Actor Tamer Hassan Talks - Football Factory, The Business & Hollywood Secrets

31:05So I was always a great dresser. I'd be wearing leather trousers, leather shirts before people knew what leather shirts. A friend of mine, Michael Moda, you saw Moda 3 down in Blackheaf, and we'd sit there and create each to do these leather jackets for me and leather shirts and leather trousers and boots and accessories. And I was always, I had long hair and a ponytail, and I was always immaculate. I always used to stroll around. I was a great host, good storyteller, good host, good mediator, sat there, people used to look. And, you know, I was always that guy, you know, like that. And people used to say to me, yeah, you should be in a movie, you should be in a movie.

31:41I think that film, Gangster No. 1, the producer, the one that Paul Bettany, they come up to me and spoke to me about that. Because originally it was going to be, he was a boxer, Bettany's role. And they, because I was a boxer, and I had the gym upstairs in my football club, Elton Boxer Club. And the producer, I think it was Jamie Redknapp that called me and said something about it. And I said, oh, do you want me? I can't do that. I'll get fucking slaughtered. You're joking? No, they'll kill me. And it kind of started from there. And then a friend of mine who used to supply all the girls for Spearmint Rhino, lovely, lovely man he was.

32:15He was an old rocker. And he said, he kind of set it up, but what he said to me, do you want to invest in an agency? I said, what's an agency? He said, an acting agency. I don't know nothing about it. He went, well, give me the spill. He said, how much did you do? He went, 25 grand or something. I went, fuck it. He went, just come and take the meeting like this. But unbeknown to me, he was trying to get me with an agent. And she still works for me now. She's producing that Camilla story. She had something called an MTA, model turned actor, and she was a bit of a scout and stuff. So I turned up late.

32:50But she, in her head, I'm going to do a deal. So I'll get there when I get there. I'm giving the money, you know what I mean? So, and I'm always fucking late anyway. We know, we know. Yeah, I'm always fucking late. My perception of time is just fucking endless, mate. So we turn up at Bentley's Oyster and Champagne Bar around the back of Piccadilly, wherever it's Regent Street. And he's there, he comes out, hello mate, I'm sorry, I'm late. I was just about to open a restaurant called Blue Eye, through the mayor restaurant. So I'm running around, but I thought, I'll just get it in while I can. turned out she's sitting there fucking hitler yeah ain't got a watch I went she didn't know it was all bollocks about by the agency and then and red-ed fucking short, ballsy fucking, white as a sheep fucking, yeah.

33:51Yeah. And I was like, I said, yeah, no, sweet. But then she started talking and then I see it going, I'm on point, is this, what is this? He went, look, I'm sorry, but I just want you to, you've got to do this. You've got to have a go at this acting thing. I went, oh, fuck sakes, Graham, drop me out. And then it ended up, I did invest in the agency and stuff. And then she just threw it out there. She went, you ever thought about acting? I went, acting? I said, acting's for mugs like this. Because for me, not acting's for mugs like this. For me, all the actors I knew never had any dope. They'd come to the bar, can I get a tab?

34:28Can you cash this for me? Can you this for me? Because there's only the big, the big, the guys that made it, made the money. And I just went, acting's for mugs. I went, Graham, listen, I can't fuck with all this. And she's sitting there. Can't kill it. and then she went I said look I'm really sorry I've got to go and I pulled out a few 50s Red Runs put it on I said look this is on me I have this on me she said well where are you going I said I've got to go and get some float for the tills I'm opening a restaurant tonight so I'm in a bit of a rush I'm sorry let's pick this up another time she's telling me I've gone can I give how much do you need I'll go and get it out of the bank I said no no babe I said I need change I need back in the days it was tills weren't it you needed float and then she was like and then she walked out i went see you later drop the thing down gone i went you know grandma i said she's a ball breaker in she like even no but she's really nice she's really not will you take a meeting with her again i went yeah yeah see you later forgot about it a couple of weeks later she goes um oh can you come in and can you come in and uh and take a meet and we'd we'd talk about the business and blah blah blah and he went you know he said she said i said yeah i went in and then they've put me they wanted me to audition.

