Ray Winstone has spoken about an incident from earlier in his career in which he confronted a director after witnessing what he described as inappropriate behaviour towards a female actor on set.
Ray Winstone recounts when he confronted a director for groping a female actor
Speaking to The Times of London, Winstone said the unnamed director was supposed to demonstrate a scene to the actor but instead began “groping” her. Winstone said he immediately intervened.
Winstone said, “I had this director once. I was in a scene where I had to pick up this girl, and the director wanted to show me what to do. But he was groping her. That was it. I said, ‘Don’t you dare do that.’ He abused his power, took advantage, and she was a good kid, you know, who seemed a little lost. Anyway, it was dealt with.”
The actor was then asked what he meant by the situation being “dealt with”. His answer offered a glimpse into the culture of film sets during an earlier period of his career, when incidents of misconduct could be handled informally and, at times, aggressively.
He said, “Well, back in the day, if there was a wrong ’un on set, 99 times out of 100 it was sorted, either by the hairy-arse riggers or sparks. I’ve done it myself too, taken someone to the side to give them a slap or to tell them, in no uncertain terms, to behave. But it’s a different world today.”
Winstone did not identify the director or the actor involved, and his comments did not provide further details about when or where the incident occurred.
The actor, now one of Britain's most recognisable screen performers, has spent decades working across film and television, frequently playing tough, imposing characters. His career has included collaborations with filmmakers including Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg and Guy Ritchie.
Winstone is set to return as crime boss Bobby Glass in the second season of Ritchie's Netflix series The Gentlemen. The show has already been renewed for a third season.
In the same conversation with The Times, Winstone reflected on his role in the series and admitted that playing Glass had made him realise he is “getting old”.
The actor's latest comments revisit an era of filmmaking he says operated very differently, while his account also highlights the power imbalance that can exist between directors and performers on a film set.
