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The Irish Sun
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
I starred in Only Fools & Horses and Lock, Stock… now I run Kray twins crime tour & sell cannabis from the Caribbean
'SO HAS the interview started yet?' Vas Blackwood asks, as wind chimes rattle softly in the background. He's speaking over the phone from the Caribbean where he's polishing a film script which he plans to star in. 32 Actor Vas Blackwood splits his time between London and the Caribbean Credit: Vas Blackwood 32 Vas running a Kray twins tour in East London Credit: BRIT MOVIE TOURS 32 During his breakout performance in Only Fools and Horses as Lennox Gilbey Credit: IMBD 'I'm pleased with it, the funds have gone into bond, so we'll see what happens,' he explains. The 62-year-old is not necessarily an actor that everyone knows by name - but many of his characters have achieved cult status. His one-off turn as Lennox 'The Shadow' Gilbey in a 1986 episode of beloved BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses, for one. Another is gangster Rory Breaker in Guy Ritchie's 1998 film debut Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. READ MORE NEWS The director told him during casting that he'd been a fan ever since he saw him as Winston in The 'Lennox!' When he's back in the UK, where he has a North London base, he says he gets stopped all the time by people shouting 'Lennox!'. I tell him he's a British TV and film icon and he laughs, saying: 'I feel blessed every day.' A jobbing actor all his life, dad-of-three Vas never stops working. Whenever he's not shooting, he can be found running a Most read in Showbiz 'I start at the Blind Beggar and roll from there,' he explains. 'I bring in the whole gangster thing, but it's centred on Ronnie and Reggie. 'There's a couple of locations from Lock, Stock and I talk about modern gangsters - by the time we're done, you are a gangster,' he adds, laughing. Gary Lineker tops BBC best-paid list with Naga Munchetty among biggest earners amid 'bullying' row as salaries revealed "It's all fun with Uncle Vas." But there's another reason for him being in the Caribbean: he's putting the finishing touches to his latest venture - a medicinal cannabis brand named after his Lock, Stock character. 'The Caribbean's going to be like Rory's sauce - Rory's sauce is coming from the Caribbean,' he says. 'I'm ironing out things whilst I'm here. It comes straight from the film - they take my cannabis and try to sell it back to me. It's a declaration of war! 'I'm working on slogans for it, I've got one: 'I'll chill ya',' he says. Rory's sauce It's currently illegal to sell products in the UK containing THC, the primary psychoactive compound in cannabis, but Vas is planning ahead. In several Caribbean nations, for example, the drug has been legalised for medical purposes. 'We'll start with CBD oils, things like that, without THC,' he says, referring to his plans for the UK market. 32 Vas is possibly best known as Rory Breaker in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels Credit: IMBD 32 Vas with his Lock, Stock cast mates, including Jason Statham Credit: Handout 32 Vas and Jones remain close friends Credit: Roger Donovan 'In the Caribbean it's legal, in the sense you can apply and get a licence to use medicinal marijuana and then go to your chemist. 'This is what's going to be happening in the UK in the not too distant He goes on to say: 'It's so structured with the THC, it's very controlled. You don't have to hang around with someone on a street corner to score a bit of weed, you can go to the chemist.' Vas adds: 'Rory Breaker is going with the guidelines - but don't worry about that, as soon as we're allowed, the Rory Breaker strain of cannabis will be the most popular.' I looked at them and all the lines in my head went - I was a fanboy about to watch an episode. Vas Blackwood on guest starring in Only Fools and Horses He explains how he was a 'ganja baby' in his teens, growing up around Highgate, but he took his acting career 'very seriously'. 'I vision boarded it, and you become what you are. I became what I am.' His big break, so to speak, came about with his Only Fools guest part when he was just 24. He'd been to drama school and done fringe theatre, as well as a few TV spots - and he was a huge fan of the show. 'I looked at them and all the lines in my head went - I was a fanboy about to watch an episode,' he said, recalling first seeing stars Unusual for the BBC show, The Longest Night episode from season 5 saw a guest star take centre stage. 32 Vas is about to launch a medicinal cannabis brand Credit: VAS BLACKWOOD 32 He is regularly stopped in the street by people shouting 'Lennox!' Credit: IMBD 32 Vas' tour starts at the Blind Beggar pub Credit: BRIT MOVIE TOURS Filmed in front of a live audience, it was set almost entirely on one room, with Vas - whose character took the leads hostage in a supermarket back office - in almost every shot. They'd done rehearsals for five days in a hall in Chiswick before doing the technical rehearsal at Television Centre, and then the next day the proper shoot. Recalling his sudden hit of anxiety, Vas says: 'I had to kick myself from within my soul, my centre, my core, all the way up. 'You're Lennox, you're Lennox'. 'David, when he saw me, did the shoulder roll. He said 'alright there, Lennox', and I just went, I was laughing to myself. 'The concentration level had to be very high. You'd start laughing if you dropped out of character.' As an actor you have to hold your own. They might be difficult but that's nothing to do with you. You're not here to be their friend. Vas Blackwood on acting As for his co-stars, Vas was full of praise, saying there was 'no ego', adding: 'They made me feel a million dollars. 'They could've treated me a lot different. The industry can be like that sometimes. 'As an actor you have to hold your own. They might be difficult but that's nothing to do with you. You're not here to be their friend.' During earlier rehearsals he remembers during a break Jason turning to Lyndhurst and asking 'how's the flying going?'