Ray Winstone has revealed that he once auditioned for a part in Star Wars, but that it went south because he was drunk.
Winstone, 68, best known for his “tough guy” characters in crime-thrillers like Sexy Beast (2000) and The Departed (2006), recalled meeting with the iconic franchise’s creator and director George Lucas to read for the role of Ruwee Naberrie, the father of Natalie Portman’s Princess Padmé Amidala.
“It didn’t go well,” the British actor admitted in a new interview with Far Out Magazine.
“Had words and that was that. I’ve worked for George since, and he was fine,” Winstone noted, adding, “He didn’t remember. Or if he did, he didn’t take it to heart.”
The role of Padmé’s father in the 2005 prequel Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith eventually went to Australian actor Graeme Blundell, who also made an appearance in a deleted scene of 2002’s Attack of the Clones.
Winstone went on to appear in the filmmaker’s 2008 movie Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
The award-winning actor explained that hours before the audition he had “been out all night.”
“I was pissed anyway,” he said. “I knew I was wrong for the part as soon as I walked in, but instead of saying that, he relayed the message to me through someone else, and I took umbrage at that.”
He remembered Lucas yawning throughout his entire audition, and assuming he’s “obviously got jet lag.”
After sitting with Lucas in brief silence following his audition, he eventually told the director: “Why don’t we both have a 15-minute sleep and then I’ll f*** off?”
Asked if he regretted his failed audition, Winstone replied no, “that sort of film would bore the arse off me, all that bluescreen work.”
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Winstone’s most recent acting credits are Netflix’s 2024 action-adventure film Damsel, starring Millie Bobby Brown, and the streamer’s Theo James-led drama series The Gentlemen.
Speaking to The Independent in 2024 about latter, Winstone revealed the reason it took him so long to collaborate with Ritchie.
“We haven’t always had the best relationship, put it that way,” he admitted. “It was back when we were younger, but then you grow up.”
Up next, Winstone has a few new projects, including an untitled Jimmy White biopic, a role in an adaptation of the Australian stage play Burnt Piano, and a thriller titled Sabini, according to IMDb.