After 35 years in the acting business, Dexter Fletcher still possesses the plucky energy of his old Press Gang persona, Spike. If Spike were real, he’d probably be on the dole and ‘working’ as a culture blogger. Thankfully, for Fletcher, there was life beyond 80s TV. His role as Soap in Guy Ritchie’s Lock, Stock reinvented his career and changed the way men wore suits.
That performance, along with Fletcher’s good-time geezer accent has made him synonymous with gangster films, but he also has a roster of classics like The Elephant Man and The Long Good Friday behind him. The actor’s enduring friendship with Kick Ass director Matthew Vaughn has provided a cluster of high end cameos, making him a known face overseas and sealing his status as a British institution.
Fletcher and his famously fast gob were flapping in the wind at the recent UK premier of Jack Falls. Luckily for us, he drew a breath to talk to The Hollywood News about his directorial debut, Wild Bill and the role of the British gangster flick;
THN: You recently starred in the gangster film JACK FALLS, do you think there is still life in that genre of British film?
Fletcher: I don’t know really, it seems to be one of our most important resources. I mean people like this kind of film. If you ask me, people will always like films that are about good against evil. The first plays that were ever written were called Everyman plays and they were performed in churches. They were about good against evil. And although I am not saying it’s (Jack Falls) is a religious film, what makes it is that it’s about ‘good against evil’ and good winning over adversity. That’s something people can relate to and want to see. We all want to believe that, somewhere out there, the world is a good place.
THN: You’ve been in this industry for longer than most, do you still get nervous when you see one of your films for the first time?
Fletcher: I have been around long enough now to realise that the kind of things you worry about before you see a film for the first time aren’t the sort of things other people care about. I have just finished directing a film and people worry about how long their tie is, what colour their socks are. When you watch the film – you don’t think about those kinds of things. They’re good films the Jack films, this is the last of the three, there might be more, who knows. There are quite enterprising men involved with these movies.
On the new X:Men movie: I’ll tell you honestly, I’m not in it. I just directed a film..so this time, I couldn’t. Who wouldn’t want to be in an X: Men movie?
THN: You’ve got a long-standing relationship with Matthew Vaughn, can we expect a cameo from you in the new X-Men film?
Fletcher: From me, there was talk of it but I’ll tell you honestly, I’m not actually in it. I directed my own film which was quite labour intensive and so it meant that I couldn’t play the part of a CIA man. It’s very nice, Matt always gives me a job in his films, it’s fun but this time I couldn’t do it. I wanted to because who wouldn’t want to be in an X-Men movie.
THN: What can you tell us about your film?
Fletcher: My film, it’s called Wild Bill, it’s my take on a Western but it’s set in the East End. The main character gets out of prison find his two kids living alone in a council flat. It’s set to a back drop of the Olympics being built. Really, what he has to do is make the big sacrifice, he has to save his kids from the local drug dealers. By doing that he gets himself into serious trouble. It’s a film a bout a man’s redemptive journey. When he gets out he wants to just put things straight and he doesn’t sort of manage to do it so it’s quite a heart felt story about a man coming up against the obstacles of his past. It sounds quite boring. THN: Not at all.
On directing WILD BILL: It’s my take on a Western, set in the East-End. It’s set to a back drop of the Olympics being built
THN: Did you write it?
Fletcher: I wrote it with Danny King who wrote The Burglar Diaries, he’s an old mate of mine. It was my idea then Danny and I talked about it and wrote it up. Then I met the producer, Sam, who helped me get the money together. I’ve actually just been editing now so we don’t have an official release date or anything, we’re holding back on that. It’s got Andy Serkis and Jason Flemming in it, Leo Greogory and Jamie Winstone, I’ve got a lot of great people in there.
THN: How did you find working with Andy Serkis?
Fletcher: Andy’s great, he’s an old mate he plays a great character, plays a dangerous villain.
On the UK Film Council’s closure: You can tarmac a drive but weeds will always come through and turn into big trees
THN: It’s nice to see that Andy Serkis, who does quite big production films, always commits himself to homegrown film…
Fletcher: Yeah I think all of us, you know we like to contribute our bit. I think if it’s the right time, the right event, people are as good as their word and Andy is particularly good. Same as Olivia Williams you know Olivia is a huge star you know she was in the Sixth Sense and An Education, she’s great. But you know, I asked her to be in Wild Bill a couple of days before shooting and she turned up. So, I got a lot of great people and I am very lucky to have done so.
THN: From a new director’s perspective, how do you think the British film industry stands now?
Fletcher: Well, I think there will always be people like the directors of the Jack trilogy who want to make their own films irrespective of whether there are big bodies to fund it and they’re going to do it. I think you can tarmac a drive but sometimes weeds still come through and they become big trees you know. People who want to make films aren’t going to just go away because suddenly the funding body doesn’t exist.
It’s not easy but making a film is never easy. It’s just not by it’s never nature, it’s a very altruistic coming together of different elements. Sometimes it works, sometimes it don’t but as long as there is enthusiasm and nutcases like Dom (Dominic Burns) around, there will be films made, you know what I mean?
We certainly do Dexter. Keep an eye on The Hollywood News for more trailers and updates on Dexter Fletcher’s film, Wild Bill.
