Ray Winstone, who has played the London hardman and more throughout his career, shared an insight into his career, including working with Angelina Jolie, Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese and Gary Oldman, during a masterclass at the 31st Sarajevo Film Festival on Tuesday, before receiving Sarajevo’s Honorary Heart Award, in recognition of his “remarkable acting career and exceptional contributions to the art of cinema.”
Asked about the state of filmmaking in the age of social media, Winstone said, “It affects your approach, I think, because it’s all about sending tickets, right? It’s like anything these days, it becomes a business,” he said. “We see what’s happening in Hollywood with Marvel and all this kind of stuff, the franchises. And we love watching those movies. They’re fun, but those kinds of cultural movies, those are the best for actors, who are really active parts. It’s probably getting harder and harder to do.”
Winstone continued: "As far as social media goes, if you're not on social media now, sometimes you don't even get considered for a movie, because they want the fan base to come with it." You have to go on Instagram, you know. But that's part of what's most important."
Winstone concluded: "But I would like to see a lot more, I think, of the cultural films being made. I think that's where the best cinema is."
The 68-year-old boxer first made his name on the silver screen when he played a young criminal in Alan Clarke’s 1979 drama Scum . He also appeared in the same film. With these and his subsequent films, such as Gary Oldman’s Null Mouth (1997) and Jonathan Glazer’s Sexy Beast (2000), Winstone has won raves by combining muscle and intensity with vulnerability.
"I had done a school play because I imagined a girl in the play, and I liked it," she shared. "Boxing teaches you how to respect an opponent. You trust the actors, the director, the crew."
Asked about the two versions of his debut film, Scum, directed by Alan Clark, the star offered, "The first version is actually a better movie because we were younger, and it's a young movie... and how they handle it." He praised Clark for getting good work out of him.
He also claimed to be a singer with the Shock Bandits and Sex Pistols in Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Places and "growing old together" with them, sharing it with his family, who grew up singing songs including Frank Sinatra.
He was asked about starring in Gary Oldman's debut film, Nullmouth . "Gary is probably one of our finest film and stage actors," he said, "and he wrote a script. 'I like films with social themes,' which include 'distressed areas' and drugs.' I'm from a working-class family," so I was familiar with those themes. Oldman is "probably the best director I've worked with" because he knows how to act.
The film deals with abuse, but he trusted all the creatives and was able to leave violence and pain on set, while The War Zone starring Tim Roth, about child abuse, "wounded," Winstone shared.
Sexy Beast Praised Ben Kingsley's "range" in playing Gandhi to a psychopath in this film.
Winstone shared that he likes to portray bandits as good guys and vice versa to make violence and the like more shocking.
Audiences also encounter Winstone as a mob enforcer in Martin Scorsese and Jack Nicholson's The Departed (2006) and, more recently, as drug boss Bobby Glass in Guy Ritchie's hit Netflix series The Masters .
When asked about working with Scorsese, the actor said he met the director at a London hotel and was supposed to play a policeman, suggesting to the "I'm Calling Marty Now" man that he could play a different role. Scorsese liked the coat and asked if he could wear it in the role, which he did.
What was it like working with Steven Spielberg on one of the Indiana Jones films? "Spielberg was great," he replied. "It's amazing when he makes movies like he does, he makes movies differently." He said he loved standing behind Spielberg and Scorsese, watching them work their magic.
Clark was the director who most likely influenced her performance, Winstone shared, saying she learned all the basics from him and took his guidance as law.
A fan in the audience asked the star what it was like working with Jolie on Beowulf . “Angelina was fantastic. What an actress she is,” he said. “You know, she’s not just beautiful. She can really do the job, and she’s also a good kisser.”
Which of the many characters or professions he played did he like least? "The pedophile," he said immediately.
When asked about the best advice he's ever received, Winstone said it was a criticism that his eyes looked dead in a scene, sharing that he learned at that time that a lot of acting comes from and through his eyes.
What's next? "I'm doing a bit more The Masters, Winstone said when discussing his current work, adding that he's also filmed a movie about English pool player Jimmy White.
Throughout his career, Winstone also voiced Beaver in the 2005 fantasy epic The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Guard and appeared in big budget hits such as Black Widow and as Beowulf in Robert Zemeckis' 2007 animated action film Beowulf .
"He's an actor who captivated audiences for five decades with his great talent and undeniable presence," said Sarajevo Film Festival director Jovan Marjanovic . "With an honesty and intensity that resonate far beyond the screen, he gave us many unforgettable characters."
Winstone also captivated the masterclass with his spirits, at one point sharing that he was feeling the red wine he had the night before. "The local wine is very good," he said, laughing.
