It’s worth remembering before reading this fine Ray Winstone anecdote that no feeling were hurt or egos bruised, and less than a decade later Ray would finally work for George Lucas on Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, but back in 2000 Winstone would wobble into an audition for what would turn out to be Attack of the Clones to play Padmé’s father Ruwee Naberrie, and it didn’t exactly go according to plan.
“It didn’t go well,” he admitted. “Had words and that was that. I’ve worked for George since, and he was fine. He didn’t remember. Or if he did, he didn’t take it to heart.”
Winstone doesn’t even remember whose lines he was reading, other than it being “the Princess’ father, or something like that.” Still, a night on the tiles didn’t dampen his professionalism. “I was pissed anyway,” he recalled. “I’d been out all night, and I turned up, and 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.”
The actor was still drunk from the night before, and he assumed Lucas “obviously got jet lag” because he yawned all the way through Winstone’s audition. They both knew it was a doomed endeavour, but when the director gave him nothing but silence, he was asked a simple question: “Why don’t we both have a 15-minute sleep and then I’ll f*** off?”
Could you see Winstone as Padmé’s dad Ruwee? We’d love to know your thoughts, so post on Fantha socials or drop us a line on news@fanthatracks.com.
