ACTOR
Ray Winstone
19 archived facts 3 topics 1 source Last reviewed Oct 2026
All facts (19)
- #001
Ray Winstone was offered the role of Jimmy McNulty in The Wire (2002), but turned it down because he did not want to move to Baltimore, away from his family. The role instead went to Dominic West.
- #002
Ray Winstone starred in the directorial debuts of two British actors: Tim Roth's The War Zone (1999) and Gary Oldman's Nil by Mouth (1997). All three are known for playing villains in many films.
- #003
As a boxer, Ray Winstone won 80 of his 88 fights.
- #004
Ray Winstone has three children: Lois Winstone (born 1982), a singer in the London-based hip-hop group "Crack Village"; Jaime Winstone (born 1985), who played his on-screen daughter in Last Order (2001) and appeared in four episodes of The Bill (1984), and who also has a passion for becoming a director; and Ellie Rae Winstone (born 2001).
- #005
Ray Winstone's interest in cinema began when his greengrocer father took him to the cinema every week.
- #006
Ray Winstone appeared in the short-lived TV series Ghostbusters of East Finchley (1995). Although that series is completely unrelated to Ghostbusters (1984), the original Ghostbusters featured characters named Ray and Winston.
- #007
Ray Winstone supports West Ham United Football Club.
- #008
Ray Winstone worked as an extra for one day on Michael Apted's film Stardust (1974). He can be seen wearing a white jacket at the 6:27, 6:36 and 8:04 marks.
- #009
Ray Winstone's father boxed in his youth with London gangland figures Ronnie and Reggie Kray and went to the same boxing club. Winstone claims that as a baby, during a visit to see his father, Ronnie picked him up and he then urinated on Ronnie Kray's raincoat. Years later, Winstone visited Ronnie Kray while he was serving his life sentence at Broadmoor High Security Psychiatric Hospital. Winstone claims Ronnie told him the story of that episode himself.
- #010
In 2001, Ray Winstone founded the production company Size 9 Productions together with Joshua St Johnston and Michael Wiggs.
- #011
As a child, Ray Winstone boxed with Glen Murphy at the Repton and West Ham boxing clubs. He asked Glen's father for advice, saying he wanted to turn professional but had been offered a role in a film and was told to make the film Scum. In the early 1980s he was declared £17,000 in debt, and Glen helped him.
- #012
Ray Winstone is currently learning to ride horses.
- #013
In 2008, Ray Winstone was one of 105 people invited to join AMPAS.
- #014
The Robin of Sherwood International fan club can be reached by sending an SASE or IRC to Spirit of Sherwood, 1276 W. Marshall, Ferndale, Michigan 48220, USA, or by emailing ChrisRHood@aol.com.
- #015
Ray Winstone will lead an Acting Master Class at the Cinemagic World Screen Festival for Young People 2002 in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
- #016
Ray Winstone was educated at the Corona Academy, founded by Rona Knight.
- #017
Ray Winstone filmed Darkness Falls (1999) ("Dangerous Obsessions") on the Isle of Man.
- #018
In his youth, Ray Winstone studied drama and was spotted by director Alan Clarke, who cast him as the leader of a borstal gang in Scum; Quadrophenia followed.
- #019
Ray Winstone owns his own production office, Size 9.
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