. Vas says: 'I was thinking flying, okay, what's that about? Well, Nicholas Lyndhurst actually flies an aeroplane, and he was learning to fly at that point. 32 Twin brothers and organised crime bosses Ronnie and Reggie Kray in 1964 Credit: Getty 32 Vas is still close friends with director Guy Ritchie Credit: Andrew Sims - The Times 32 Only Fools and Horses stars David Jason, Nicholas Lyndhurst and Buster Merryfield Credit: BBC 'It hit me, they're so not like Del and Rodney, these two.' Vas still has copies of rehearsal scripts they used. 'It was a big moment for me as a young actor, I was very fortunate, but you've got to give yourself a pat on the back,' he says. 'It was like a theatre performance and we had an audience. Theatre is my thing, most actors worth their salt love a bit of theatre. You hold the moment, it was great.' Being called to Television Centre Despite being a huge fan of Only Fools, he admits it was touch and go whether he would even take the part after it was offered. He was on the verge of being cast as a regular in a new Channel 4 show when he was called into White City by show producer Ray Butt. Many stars of the day had been impressed by Vas' performances in fringe theatre productions, and he'd already appeared with Dawn French and He believes he had also already been around the BBC at the time, though can't remember exactly how he came to the attention of Butt. 'It was all very peculiar how I got offered the job,' he recalls. The producer - looking every bit like Del Boy himself, wearing a flat cap and smoking a cigar - welcomed him into Television Centre and took him to a little office on the fifth floor. Handing him the script , he said he'd be back in 45 minutes. 32 Vas also appeared in Mean Machine with Jones in 2001 Credit: UIP 32 Vas was called into BBC Television Centre by Only Fools producer Ray Butt to read the script Credit: Alamy 32 Vas was full of praise for Sir David Jason and Nicholas Lyndhurst Credit: Doug Seeburg - The Sun Vas says: 'From the first page I was laughing, especially when he pulls the gun and says 'open the safe!'' When Butt returned, he excitedly asked what he thought, to which Vas replied: 'It's brilliant, Ray.' When he revealed he had another offer, Butt confidently told him: 'Don't worry about that, you'll do this - it's much better.' Vas says his thinking was: 'Getting a TV series would be worth more to me than working one-off for the BBC.' Butt wasn't deterred and as he led him out, Vas said he was thinking 'who is this man?' He dashed to a phone box and called his agent, who told him the Channel 4 producers were 'still making their mind up' - they wanted him but they were still deciding on the rest of the cast. 'A week or two later Ray was pressuring my agent,' Vas continues. 'In the end, I just decided to do Only Fools and Horses. It's little things like that - and I tell you what, I dunno whatever happened to that Channel 4 show, but this was the best thing that ever happened to me and I thank my lucky stars every day. Vas Blackwood on accepting Only Fools and Horses role 'It's little things like that - and I tell you what, I dunno whatever happened to that Channel 4 show, but this was the best thing that ever happened to me and I thank my lucky stars every day.' The show, despite coming to a finish after more than two decades in 2003, continues to top all-time favourite British TV charts, and is repeated almost daily on the likes of UK Gold. 'I go places everyday and people say 'ah Lennon, Lennox! Say the line!' Do you know how many times I've said it?' Without any prompt, Vas says: 'They seek him here, they seek him there, those policemen seek him everywhere. Is he in heaven or is he in hell, that damn elusive sha-a-dow.' 32 Vas worked with Lenny Henry in the 1980s after he spotted him in fringe theatre Credit: Rex 32 Vas worked with Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders early in his career Credit: Rex 32 Vas was not surprised that Jason Statham became a huge star in Hollywood Credit: Getty He adds: 'I get people in stitches every time - I look at it as a bit of a blessing, the stars looking down on me and saying you're still in this to win it, or whatever the case maybe.' The Only Fools performance was followed by the regular role of Winston in The Lenny Henry Show, as well as an episode of French & Saunders, and then three seasons of teen comedy Spatz. Through the 90s Vas also appeared in the likes of The Bill and Casualty before landing possibly his biggest role as gangster Rory Breaker. The black comedy crime caper, made for less than a £1million, was met with critical acclaim and major commercial success. 'To have worked with Guy on his first film, it set me in stone there and then. It's an iconic role, it's all there,' says Vas. To have worked with Guy on his first film, it set me in stone there and then. It's an iconic role, it's all there. Vas Blackwood on working with Guy Ritchie 'Watching that film just reminds me of London,' he continues, laughing. 'If you know the streets how I know them, there's all these characters, they might be shady but they have a sense of humour. 'It's all a mix-up and that's London to me.' Vas based Breaker on two people he knew growing up, one was Gilbert Wynter, a jeweller and enforcer for the Adams crime family who disappeared without a trace the same year Lock, Stock was released. 'I went to school with Gilbert, he was a soft touch, really, but a character,' says Vas. The other inspiration was Trevor Smith, a bank robber who rubbed shoulders with 'loveable rogues' in high end 32 Ronnie and Reggie Kray, seen here at home after helping police with their inquiries into a shooting in 1966 Credit: Getty 32 The Blind Beggar pub on Whitechapel Road in Mile End, East London, where the Krays used to regularly drink Credit: Getty 32 Vas hopes to work again with Ritchie - seen here shooting The Gentlemen season 2 Credit: Click News and Media The casting had been a bit of a mishmash. The film had been due to be shot the year before but then the investment fell through. Vas says: 'I wasn't attached at first. When the money came through again a lot of the actors cast had moved on to different jobs so there was availability. 