Ray Winstone says British cinema is losing ‘a lot of our culture’

Actor Ray Winstone has said British cinema is losing “a lot of our culture” because the industry is caught up with the American way of filmmaking.

Winstone, 69, is best known for starring in 1979’s Scum, 1997’s Nil by Mouth and Jonathan Glazer’s 2000 film Sexy Beast.

The actor, who has worked in the industry for decades, said there is a need to make more projects about Britain and avoid getting caught up in the way other countries make film and TV.

He told The Sunday Times: “It’s our culture.

“We’ve been caught up with the American way of making films and have lost a lot of our culture when it comes to movies – especially those good dramas about life.

“The French never worried about the international film market. They are stubborn bastards, but they make their own stuff and I praise them for that.”

Winstone reprises his role in the second series of the Guy Ritchie’s The Gentlemen as crook Bobby Glass who, despite being behind bars, is very much in control of his family’s crime organisation.

The first season premiered in 2024 and follows aristocratic Eddie Horniman, played by Theo James, who inherits the family estate and discovers that it is home to a huge weed empire.

The series also stars Skins actress Kaya Scodelario, and Lovesick star Daniel Ings.

The Hackney-born actor described himself as the “Kate Moss of the geezer world”.

He said “back in the day” if something happened on set that was inappropriate it would get “dealt with”, and recounted an incident with a former director who he saw grope one of his co-stars.

Winstone said: “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 (various members of the film crew).

“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.”

The second series of The Gentlemen will be available to stream on Netflix from Thursday.

Published: 31/08/2026 by Radio NewsHub