Why Ray Winstone turned down one of the greatest TV shows of all time: “I guess I’m old-fashioned”
Not many actors would be able to tell from reading a script they were being offered a series that would eventually become known as one of the greatest ever made, but that wasn’t what dissuaded Ray Winstone from signing up for a future classic.
The actor broke through at a time when there was a clear distinction between a film actor and a television actor, but those attitudes had changed when the small screen’s second ‘Golden Age’ began. Not that Winstone was entirely averse to the idea of TV, but it was never his first consideration.
He did appear in several episodic productions over the years, though. It wasn’t until he spent two seasons and 20 episodes on the short-lived crime drama Ice between 2016 and 2018 that he really dipped his toes into the waters of long-form storytelling.
Things could have turned out much differently a long time before that when Winstone was approached with an offer to play Jimmy McNulty in creator David Simon’s in-development The Wire. Of course, nobody could have guessed at the time the sprawling saga diving into the dark belly of Baltimore on either side of the law would become an all-timer, and that was even true during its initial run on HBO.
The ratings could be described as average at best, while The Wire was only ever nominated for two Primetime Emmys—both for writing—and not a single Golden Globe. These days, it’s celebrated as a landmark for the slow-burning story and character development on TV, but as strong as the material was, Winstone couldn’t justify uprooting his family and relocating to the other side of the world.
“I had my girls growing up at home and I didn’t want to move to Baltimore,” he said to Square Mile of his decision to reject the overtures. “Nothing wrong with the place, but we don’t come from there. I guess I’m old-fashioned. Being from London and all that, you’re proud of where you’re from. Had the offer come through when I was younger, I would have thought about a move there.”
Not that he ended up regretting leaving the door open for Dominic West to swoop in and land the part that became his Stateside breakthrough in the end, with Winston suggesting it was “probably a good thing I never did it because it turned out to be a fantastic series and I probably would have ruined it”.
That remains up for debate, but it can’t be argued the barrel-chested cockney would have made for a very different McNulty than West, who ended up ostensibly serving as the main character of The Wire for its entire acclaimed five-season run.