'I can't say they got second best because it's such a successful film,' he says, laughing. 'It's all about timing. It wasn't the right thing with the first cast.' Lock, Stock casting process He remembers Ritchie telling him how much he loved his performance as Winston in the Lenny Henry Show, and how he'd watch it when he got home from college. 'He had me in mind from that role,' explains Vas. At one stage during the audition, Ritchie asked him to run his lines and began filming him from different angles. 'He knew he wanted me to do it, but he was more interested in the camera than what I was saying,' says Vas. 'He was fitting faces in his mind.' He recalled as they headed into another office, Ritchie began asking him about taxes. 'It was due to him being a young director and not understanding everything, so I gave him advice and he was happy and we were on,' Vas says. 32 Vas in 2004 film Creep Credit: check copyright 32 Vas and Jones at the premier of Mean Machine, at the Odeon in Glasgow, with then Celtic players Steve Guppy and John Hartson Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd 32 Vas promoting the Change For Kids campaign Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd 'I just knew he was special, there was something about him.' He says the energy on set was electric, but everyone 'would come in ready to give 110%' each day. 'We all got our heads down and delivered for Guy.' Vas goes on to say: 'The shooting schedule was broken up unusually - it was how Guy wanted to work.' He remembers Ritchie sitting by a monitor rather than behind the camera on set for his scenes. 'He never once came and talked to me about my performance. I'd say 'Guy, how was that?' and he'd reply 'that's great, no problem'. 'It was all in the edit for him and I was doing exactly what was on the paper.' However, there was always room for ideas. Having grown up around Cypriots in Kentish Town, Vas had suggested he speak some Greek in the film - which Ritchie allowed, and even came up with the idea for Breaker's iconic wig. 'I met my character's minders and they had bald heads and I was bald, so I said 'maybe it would have more impact if I was wearing a wig',' says Vas. 'Guy said 'leave it with me'. I turned up on set to get my make up and costume sorted and they had a wig,' he says. Vas was due to appear in Ritchie's follow-up movie Snatch two years later but other commitments meant he was forced to drop out. 32 It was Vas' idea for Rory Breaker to wear a wig Credit: Polygram 32 Vas with Gary Lineker in comedy show Spatz in 1991 Credit: Thames Television 32 Vas based Breaker on two underworld figures he knew growing up Credit: Polygram While further Ritchie projects, which he didn't reveal, 'didn't fit quite right'. But the pair remain close. 'Guy's like a brother to me, we talk as often as possible,' says Vas. 'I'm sure we'll do something else - it's all about the style of the role. 'If it fits, it fits. They don't need to audition me, if they know there's something I could master. We don't beg for anything, it's how our relationship is. We're always batting and balling with things like that.' Working with Jason Statham In 2001, Vas would go on to appear in Mean Machine, reuniting with Lock, Stock castmates 'Jason was working his way up,' he says. 'He came over from America to do the role - he was very close with Vinnie. He was on that trajectory. 'Jason Statham has an appetite for learning. That's why he is where he is now, he takes everything on as mute, he doesn't take things for granted.' Vas says it was actually Jones who ensured Lock, Stock even got made. 'Not a lot of people know this but Vinnie was the seed investor for Lock, Stock,' he explains. 'He put 100 grand up. When he left football he was very serious about the acting and he was looking for stuff.' 32 The actor has continued to act regularly since the 1980s Credit: Rex Features 32 Vas appeared with James Buckley in The Comedian's Guide to Survival Credit: Rex 32 Vas provided voices for the video game Fable II Credit: Handout Ritchie and producer Matthew Vaughn were 'running around' with the script trying to find funding and it came by Jones, and he loved it, says Vas. 'He put the first 100k down, then more investors followed. The rest is history.' Vas had first met Jones through footballer pal Jon Fashnu, with Fashnu and Jones being part of Crystal Palace's infamous 'Crazy Gang'. 'With Vinnie Jones, you can be walking in a forest with him, or down a street - he'll say 'what tree's that?'' says Vas. 'If it's got apples you'll say 'an apple tree'. But he'll know exactly what tree it is and what birds live in it. 'He likes the outdoors and bit of the hunting. And with trees, if it's an apple tree he'll tell you what type of apple it is. 'A lot of people are talking about saving the planet, but they can't do that.' Vas would go on to star in the likes of horror film Creep (2004) and provide voice work for video game Fable II (2008) and TV series Thunderbirds Are Go, among other live action roles, including two White Collar Hooligan films and Inbetweener James Buckley-starring The Comedian's Guide to Survival (2016). He got involved in Brit Movie Tours in around 2018. His Lock, Stock co-star Stephen Marcus, who played Nick the Greek, had initially run it before relocating to LA. After a little hesitancy, Vas agreed to take it on for select dates when he's back in London. 32 Vas took over the Kray twins tour in 2018 Credit: BRIT MOVIE TOURS 32 The tour takes in various spots in the East End Credit: Vas Blackwood 'I get 50 plus people,' he says. 'I get loads of people, they love it. I do it like a theatre performance, you get value for your money.' Many customers want him to recite lines from his famous performances and he's happy to oblige. 