Winstone: I'm not tough at all

Ray Winstone has revealed that he is a big softie in real life.

The 55-year-old British actor, who has starred in films such as Snow White And The Huntsman, 44 Inch Chest and Sexy Beast, admitted that he is not as tough as the characters he plays, at the European premiere of The Sweeney in London's West End.

"I'm not tough at all in real life. Loads of things in life scare me," he said.

In Nick Love's big-screen remake of the cult 1970s TV series starring John Thaw and Dennis Waterman, Ray - who was joined by daughter Jaime and wife Elaine at the premiere - steps into Thaw's shoes as Detective Inspector Jack Regan while rapper Ben Drew (aka Plan B) portrays his loyal partner George Carter.

Captain America star Hayley Atwell, who looked stunning in a blue lace dress by Pucci, and Damian Lewis, best known for his Emmy-nominated performance as Sergeant Brody in US series Homeland, are also in the cast.

It is a fitting role for Ray, given one of his first jobs was as an extra on the TV show.

"It's weird. It's almost like it should be the last job I ever do. Let's hope it's not," he joked.

Co-star Ben, who made his directorial debut with Ill Manors, was proud to do his own stunts.

"I never really had to do action sequences so I was surprised at how quickly I took it up. It was a big deal. The only one I let the stuntman do was a jump through the window," said the 28-year-old.

The Sweeney opens in cinemas on September 12.