham.
The actor revealed that the interview fell on his 47th wedding anniversary, with Winstone and his wife Elaine marking nearly five decades together.
Asked about the secret to their long marriage, Ray and Sara jokingly agreed: “Absence makes the heart grow fonder.”
Ray also spoke about daughter Jaime Winstone, who recently married in Sicily and is preparing to appear on BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing later this year.
Describing the wedding, Ray said the ceremony was “kind of like the Godfather wedding”, before joking about the tears he shed: “It was expensive. I’ve got to tell you that.”
Ray is currently working on a project in Malta but said he hopes to return to support Jaime when she takes to the Strictly dancefloor, explaining: “I’m going to try and get home for a week.”
The actor also discussed his return as crime patriarch Bobby Glass in Guy Ritchie’s The Gentlemen, describing the series as “a little bit heightened” while still being grounded in reality.
Winstone praised Ritchie’s approach to writing, describing him as “an intelligent man” and explaining how scripts can change overnight because: “It changes for the better.”
The pair have worked together on several projects, although Ray admitted they were “not that friendly” when they first met and that there was a “bit of a grudge” between them.
Looking back at more challenging roles, including Nil By Mouth and The War Zone, Ray discussed playing abusive characters and the impact some of those performances had on him personally.
He said The War Zone in particular made him reflect deeply on the nature of abuse, while also revealing he has recently completed a new film with Danny Dyer.
When Sara asked who would win an arm wrestle between the two actors, Ray gave a confident answer: “Me.”
Football also featured heavily in the conversation, with lifelong West Ham supporter Ray saying: “I’d rather West Ham win the Champions League than me win an Oscar.”
He joked that he had become superstitious about watching the club after missing their latest win because he was working, suggesting his absence may have helped their fortunes.
You can hear the full conversation on BBC Sounds.
Photo: Ray Winstone and Sara Cox – Credit: BBC.