35:40I'm like, it was all bizarre. I'm like, what do you want me to do? She still thinks I want to be an actor. Yeah. But I don't. And he's going, just go with it, just go with it. And then I, cut a long story short, we invested, we did it. And then BBC called up and they said, what's when the film, which you'll shoot? I'm like, nothing can happen. I've done that. Fucking leave me alone. It was horrendous trying to read and I just didn't want anything to do with it. And then they said, she said, will you do me a favour? Will you go for the audition? I said, audition for what? because BBC if we don't send someone we've got no one villainy looking on the books just go it's no dialogue just take the meeting let them have a look at you I'll put a leather jacket on and then you're out just keeps us in good stead with the BBC so I said seriously she went please I went oh sweet I can't do it gone now done it Julia Cramsey used to who's a casting director lovely woman she used to drink in the bar and we had a company where we would send the boys in and clean up dirty pups you know if someone's got a pub we'd go in and clean them up and she was in one of the gaps that she sees clean up and i've been known to me and she said i've gone in the room i've got a leather jacket i'm sitting there i said oh hey dude i just like she went oh but can you wait one minute she's gone to the set and called the director and i heard her go we got the real deal with you I'm thinking I'm going to fucking act this will come out later when Julie was spoken she said I'm a fucking actor I think I'm Antonio Banderas or Steven Seagal I said so I sat there and said can you just set a bit of dialogue stand up do this do that I went yeah sweet I did it thank you very much so I got in the car I rung the agent I said don't you ever fucking make me do that again I was terrified it was fucking horrible I ain't doing it again like that she went alright alright I'm sorry thanks for doing it 10 minutes later they've cut they've stopped the casting they said she's going you ain't gonna fucking believe this you know what's coming she said you ain't gonna believe that I'll offer you the job I said tell them I'm dead I've left the country I'm in prison do what you want I ain't fucking doing it so and that's how it started and Dan let's say Dan Craig Fairbrass mate of mine he was Dan at the time in that day he played Dan a character called Dan Frank Ull was a mate of mine he was doing he was sun and shine he did lock stock and they'd come to the restaurants I know they were mates of mine and and you know Kemp and all them was in there and I knew all of them I knew all the footballers and I knew everyone you know I was kind of famous without even being famous I was the kid on the block that everyone wanted to come and have a good time with and I was the one who had the restaurants and the clubs and they went listen he went I'm going to be there just go have a good time you never know you might like it then I said alright fuck it I'll give it a go on the quiet no one knew gone in got picked up sofa driven car got put in the hotel for a week turned up on set bit of make up water fed turned went up on set delivered what I did no dialogue just a bit yes nodding and it's quite easy full of facial a couple of facial expressions it's quite funny props master come up and go you got your props I'm like what's fucking props and what's his name who plays Phil Mitchell what's his name he was he was absolutely Steve Steve?

38:52Yeah, Steve McFadden. Yeah, yeah, yeah. He was absolutely lovely. He cut it straight away. He went, you've never done this before? I went, I ain't got a fucking clue, mate. Like this. He went, don't worry. You're doing all right. You're doing all right. He went, that's a prop. That's this, that's this. So he kind of took me under his wing a little bit. And I said, am I doing all right? He went, you're fucking fantastic. And I looked at the monitor on the replay. And I've got to tell you, mate, I was instantly addicted. It was like, what's the most addictive thing ever? Heroin, whatever. It was like, I took a shot of heroin, mate.

