Ray Winstone has made some films purely because he needed to "pay the rent"

The London-born star - who made his film debut in 1979 - told the Observer newspaper: "You go have fun for six weeks, see how it turns out. If it turns out great, it's a plus. If it don't, it don't. But you've had a great six weeks.

"You do do films you don't want to do. But you've got to do them because you haven't worked in a little while and you've got to pay the rent."

Ray comes from a working-class background and his teenage experience of boxing at Repton Boxing Club, in east London, proved to be an important "education" for the movie star.

He shared: "I think what boxing done for me is give me an education.

"The men that run boxing clubs, the way they nurture kids, the way they put kids on a level ... It stood me in good stead.

"When you're scared, you don't say it. You put a face on, you put your chest out, you walk forward and stare them in the eyes."

Ray was eventually enrolled at the Corona drama school and although he's enjoyed a hugely successful career, he still finds himself feeling out of place on film sets.

He said: "I'm not a luvvie. I don't speak like an actor."

Ray doesn't even like talking about his work with his wife Elaine.

He explained: "I wanna talk about something else. Who's boxing tonight? Is there any football on?

"I don't want to sit around talking endlessly about acting. I go home at night and my wife will be there and she will not ask about acting."