Ray Winstone says it was a bizarre experience acting opposite a trained fox in new drama The Trials Of Jimmy Rose (ITV, Sunday, August 30).
In the new ITV drama, co-starring Amanda Redman, the hardman actor plays a notorious armed robber, who after years in and out of prison, decides to try and rebuild his relationship with his family.
In one scene Jimmy ends up lying on a wet pavement, watched by an urban fox.
Ray said: “We used a trained fox. Or as much as you can train a fox. So the fox comes up and looks at me. That’s a first for me. I felt like I was lying on the ground all night, but it wasn’t that long.”
Jimmy's pleased to get out of prison, but life has moved on (ITV)
Fresh out of prison, Jimmy tries to get on a bus only to find out he can’t pay cash. Ray admitted it’s a 'long while' since he last caught the bus, and not being able to pay with cash would frustrate him as much as it does Jimmy.
He said: “I’ve been on the Tube, but not the bus. That would gazump me, if I got on a bus and you couldn’t pay cash.
“It’s something that really annoys me and gets my goat at the moment. Everything is geared to a credit card. I remember the days when people used to carry cash around. There’s nothing better than having a bit of cash in your pocket.
Ray Winstone in The Trials Of Jimmy Rose (ITV)
“It’s all about them knowing where your money is and how you’re spending it. It’s got nothing to do with your protection. It’s protecting them. And it drives me insane that I can’t actually give anyone a tenner.
“You can’t get on a bus in London and pay in cash. You have to buy an Oyster card. So what do you pay for the Oyster card with? Can you buy it for cash? Or do you have to use a credit card? So say if you haven’t got a bank account, you can’t get on the bus. Well, that’s wrong.”