39:22I was instantly addicted and I thought, fuck that. And at the end of all of that, they took me home and they paid me as well. And I thought, you get paid for doing this? And I was like, this is great. It's quite funny. There was another thing that Craig Fairbrass, I think he still lives to regret, he come running on set and he said to the director and the cameraman, make sure you leave the camera on him because that fucker's going to be nicking all of our work one day. I think he said it just to make me feel bad. But he goes, I fucking wish I never said that. And then it just went from there. And then Julia, after Julia Crunchy went, listen, you're going to be really big in this game.

39:58You're going to be really good. You promised me you're going to come back and grace our show again. And I just went, it was just an overwhelming whirlwind of fun and brilliance and just excitement. I went, absolutely, Julia. Of course I will. Of course I'll come back. Then I call it a parenthesis. Well, I did Judge Jean D. I did The Bill. I did Casualty. and then I got The Calcium Kid with Orlando Bloom. Unbelievable. Yeah, and I went in for a small little role. I went in for just a bucket man because I've got no CV, I've got nothing and it's quite funny. And I always know a blag a room and I said to the agent, I said, tell me about the director.

40:36Who's the director? He went, oh, he's done a few bits first. He's part of a guy, Richie and Nick Love. They're the companies. He does predominantly music videos but he's really talented. Alex Arrakhoff, his name is. And I said, who's his support? I said, well, I don't fucking, I said, well, find out. I said, find out. She went, all right. And she's rung up someone. She goes, Alex, Arsenal. Great. I went, fuck it. Don't worry, I'll work out. So we've gone in there and he's talking to me. And the role I played, P-Roy, was already given, offered to Gary Stretch. And I went in there and I started talking to him.

41:12And I sat in front of him. I went, oh, fucking hell. I said, oh, Northland. I said, I love Northland. And I thought, I'm going to have him. I'm going to have him. And he never, he's literally one of my best friends. I'm a good father to his children. He wrote and directed Dead Man Run. He was a showrunner on Snap. And he said, I'll never forget. He said, I had no idea you weren't blagging me like this. And I went, I said, I said, you married us? Yeah, married wife from North London. I said, I'm an avid Arsenal supporter. I went, I'm mad for the gooners, mate. He went, me too. That was it. I had him.

41:44I had him. I had him. That was great. I had him, mate. Nicked him. As I say, wherever it takes. And then he said, do me a favour, go away. He said, forget that. He said, you're better than that. He said, South London boxer. He said, you're actually perfect for it. I mean, he was a boxer. He was a great boxer, Gary Stretch, but he wasn't South London. He wanted it to be authentic. So I've gone in, went away. He said, come back in a week. He said, it was a seven-page, it was the kidnapped hostage scene. And I just sat indoors for seven weeks and just fucking nailed it. Went in there, nailed it. And you know when you nailed it.

42:19And I like, I love offers, but I like casting. Even now, let me go in and cast. Let me earn the job. You know, let me earn a bit of grunt. Because I like it. It gives me a sense of achievement. And I went in and I knew I nailed it. And I watched him panicking. He's like, you know, I had the producers of Working Title there. And I did it. And I fucking nailed it. And he started performing. What are we going to do? What are we going to do? Because, and I'm thinking, I didn't know at the time that Gary Stretch had been offered the job. and now he's got to tell him. And it's Gary, he's not a mug. You know what I mean?

42:52And he's, you know, he's thinking he's going to beat the shit out of him and he's got to tell him. And then he calls me up, he goes, how tall are you? I mean, how tall do you want me to be? Walking behind you on an Arsenal talk. How tall do you want me to be? He said, how much do you want me to be? He went, listen, I've got a problem. He said, I've offered a job to Gary. He said, I don't know how I'm going to get out of it, but just leave it with me. I'm offering you the role. I was like, great. And then that was it. I mean, Jalili, me, Billy Piper, you know, Spall. Fuck it. And everyone from that film actually went on to be great.