'They say, 'can you say that line?' I say 'why not?' and pretend like they're the first-ever person to ask. If the lines were terrible they wouldn't say anything, so I don't mind.' He adds: 'You get dads and mums coming with their kids who are die hard Only Fools and Horses fans, and I'm thinking 'that's another market there'.' He's always fascinated by how much interest there is in infamous bad guys like the Krays. His daughter went on a Pablo Escobar tour in Columbia which is run by the drug king pin's son and which ends at his grave. 'You can have a line of coke on his grave,' he says. 'Not that she did.' Describing his own interest in the Krays, he explains: 'Whatever they got involved in, there's a lot of folklore, with a lot of bad there comes a lot of good. 'We shouldn't judge too hard. If you commit a crime and go to prison, who am I to judge you? 'You've been locked up for a period of your life and that's your punishment.' Referring to the Krays, he says: 'I've fallen in love with the in-between bits. 'We're all just getting on with our lives in our own way.' Do you have a story? Email
Scottish Sun
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
I starred in Only Fools & Horses and Lock, Stock… now I run Kray twins crime tour & sell cannabis from the Caribbean
MEAN MACHINE I starred in Only Fools & Horses and Lock, Stock… now I run Kray twins crime tour & sell cannabis from the Caribbean 'SO HAS the interview started yet?' Vas Blackwood asks, as wind chimes rattle softly in the background. He's speaking over the phone from the Caribbean where he's polishing a film script which he plans to star in. Advertisement 32 Actor Vas Blackwood splits his time between London and the Caribbean Credit: Vas Blackwood 32 Vas running a Kray twins tour in East London Credit: BRIT MOVIE TOURS 32 During his breakout performance in Only Fools and Horses as Lennox Gilbey Credit: IMBD 'I'm pleased with it, the funds have gone into bond, so we'll see what happens,' he explains. The 62-year-old is not necessarily an actor that everyone knows by name - but many of his characters have achieved cult status. His one-off turn as Lennox 'The Shadow' Gilbey in a 1986 episode of beloved BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses, for one. Another is gangster Rory Breaker in Guy Ritchie's 1998 film debut Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. Advertisement The director told him during casting that he'd been a fan ever since he saw him as Winston in The Lenny Henry Show in the late 80s. 'Lennox!' When he's back in the UK, where he has a North London base, he says he gets stopped all the time by people shouting 'Lennox!'. I tell him he's a British TV and film icon and he laughs, saying: 'I feel blessed every day.' A jobbing actor all his life, dad-of-three Vas never stops working. Whenever he's not shooting, he can be found running a Kray twins tour in East London's underbelly. Advertisement 'I start at the Blind Beggar and roll from there,' he explains. 'I bring in the whole gangster thing, but it's centred on Ronnie and Reggie. 'There's a couple of locations from Lock, Stock and I talk about modern gangsters - by the time we're done, you are a gangster,' he adds, laughing. Gary Lineker tops BBC best-paid list with Naga Munchetty among biggest earners amid 'bullying' row as salaries revealed "It's all fun with Uncle Vas." But there's another reason for him being in the Caribbean: he's putting the finishing touches to his latest venture - a medicinal cannabis brand named after his Lock, Stock character. Advertisement 'The Caribbean's going to be like Rory's sauce - Rory's sauce is coming from the Caribbean,' he says. 'I'm ironing out things whilst I'm here. It comes straight from the film - they take my cannabis and try to sell it back to me. It's a declaration of war! 'I'm working on slogans for it, I've got one: 'I'll chill ya',' he says. Rory's sauce It's currently illegal to sell products in the UK containing THC, the primary psychoactive compound in cannabis, but Vas is planning ahead. Advertisement In several Caribbean nations, for example, the drug has been legalised for medical purposes. 'We'll start with CBD oils, things like that, without THC,' he says, referring to his plans for the UK market. 32 Vas is possibly best known as Rory Breaker in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels Credit: IMBD 32 Vas with his Lock, Stock cast mates, including Jason Statham Credit: Handout Advertisement 32 Vas and Jones remain close friends Credit: Roger Donovan 'In the Caribbean it's legal, in the sense you can apply and get a licence to use medicinal marijuana and then go to your chemist. 'This is what's going to be happening in the UK in the not too distant future. This is for life.' He goes on to say: 'It's so structured with the THC, it's very controlled. You don't have to hang around with someone on a street corner to score a bit of weed, you can go to the chemist.' Advertisement Vas adds: 'Rory Breaker is going with the guidelines - but don't worry about that, as soon as we're allowed, the Rory Breaker strain of cannabis will be the most popular.' I looked at them and all the lines in my head went - I was a fanboy about to watch an episode. Vas Blackwood He explains how he was a 'ganja baby' in his teens, growing up around Highgate, but he took his acting career 'very seriously'. 'I vision boarded it, and you become what you are. I became what I am.' His big break, so to speak, came about with his Only Fools guest part when he was just 24. Advertisement He'd been to drama school and done fringe theatre, as well as a few TV spots - and he was a huge fan of the show. 'I looked at them and all the lines in my head went - I was a fanboy about to watch an episode,' he said, recalling first seeing stars David Jason and Nicholas Lyndhurst in costume on the set. Unusual for the BBC show, The Longest Night episode from season 5 saw a guest star take centre stage. 