Ray Winstone Recalls Confronting a Director Who Groped His Female Co-Star on Set

Ray Winstone has recounted the moment he confronted an unnamed director for groping a female co-star during a film scene, telling The Times of London that he said "Don't you dare do that" after watching the director abuse his power.

Winstone described the incident in an interview tied to his role as kingpin Bobby Glass in Season 2 of the Guy Ritchie crime drama The Gentlemen on Netflix. In the scene, Winstone was required to pick up his female co-star. According to Winstone, the director began groping the actress while demonstrating what he wanted done. Winstone told The Times he rebuked the director on the spot. He described the actress as "a good kid" who seemed "a little lost," and said the director had taken advantage of her. Variety reported Winstone's account on 29 August 2026.

Winstone also told The Times that, in the past, misconduct on a film set was typically handled informally by riggers or sparks — the lighting technicians and stagehands who crew a production. He said he had personally taken someone aside to slap or admonish them for bad behaviour. He did not name the director, the actress, or the production involved.

The interview coincides with two pieces of news for The Gentlemen, which streams on Netflix. Season 2 features Winstone as Bobby Glass, a cannabis empire boss, in the series adapted from Ritchie's 2019 film of the same name. Netflix has also greenlit a third season, Variety reported — meaning Winstone's role will continue beyond the forthcoming run.

Winstone, now 69, told The Times that working on The Gentlemen made him realise he is "getting old." He joked that he has no plans to slow down, offering a simple reason: "you've got to pay the taxman."

Winstone has built a five-decade career on playing hard men — from Scum and Nil by Mouth to The Departed and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. His account to The Times adds a named voice to the broader conversation about on-set safety and misconduct in the film and television industry, a conversation that has reshaped production practices since allegations against Harvey Weinstein in 2017 brought widespread scrutiny to working conditions across the industry.

He did not specify when the groping incident took place, and no director has been publicly identified in connection with his account.