43:31Michael Pena went on to be great, fucking successful people in the business, you know. And then that was it. It went from there. Then I got that. Then I got the Football Factory straight after. Then I did Layer Cake. Then I did the business. Then I did Spivs. And, you know, when I started at the time, there was only DVD and cinema. There was no Video On Demand or none of this stuff, what we're doing. And it was, you know, the cinema goes to the cinema, three months later, the DVD's out and then, yeah, that's it. You're gone. But I had four or five films in the cinema all at once. Laird Cakes, one of the best gangster films out there worldwide, I believe.

44:04Unbelievable. I did a lot on that, you know. I did a lot of authenticating for Matthew on that. He'd pull me over and he'd go, but just going back to that and then all of a sudden, I was like overnight just bang it was like everyone went who the fuck is he I remember Nick going to me and his boy called him and went who the fuck is he he's fucking brilliant you know he's great and it was just that was the focal point of everything that was going on do you know what I mean at the time How were you treated from the villains to then being a fucking household name Do you know what saved me? Layer Cake Layer Cake saved me because they enjoyed it so much it made sense it made sense to them and they actually went you know what boy you've always been a fucking movie star and you're fucking good mate and I think if I was shit I mean I'm never one to sound fucking amazing or anything but they see that film and I remember I was in the Venus once and I won't say which one of them you remember they got the strip club and I won't say which one come over and he looks at me he went cunt I said what's the name he went that fucking like brilliant and I went did you enjoy it he went yeah it was brilliant he went and you was mustard in it it was fucking brilliant and you know when you you get that approval yeah but it was like that's you now fuck off that's what you're doing now you're doing that now that's it and we're proud of you and we're happy go and do what you're doing you've got out I think that's your nature I think no matter what you would have done you'd have been approved anywhere no matter what you've done you can see you're a blagger but you can see the energy's positive and strong and that you're a fucking kind soul I think no matter what you would have done you'd have elevated to whatever you focus like you say things don't just fall on your lap it happens for a reason I believe your cards are dealt some people they all get dealt shitty cards but it's how you play them you've got to play them you've got to sit with them and people say some people thought when I was at the height of my game and me and Danny were doing what we were doing we was billboarded posted all over the fucking country and, you know, we'd turn up.

46:13I think me and Danny, we invented the PA, you know. Back in the day, they'd pass fortunes. We'd turn up on stage. You think Michael Jackson and Elvis Presley was on the stage, screaming kids, you know. They were just obsessed with these movies. They were like a, it was like a cult. It was like these, just following us around the country and just doing stuff. And we had the best time of our life, I've got to tell you. But it's, people used to say like, oh, it's lucky, can't wake up and become movie star. No, mate. you know, you've got to go to work. You've got to, you've got to learn how to deal with that rejection jacket.

46:47You've got to learn how you're reading scripts. You want it, you want it, you don't get it. It's not like you wake up, you've got to put the fucking work in, you know, and people don't realize it. And to wear that rejection jacket for me, someone like me, fucking difficult. It was hard. It weren't easy. And then you just kind of, you kind of get into it. And then if you want to see for me, I thought I'm going to do this. So I got rid of the clubs, the restaurants, football club, got rid of everything. If I'm going to do something, If I'm in the F &B biz, I'm in the F &B biz. If I'm in whatever biz, I'm going to give it my fault.

47:15I'm going to give it my... I don't juggle things around. It's the lowest hanging fruit. I'm going to take that, I'm going to eat it. And I'm going to enjoy it until I can't eat it anymore. Until I'm ready to move on. Do you know what I mean? Did you realise how big the football factor was for you? No, none of them. That was all shot at my club. There was no money. It was made on a shoestring budget. My football club, all the locations we gave. Nick wanted to do it. we all fell in love with Nick. I gave him everything we could. That scene with me and Frank on the football pitch, that was at the football club.