32 Vas is about to launch a medicinal cannabis brand Credit: VAS BLACKWOOD Advertisement 32 He is regularly stopped in the street by people shouting 'Lennox!' Credit: IMBD 32 Vas' tour starts at the Blind Beggar pub Credit: BRIT MOVIE TOURS Filmed in front of a live audience, it was set almost entirely on one room, with Vas - whose character took the leads hostage in a supermarket back office - in almost every shot. They'd done rehearsals for five days in a hall in Chiswick before doing the technical rehearsal at Television Centre, and then the next day the proper shoot. Advertisement Recalling his sudden hit of anxiety, Vas says: 'I had to kick myself from within my soul, my centre, my core, all the way up. 'You're Lennox, you're Lennox'. 'David, when he saw me, did the shoulder roll. He said 'alright there, Lennox', and I just went, I was laughing to myself. 'The concentration level had to be very high. You'd start laughing if you dropped out of character.' As an actor you have to hold your own. They might be difficult but that's nothing to do with you. You're not here to be their friend. Vas Blackwood As for his co-stars, Vas was full of praise, saying there was 'no ego', adding: 'They made me feel a million dollars. Advertisement 'They could've treated me a lot different. The industry can be like that sometimes. 'As an actor you have to hold your own. They might be difficult but that's nothing to do with you. You're not here to be their friend.' During earlier rehearsals he remembers during a break Jason turning to Lyndhurst and asking 'how's the flying going?'. Vas says: 'I was thinking flying, okay, what's that about? Well, Nicholas Lyndhurst actually flies an aeroplane, and he was learning to fly at that point. Advertisement 32 Twin brothers and organised crime bosses Ronnie and Reggie Kray in 1964 Credit: Getty 32 Vas is still close friends with director Guy Ritchie Credit: Andrew Sims - The Times 32 Only Fools and Horses stars David Jason, Nicholas Lyndhurst and Buster Merryfield Credit: BBC 'It hit me, they're so not like Del and Rodney, these two.' Advertisement Vas still has copies of rehearsal scripts they used. 'It was a big moment for me as a young actor, I was very fortunate, but you've got to give yourself a pat on the back,' he says. 'It was like a theatre performance and we had an audience. Theatre is my thing, most actors worth their salt love a bit of theatre. You hold the moment, it was great.' Being called to Television Centre Despite being a huge fan of Only Fools, he admits it was touch and go whether he would even take the part after it was offered. He was on the verge of being cast as a regular in a new Channel 4 show when he was called into White City by show producer Ray Butt. Advertisement Many stars of the day had been impressed by Vas' performances in fringe theatre productions, and he'd already appeared with Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders in ITV sitcom Girls on Top the year before. He believes he had also already been around the BBC at the time, though can't remember exactly how he came to the attention of Butt. 'It was all very peculiar how I got offered the job,' he recalls. The producer - looking every bit like Del Boy himself, wearing a flat cap and smoking a cigar - welcomed him into Television Centre and took him to a little office on the fifth floor. Advertisement Handing him the script, he said he'd be back in 45 minutes. 32 Vas also appeared in Mean Machine with Jones in 2001 Credit: UIP 32 Vas was called into BBC Television Centre by Only Fools producer Ray Butt to read the script Credit: Alamy 32 Vas was full of praise for Sir David Jason and Nicholas Lyndhurst Credit: Doug Seeburg - The Sun Advertisement Vas says: 'From the first page I was laughing, especially when he pulls the gun and says 'open the safe!'' When Butt returned, he excitedly asked what he thought, to which Vas replied: 'It's brilliant, Ray.' When he revealed he had another offer, Butt confidently told him: 'Don't worry about that, you'll do this - it's much better.' Vas says his thinking was: 'Getting a TV series would be worth more to me than working one-off for the BBC.' Butt wasn't deterred and as he led him out, Vas said he was thinking 'who is this man?' Advertisement He dashed to a phone box and called his agent, who told him the Channel 4 producers were 'still making their mind up' - they wanted him but they were still deciding on the rest of the cast. 'A week or two later Ray was pressuring my agent,' Vas continues. 'In the end, I just decided to do Only Fools and Horses. It's little things like that - and I tell you what, I dunno whatever happened to that Channel 4 show, but this was the best thing that ever happened to me and I thank my lucky stars every day. Vas Blackwood 'It's little things like that - and I tell you what, I dunno whatever happened to that Channel 4 show, but this was the best thing that ever happened to me and I thank my lucky stars every day.' The show, despite coming to a finish after more than two decades in 2003, continues to top all-time favourite British TV charts, and is repeated almost daily on the likes of UK Gold. Advertisement 'I go places everyday and people say 'ah Lennon, Lennox! Say the line!' Do you know how many times I've said it?' Without any prompt, Vas says: 'They seek him here, they seek him there, those policemen seek him everywhere. Is he in heaven or is he in hell, that damn elusive sha-a-dow.' 32 Vas worked with Lenny Henry in the 1980s after he spotted him in fringe theatre Credit: Rex 32 Vas worked with Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders early in his career Credit: Rex Advertisement 32 Vas was not surprised that Jason Statham became a huge star in Hollywood Credit: Getty He adds: 'I get people in stitches every time - I look at it as a bit of a blessing, the stars looking down on me and saying you're still in this to win it, or whatever the case maybe.' The Only Fools performance was followed by the regular role of Winston in The Lenny Henry Show, as well as an episode of French & Saunders, and then three seasons of teen comedy Spatz. Through the 90s Vas also appeared in the likes of The Bill and Casualty before landing possibly his biggest role as gangster Rory Breaker. Advertisement The black comedy crime caper, made for less than a £1million, was met with critical acclaim and major commercial success. 