While best known for his “hard man” roles in Hollywood, actor Ray Winstone said he is “not as manic” as he once was. 

The English actor most recently starred in Guy Ritchie’s TV series The Gentlemen as the incarcerated head of a cannabis empire. 

He told The Anton Savage Show, however, that he’s now more much more different than the intense characters he has become famous for. 

“I think age changes you,” he said. “I’m not so manic as I used to be. 

“I’m not going about like a lunatic, and I have more time it seems for things, maybe because you want to make more time.” 

In particular, he said the birth of his grandson, now aged eight, mellowed him out. 

“I've had a career and I've done what I've had to do and now I'm kind of reaping the rewards of that,” he said. 

Winstone and Guy Ritchie

Winstone’s changing personal life, though, doesn’t mean he still can’t deliver a great performance as “hard nuts", such as his latest role in the Guy Ritchie series. 

Even though you can barely cast a film in East London without casting Winstone, this is Ritchie’s first time working with the actor. 

Winstone suggested Ritchie “likes to be a bit diverse at times”. 

“He was waiting for me to get a bit older,” he said. “He had this guy in mind, I guess. 

“It's taken a while, but I've enjoyed his films over the years, and I've been lucky enough to eventually be in one. 

“You’ve got bundles of dialogue because he likes to talk, he likes to chat. 

“As long as you've done your homework, as long as you know what you're doing character wise, then that's great.” 

The actor added that his role as a cannabis empire head demands a lot of “gravitas” and he hopes he was able to pull it off. 

The Gentlemen, based on the 2019 film also by Ritchie, also stars Theo James and Kaya Scodelario. It is available to watch on Netflix now.