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Ray Winstone (born 19 February 1957 in Hackney, London) is an English actor whose five-decade career is built around tough, working‑class characters delivered in his distinctive London voice. A former amateur boxer who trained at the Corona Stage Academy, Winstone first came to broad attention in 1979 with his leading screen performances in the films Scum and Quadrophenia. He has worked extensively in British television and independent cinema and later crossed into international film with acclaimed turns in Nil by Mouth (for which he received a BAFTA nomination) and in the crime film Sexy Beast, opening doors to Hollywood projects such as Cold Mountain, The Departed and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Winstone has also supplied voice and motion‑capture performances, co‑founded production ventures, and continues to work in both British and international productions.

... Raymond Andrew Winstone (born 19 February 1957) trained at the Corona Stage Academy after a successful amateur boxing career and early stage work. His breakthrough came in 1979: Alan Clarke’s prison drama Scum (filmed as a cinema release after being banned by the BBC) and the youth culture film Quadrophenia established his screen persona as a physical, uncompromising presence. Winstone built a steady career through the 1980s and 1990s on British television and in films, earning particular critical notice for his performance in Gary Oldman’s Nil by Mouth (1997), which resulted in a BAFTA nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role. The commercial and critical success of Sexy Beast (2000) raised his international profile and led to recurring supporting roles in major studio films, including Anthony Minghella’s Cold Mountain and Martin Scorsese’s The Departed. He has diversified into voice work (notably The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe), motion‑capture lead performance (Beowulf), and continued television roles and producing through his companies. Known for combining grit with emotional range, Winstone remains active across stage, television and film into the 2020s, appearing in both British drama and large‑scale international productions. Then & Now The 1980s After his breakthrough in 1979 with Scum and Quadrophenia, Winstone spent the 1980s steadily building a reputation on British television and in independent cinema. He became the go-to actor for physical, uncompromising working‑class characters, his distinctive London voice and tough presence marking almost every role. That decade consolidated his screen persona and made him a familiar and influential figure in British screen acting. Now (2026) As of 2026 Winstone remains active, working in both British and international productions while also supplying voice and motion‑capture performances and participating in production ventures. He continues to take roles that draw on the gritty, muscular screen identity he established early in his career. His legacy is a five‑decade career defined by tough, working‑class characters and a distinctive London delivery that helped him cross from British cinema into notable international projects. Career timeline 1957 Born in Hackney, London on 19 February 1957. circa 1970s Trained at the Corona Stage Academy after an amateur boxing career and early stage work. 1979 Achieved screen breakthrough with the films Scum and Quadrophenia. 1984–1986 Played Will Scarlet in the television series Robin of Sherwood. 1997 Received a BAFTA nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role for Nil by Mouth. 2000 Starred as Gary 'Gal' Dove in the crime drama film Sexy Beast, increasing his international exposure. 2003 Appeared in Anthony Minghella's epic drama Cold Mountain. 2005 Provided the voice of Mr. Beaver in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. 2006 Featured as Mr. French in Martin Scorsese's ensemble crime film The Departed. 2007 Performed motion capture and voice work for the title character in Robert Zemeckis's Beowulf. 2021 Appeared in the Marvel Studios film Black Widow. Public reference sources Public biography and credit reference.Ray Winstone – Wikipedia reference search Public biography and credit reference.Ray Winstone – IMDb name search Biographical and credit details were checked against Ray Winstone – Wikipedia reference search, Ray Winstone – IMDb name search.