Ray Winstone films Danger Money in Cowbridge

Ray Winstone was spotted filming the six-part action-comedy Danger Money in Cowbridge in the Vale of Glamorgan. The 69-year-old actor, famous for his Cockney accent and hard man image, plays the lead role of ex-SAS operative Alan 'Razor' Sharp.

In the series, Winstone plays a former SAS operative haunted by a botched mission from the '90s that left his reputation in tatters and his best friend dead. Decades later, Razor seeks to rebuild a relationship with his daughter before being pulled back into action when an old friend resurfaces with a job.

Local excitement over star’s presence

The filming generated a real buzz in the market town. Nadine Price, a supervisor at the Ground coffee shop on High Street, confirmed the excitement. "It created a real buzz," she said. Locals described Winstone as happy to stop for selfies and autographs during shoots.

He walked the high street wearing military medals and a flat cap in character. Molly Ridge, a stylist at Minnie May Closet, was about to film a promotional Instagram reel when she noticed the filming. She asked for a selfie. "He said 'yes of course babes, that's fine babes'," Ridge recalled, adding that Winstone told her the dress she was holding looked gorgeous.

Her colleague, Anna Groom, asked for an autograph. Winstone signed it to the 'Lovely Anna'. Local Gary Simms had a picture with the actor at the Bear Hotel on Sunday evening. Simms said they were watching the Liverpool-Man City game and had a great chat about football, noting Winstone was wearing his West Ham joggers. He called it surreal to see him in the pub after recently watching him in season two of The Gentlemen. Despite filming in Cowbridge, the town was used to portray a location in England, with the Welsh flag taken down from the town hall. Price said Cowbridge would be depicted as a town in Herefordshire.

Character depth beneath the action

Winstone has spoken about the emotional layers of his latest tough-guy role. He described his character as a scrapper with heart. They told me the character was a bit of a scrapper, surly and getting on a bit, Winstone said. I told them it doesn’t ring any bells, but I like a challenge.

Series details and Winstone’s recent work

Danger Money is a six-part series for Prime Video produced by Two Brothers Pictures, the company founded by Harry and Jack Williams, who also produced Fleabag. The series is written by David Crow and Oliver Maltman, with Carl Tibbetts, known for work on Black Mirror, directing.

Winstone, born in east London, is known for gangster roles in films like Sexy Beast and The Departed. He recently appeared in Guy Ritchie's Netflix series The Gentlemen. His daughter, Jaime Winstone, is currently a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing, and he sent her a video message of support after she was in the dance off.

Danger Money is a six-part series for Prime Video.