47:46The restaurant, when Rod tells, well, you know, I don't partake in the gym too, I suppose people fucking tell them, I don't take drugs, but that ain't, that was in the kitchen. We built a restaurant there. All the toilet scenes were there. So we all kind of mucked in and just got it done. Do you know what I mean? And it was a fucking, it was an amazing experience. The artist, people say, what's the hardest bit of graft you've done in it? that last fight scene, mate, that last fight scene was the hardest day's work I've ever done in my life. I wish it was, it should have been sponsored by Neurofin.

48:16Honestly, it was fucking horrendous, but it was, it was well worth it. And then you got the business after that? Then Nick, see the relationship between me and Danny. I was a fan of Danny's long before I even knew him. He's done great, hasn't he, man? He's fucking phenomenal, isn't he? What a great actor. I mean, don't, don't look at him on EastEnders. It's not even work for him, that. It's just getting paid, isn't he? But he, He is a bit special, doesn't he? I remember I said to him, I fell in love with him. I fell in love with him when he did Mean Machine. Yeah, Danny Jones. When he was doing all that.

48:50When he did that on the balcony. And I've told him a million times. That's when I've just fell in love with him. And when it came to us working together, I was so fucking excited that I was going to be working with him. And someone that never wanted to be an actor to all of a sudden sitting with all of these greats and, you know, Frank as well from Snatch and just sitting there just looking around going, fucking, oh, is this really happening? Do you know what I mean? And then I did that and then I went to Paris and did a Luc Besson movie with Morgan Freeman, Jet Li and Bob Hoskins called Unleashed, Danny the Dog.

49:26And I'm like, and then I was doing two, three films at once, flying from there to Toulouse, flying back, doing Spivs, doing this, doing, and it was just a whirlwind of fucking brilliance, mate. And I met some amazing people and I learned. I'm untrained, not one day in drama school. And I'm still learning today. Do you know what I mean? I'm still learning today. And Bob Oskin's got arrested, so he became my Hollywood dad and we've become really close. And it's like I turned up late on set and I didn't have my lines down. Fucking tore me another arsehole, mate. Like when I say went in, went in. and then on the way back he was i i picked up a lot of his values moving forward he'd never sit in the back of the car of his driver just wouldn't do it sits at the front never leaves a driver outside make sure he comes in for dinner if he doesn't come in for dinner he'll take food out to him um respected everyone everyone uh he he's like when we was there it was it was louis leterrier just started off in his career and i end up working with him again on clash of the titans but he uh he would go, if they haven't got what they need by the time, by cut off time, then they ain't getting it.

50:39You ain't going to fucking sit around for hours and hours waiting for these cunts to get it right. And it happened. And then he said like, you know, these bastards will make you put your head through a glass window. They'll make you rub your face in shit and a year. And that's okay. If you sign on the dotted line, And you've read the script, that's okay. But always make sure they're going to use it and ask them. If they're not going to fucking use it, don't make me eat that shit. Because if I do it and you don't use it, you're going to have a problem. And the shoot ran over once and everyone said yes.

51:13And I thought, let me see if Bob is that ballsy man. Let me see if he – a lot of people are all talking this business. And he sat there and he went, no, shit, you can't have me. He said, I'll be here in the morning, leave it all set up, send everyone home. He said, leave it all set up, we'll pick up in the morning. He went, come on, boy. And you've got to remember, I'm just started, do I walk with him? Do I stay? In case you lose a job. Am I going to get in trouble? Am I going to get fired? And he got off and, you know, stuck it back. He just started walking. And God bless Louis Leterio, the director.