'To have worked with Guy on his first film, it set me in stone there and then. It's an iconic role, it's all there,' says Vas. To have worked with Guy on his first film, it set me in stone there and then. It's an iconic role, it's all there. Vas Blackwood 'Watching that film just reminds me of London,' he continues, laughing. 'If you know the streets how I know them, there's all these characters, they might be shady but they have a sense of humour. 'It's all a mix-up and that's London to me.' Advertisement Vas based Breaker on two people he knew growing up, one was Gilbert Wynter, a jeweller and enforcer for the Adams crime family who disappeared without a trace the same year Lock, Stock was released. 'I went to school with Gilbert, he was a soft touch, really, but a character,' says Vas. The other inspiration was Trevor Smith, a bank robber who rubbed shoulders with 'loveable rogues' in high end Chelsea. 32 Ronnie and Reggie Kray, seen here at home after helping police with their inquiries into a shooting in 1966 Credit: Getty Advertisement 32 The Blind Beggar pub on Whitechapel Road in Mile End, East London, where the Krays used to regularly drink Credit: Getty 32 Vas hopes to work again with Ritchie - seen here shooting The Gentlemen season 2 Credit: Click News and Media The casting had been a bit of a mishmash. The film had been due to be shot the year before but then the investment fell through. Vas says: 'I wasn't attached at first. When the money came through again a lot of the actors cast had moved on to different jobs so there was availability. Advertisement 'I can't say they got second best because it's such a successful film,' he says, laughing. 'It's all about timing. It wasn't the right thing with the first cast.' Lock, Stock casting process He remembers Ritchie telling him how much he loved his performance as Winston in the Lenny Henry Show, and how he'd watch it when he got home from college. 'He had me in mind from that role,' explains Vas. At one stage during the audition, Ritchie asked him to run his lines and began filming him from different angles. Advertisement 'He knew he wanted me to do it, but he was more interested in the camera than what I was saying,' says Vas. 'He was fitting faces in his mind.' He recalled as they headed into another office, Ritchie began asking him about taxes. 'It was due to him being a young director and not understanding everything, so I gave him advice and he was happy and we were on,' Vas says. Advertisement 32 Vas in 2004 film Creep Credit: check copyright 32 Vas and Jones at the premier of Mean Machine, at the Odeon in Glasgow, with then Celtic players Steve Guppy and John Hartson Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd 32 Vas promoting the Change For Kids campaign Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd 'I just knew he was special, there was something about him.' Advertisement He says the energy on set was electric, but everyone 'would come in ready to give 110%' each day. 'We all got our heads down and delivered for Guy.' Vas goes on to say: 'The shooting schedule was broken up unusually - it was how Guy wanted to work.' He remembers Ritchie sitting by a monitor rather than behind the camera on set for his scenes. 'He never once came and talked to me about my performance. I'd say 'Guy, how was that?' and he'd reply 'that's great, no problem'. Advertisement 'It was all in the edit for him and I was doing exactly what was on the paper.' However, there was always room for ideas. Having grown up around Cypriots in Kentish Town, Vas had suggested he speak some Greek in the film - which Ritchie allowed, and even came up with the idea for Breaker's iconic wig. 'I met my character's minders and they had bald heads and I was bald, so I said 'maybe it would have more impact if I was wearing a wig',' says Vas. 'Guy said 'leave it with me'. I turned up on set to get my make up and costume sorted and they had a wig,' he says. Advertisement Vas was due to appear in Ritchie's follow-up movie Snatch two years later but other commitments meant he was forced to drop out. 32 It was Vas' idea for Rory Breaker to wear a wig Credit: Polygram 32 Vas with Gary Lineker in comedy show Spatz in 1991 Credit: Thames Television 32 Vas based Breaker on two underworld figures he knew growing up Credit: Polygram Advertisement While further Ritchie projects, which he didn't reveal, 'didn't fit quite right'. But the pair remain close. 'Guy's like a brother to me, we talk as often as possible,' says Vas. 'I'm sure we'll do something else - it's all about the style of the role. 'If it fits, it fits. They don't need to audition me, if they know there's something I could master. We don't beg for anything, it's how our relationship is. We're always batting and balling with things like that.' Advertisement Working with Jason Statham In 2001, Vas would go on to appear in Mean Machine, reuniting with Lock, Stock castmates Vinnie Jones and Jason Statham, the latter of which was already making waves in the US. 'Jason was working his way up,' he says. 'He came over from America to do the role - he was very close with Vinnie. He was on that trajectory. 'Jason Statham has an appetite for learning. That's why he is where he is now, he takes everything on as mute, he doesn't take things for granted.' Vas says it was actually Jones who ensured Lock, Stock even got made. Advertisement 'Not a lot of people know this but Vinnie was the seed investor for Lock, Stock,' he explains. 'He put 100 grand up. When he left football he was very serious about the acting and he was looking for stuff.' 