Veteran actor Ray Winstone has revealed that a long-standing disagreement with director Guy Ritchie was patched up before the pair worked together on Netflix’s The Gentlemen, saying the reconciliation felt like part of growing up.
From near-miss to reunion
Winstone said he and Ritchie came close to collaborating much earlier in their careers, when he was almost cast in the director’s breakout feature Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. The role did not materialise and the two men “fell out” during that period, he told Men’s Health in 2024.
Years later the relationship was repaired after mutual friends encouraged them to meet, leading to the eventual casting of Winstone in Ritchie’s later work for Netflix. Speaking about the encounter, Winstone framed it as a straightforward reconciliation. In his words:
“We had a chat. I suppose it’s part of growing up – becoming a man instead of a silly little boy. We had a little chat and a little hug, as you do in the film business.”
Grievances and perspective
Winstone told Esquire and Men’s Health that some of his earlier irritation stemmed from how a project was put on hold, with no apparent communication to cast and crew. He said at the time he felt that people working on films needed to be informed so they could decide whether to seek other work when pay and schedules were affected.
He described airing his displeasure then and acknowledged the episode as part of getting older and acquiring perspective: “I just thought it was a liberty. I aired my opinion, said, ‘See you later.’ Then, we had words a bit later on… But anyway, it was done, it was said, move on.”
What this means for The Gentlemen
The disclosure adds a human, industry-insider layer to the publicity surrounding The Gentlemen, which has brought the pair back together after decades in the same film world. Winstone has said he enjoyed working with Ritchie when they finally collaborated, describing the experience positively.
- Winstone nearly appeared in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels early in Ritchie’s career.
- He spoke to Men’s Health in 2024 about the earlier fall-out.
- Later interviews with Esquire expanded on why he felt aggrieved originally and how they reconciled.
Context and consequences
Both men occupy prominent places in the British crime film tradition: Ritchie as the director of fast-talking, stylised gangster pictures, and Winstone as a stalwart performer often cast in tough-guy roles. Their reunion is notable partly because it closes a decades-long narrative thread in which two contemporaries who crossed paths early in their careers ultimately found common ground.
For audiences, the anecdote illustrates how professional relationships in film can oscillate between rivalry and collaboration, and how disputes that seem terminal at one moment can be repaired with time, communication and, in this case, a metaphorical hug. It also underlines a practical industry point Winstone raised: the ripple effect that financing and production delays can have on cast and crew livelihoods.
Winstone’s comments come as The Gentlemen continues to attract attention on Netflix following its first season and as the show’s publicity builds around subsequent episodes. For viewers and the industry alike, the story is a reminder that behind the on-screen persona and glossy marketing there are real people, old scores and, sometimes, reconciliations.
| Year / Occasion | Event |
|---|---|
| 1990s (early career) | Winstone nearly cast in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (did not happen) |
| 2024 | Winstone discusses fall-out in Men’s Health interview after Netflix’s The Gentlemen season one |
| Subsequent interviews | Winstone tells Esquire how they cleared the air and later worked together |