32 The actor has continued to act regularly since the 1980s Credit: Rex Features 32 Vas appeared with James Buckley in The Comedian's Guide to Survival Credit: Rex Advertisement 32 Vas provided voices for the video game Fable II Credit: Handout Ritchie and producer Matthew Vaughn were 'running around' with the script trying to find funding and it came by Jones, and he loved it, says Vas. 'He put the first 100k down, then more investors followed. The rest is history.' Vas had first met Jones through footballer pal Jon Fashnu, with Fashnu and Jones being part of Crystal Palace's infamous 'Crazy Gang'. Advertisement 'With Vinnie Jones, you can be walking in a forest with him, or down a street - he'll say 'what tree's that?'' says Vas. 'If it's got apples you'll say 'an apple tree'. But he'll know exactly what tree it is and what birds live in it. 'He likes the outdoors and bit of the hunting. And with trees, if it's an apple tree he'll tell you what type of apple it is. 'A lot of people are talking about saving the planet, but they can't do that.' Advertisement Vas would go on to star in the likes of horror film Creep (2004) and provide voice work for video game Fable II (2008) and TV series Thunderbirds Are Go, among other live action roles, including two White Collar Hooligan films and Inbetweener James Buckley-starring The Comedian's Guide to Survival (2016). He got involved in Brit Movie Tours in around 2018. His Lock, Stock co-star Stephen Marcus, who played Nick the Greek, had initially run it before relocating to LA. After a little hesitancy, Vas agreed to take it on for select dates when he's back in London. 32 Vas took over the Kray twins tour in 2018 Credit: BRIT MOVIE TOURS Advertisement 32 The tour takes in various spots in the East End Credit: Vas Blackwood 'I get 50 plus people,' he says. 'I get loads of people, they love it. I do it like a theatre performance, you get value for your money.' Many customers want him to recite lines from his famous performances and he's happy to oblige. 'They say, 'can you say that line?' I say 'why not?' and pretend like they're the first-ever person to ask. If the lines were terrible they wouldn't say anything, so I don't mind.' Advertisement He adds: 'You get dads and mums coming with their kids who are die hard Only Fools and Horses fans, and I'm thinking 'that's another market there'.' He's always fascinated by how much interest there is in infamous bad guys like the Krays. His daughter went on a Pablo Escobar tour in Columbia which is run by the drug king pin's son and which ends at his grave. 'You can have a line of coke on his grave,' he says. 'Not that she did.' Advertisement Describing his own interest in the Krays, he explains: 'Whatever they got involved in, there's a lot of folklore, with a lot of bad there comes a lot of good. 'We shouldn't judge too hard. If you commit a crime and go to prison, who am I to judge you? 'You've been locked up for a period of your life and that's your punishment.' Referring to the Krays, he says: 'I've fallen in love with the in-between bits. Advertisement 'We're all just getting on with our lives in our own way.' Do you have a story? Email
Indian Express
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
‘Paresh Rawal said sorry for leaving Hera Pheri 3': Priyadarshan said Akshay Kumar, Paresh called him together, said issue is ‘sorted'
Paresh Rawal confirmed last Sunday that his issues with the makers of Hera Pheri 3 have been resolved amicably, and that he's back in the film. While no official statement from producer Akshay Kumar and the film's team has been made yet, director Priyadarshan has now confirmed that the threequel is back on track. 'Both Akshay and Paresh called to say that everything is sorted,' he said, adding, 'I was in shock when Paresh said, 'Sir, I'm doing the movie. I have never had anything except a lot of respect for you. I've done 26 movies with you, and I'm sorry to have left the film. There were some personal issues.'' In the interview with Mid-Day, the filmmaker also said that Akshay, Paresh, and Suniel Shetty met with each other to resolve the issues. 'Hera Pheri cannot happen without any of the three lead characters. Recently, on a flight, a diamond merchant and his family came to me and requested me to bring Paresh back. They said they won't watch the film otherwise,' said Priyadarshan. The director will now start writing the script of Hera Pheri 3, and the production is supposed to start by the end of this year, with a release planned for next year. However, Neeraj Vora who served as a screenwriter on the first part, and also as a director on the 2006 sequel Phir Hera Pheri, won't be there to collaborate this time around. He died of a stroke in 2017. 'Whatever I do, I cannot surpass Hera Pheri. The second part was bad; it was a copy of a Hollywood movie,' said Priyadarshan. Phir Hera Pheri was allegedly a rip-off of Guy Ritchie's 1998 neo-noir black comedy crime drama Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. Priyadarshan also denied any rumoured involvement of producer Sajid Nadiadwala and filmmaker Ahmed Khan in the patching up of Akshay and Paresh. Before Hera Pheri 3, Akshay, Paresh, and Suniel will also share screen space in Ahmed's adventure comedy Welcome to the Jungle, which is the threequel of Anees Bazmee's 2007 cult comedy Welcome. While Paresh was a part of Welcome and its 2015 sequel Welcome Back, Akshay was only in the first film. Suniel is a new entrant in the franchise. Also Read — Suniel Shetty refuses to talk about Hera Pheri 3 after Paresh Rawal confirms his return: 'I've heard they did some fine-tuning' Hera Pheri 3 has been in the making for 10 years. While Akshay had initially walked out of the film, he rejoined it after buying the franchise's rights from Firoz Nadiadwala. Once Priyadarshan also came onboard to direct, Paresh walked out of the film without citing any particular reasons officially. Akshay even sued Paresh for violating his contract. Akshay and Paresh will also be seen sharing screen space in Priyadarshan's horror comedy Bhooth Bangla, which is slated to release in cinemas on April 2, 2026.
Extra.ie
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Extra.ie
Rex Ryan's foray into the life of Gerard Hutch is thought-provoking
When watching The Monk at Glass Mask Theatre that age-old adage about the truth and a good story might spring to mind. It wouldn't be the first time that a gangland veteran became the subject of an artistic endeavour — after all, we've had The General about the life of Martin Cahill and John Gilligan and Traynor were also committed to celluloid in Veronica Guerin, the film about the murder of the Sunday Independent journalist. In that, Alan Devine played Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch long before he was found not guilty of the Regency Hotel murders in 2023 and subsequently unsuccessfully ran for election a year later. But it's another leap that Rex Ryan has taken — devising a play about his one-time neighbour after a chance meeting with Hutch's son Jason who he knew from his neighbourhood of Clontarf. Ryan writes, directs and stars in The Monk after meeting with Gerry Hutch a number of times to discuss the man's life. Rex Ryan as a younger Gerard Hutch. Hutch has given Ryan carte blanche to portray his life as Ryan sees it, and so though facts were checked and insight into his life was certainly provided by The Monk, the actor and writer has used dramatic licence to pepper fact with fiction. We meet The Monk as played by Ryan just minutes before he is due to appear in the dock to hear whether or not he will be convicted of the murder of David Byrne at The Regency Hotel in 2016. What follows is like a fever dream trip through the life of Hutch, aided and abetted by screens that flash up different aspects of Hutch's life – from CCTV footage of an assasination attempt on The Monk as he dined out in a Lanzarote bar with his wife Trish to headlines about various robberies including the Marino Mart job which Hutch insists he had no hand, act or part in. Throughout, the face of a young girl – the angel watching over him – appears on the screens questioning what Hutch is saying. We hear about Gerard Hutch's early life in Summerhill, which paints a picture of poverty for his own family and those around him. Rex Ryan as a long-haired Hutch. There were times, he remembers, where there wasn't food on the table and how his mother looked after her children while his father worked on the docks until his back was broken and found solace at the bottom of a bottle. He describes the children playing in The Cage who get dealt a rough hand, Hutch among them as small transgressions see him being carted off and institutionalised at a young age before he gives the authorities a reason to see him as a criminal as part of a young gang called the Bugsy Malones. Ryan's telling of 15-year-old Hutch's time in Mountjoy is a poignant one, revealing how a child learned strength from neglect in prison and brutality. And it is in this vein that we continue, verging into the territory of 'ordinary decent criminal' — at one point there's a very Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels style retelling of how a robbery might be planned down to the second which treads very dubious ground. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Rex Ryan (@rexryan1989) But just when you think the play has drifted into the realms of Robin Hood type territory, it turns again with a clever reproduction of the 2008 RTE interview where Paul Reynolds puts Hutch through the ringer, followed by a litany of death and bloodshed being blasted from the screens surrounding the stage while Ryan's Hutch insists he is simply the head of a family who's trying to sort out his nephew's mistake. Without giving too much away, it's quite an ending as Gerard Hutch is called to court. And we, of course, know that in real life Hutch was found not guilty. But because this production is a mishmash of fact and fiction, it's sometimes an uncomfortable watch for the wrong reasons. Rex Ryan as Gerry Hutch. Had Ryan taken Gerard Hutch's story and completely fictionalised it using a different character, without revealing he had based it on The Monk, it would be an excellent play. But with the actual crime boss looming large in the background, it becomes distracting and disorientating as the audience themselves have to figure out where the two truths lie. The acting, writing, direction and staging is superb and certainly The Monk by Rex Ryan is thought-provoking but one of those thoughts is whether or not this was a good idea in the first place from a moral perspective. But as Hutch said himself, we'll let the people decide.
The Independent
12-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Harry Potter actor Nick Moran rushed to hospital with ‘life-threatening' illness
Harry Potter actor Nick Moran has been rushed to hospital with a 'life-threatening' condition. The actor's friend Terry Stone revealed the news on Friday (11 April), asking fans of the franchise to send prayers after Moran, who played Scabior in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, underwent 'life-saving' spinal surgery. Stone said that Moran's health concerns began when he started feeling a pain in his neck, which his girlfriend urged him to get checked out. 'But, as a bloke, he said, 'No I'll put some deep heat on it' – then he went to the doctors and got sent to A&E and told, 'We need to take you in for an emergency operation because this is life threatening',' he told MailOnline. Stone originally said Moran 'may never talk or walk again' but, in a new update, he said his friend was 'giving the thumbs up' while 'recovering in the ICU' – and revealed 'he's speaking now' and is 'shuffling around like a 100-year-old'. He added: 'He still needs your support, prayers & love. Let's pray he fully recovers and is back to normal soon.' Stone said he will provide Moran's fans with an update on Sunday (13 April) – but is now believed to be recovering at home. Moran's rep said: 'Nick had urgent spinal surgery over a week ago, which carries the usual risks of such procedures. 'All went well – he is now back home on his way to a full recovery after a short stay in hospital. He would like to thank any well wishers for their concerns.' Moran's Harry Potter character was a member of the gang led by Fenrir Greyback (Dave Legeno) and appears in the final two Harry Potter films, released in 2010 and 2011. Moran, whose debut screen appearance was in the film Buddy's Song (1990), also had a role in Guy Ritchie's 1998 film Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. The actor is also a singer who fronts his own Frank Sinatra tribute band.