51:48He just said, go on, you're all right. I went, thank you. do you know what I would have went because he'd done Buster as well real classic wasn't it what a fucking problem the great train robbery but that's right the Buster I mean Roger Rabbit yeah yeah yeah made him Hollywood actor relentless but I would have gone I wouldn't have let him walk off he was I looked and I looked and as I looked at him if he would have gone like if he wouldn't have given me the okay I'd have just said I'm going to see you later not I left him and he was like that to the day he fucking died you've worked with some people but even those parts like the business football factory even though they seem made for you you've still got to play the character it's not a case of being you and then going on film setting, it's natural there's still got to be a talent there I'm glad you said that James because everyone goes oh I've met you just like you are in your films but I've done 60 titles you know I've done comedy, I've done dramas I've done, but these iconic films and these cult movies football factory cast was another great one i played tony bowels you know dead man running um bonded by blood batman batman yeah batman forget batman batman was a tiny little bit in him but i know it's a batman but it well you're not in it if you're not i mean listen everyone says no such thing as a small role but for me if there's nothing substantial in it or memorable it isn't a role yeah um but it was it was the early day of my career and batman i took batman because i'm i'm obsessed with batman i just want to see gotham city yeah i see him do you know i'm obsessed with that if they said bond or batman i'll take batman but yeah straight away why have you never had been at bond valent yeah but i don't want to be a bond villain either i want to be bond yes and you're fucking kidding yeah i want to be bond because people go um oh you're just like you are in your films i'm like fucking hell that scene where me and danny was on the sofa the business and we lost everything and it was sad and you know what i just see the teardrop go in my eye.

53:46And for me, the full person, we've all been there, mate. Everyone's fucked up on the gear, fucked up on the booze. We've had it all and we've fucked it. And that was a moment for everyone. But let me tell you where that scene was. It was in a box this big, a box in a warehouse this big with two beds in it and 300 people outside and cameras everywhere and people sneaking around. so if you think it's easy to put yourself in that bubble and do that it's fucking work it's there's an art in it and this is what and i've got to the point where i go yeah i know mate it's great isn't it don't have to act me it's easier just to say i don't have to act yeah that's easy for me do you know what i mean but you're right first one i got boxing movie boxing great i'm a boxer great south london sweet i know villains easy i've been very lucky with the first lot of movies to bring me in to the industry and the art because I understand it.

54:46If someone would have said to me, go and do Shakespeare for my first job, I could never have done it. Do it, bring it now, I'll do it, not a problem. But they say it takes 20 years to be an actor and I believe that now. Yeah. The business, phenomenal for them. There's so many scenes that people can relate to the party and everything. Do you know what I mean? It's a show. They follow me and you've lost everything, mate, and you're trying to get that woman to fuck him and you're spitting in your hand trying to fix his hair, mate. but how how was that get in there and wash your cock and don't ask me where this come from I'm believing in the scripts get a semi get in there and wash your cock and get a semi poor bastard because it did look distraught you know even that day to play drunk is always difficult you can always tell I've never actually played drunk without getting drunk I'll always say can you do that either at the beginning where I can lock off or do it at the end and I haven't had many drunk scenes but I did I did one called Blood In Blood Out and I had a drunk party scene with with the villain it was a drunk party scene and I just said can you let me go and anyway go on you got an hour just not back off a bottle of vodka and I turned up but you'll find a balance content I'm fucked yeah I found about us and I did it and on that one I knew we had a big day and the night before I didn't sleep I drunk three bottles of ryan and smoke two joints and I don't smoke I don't smoke weed I've never have done it send me to turn up horrible fucking rot ground and I was angry I was horrible I said fucking put the camera up and Nick went he's ready he's ready so let's go and it was just up and down a lot of that was we have to stick to the page because Nick's writing's phenomenal you know I mean it's great but a lot of it was added in and this and back and forth and back and forth and doing that and and and that that that desperate side of it.

56:34I think that's why it worked so well because Danny was fucked. He stayed up. I've stayed up. And he's like, it just, see what the great thing about Danny and me where we're friends, he throws things at me and I can react. What are you going to do? Kill me? Yeah. Do you know what I mean? Yeah. Like get in there and wash your car. Because I'm mincing up and get a semi. and then you cut to him fucking washing his face with shit. But you're right. And everyone everywhere globally talks about a business. And there was a little stage in my life where I just don't want to talk about it anymore. But as I've got older, you go up north, especially, and kids come up and go, I grew up watching you.

57:23And your position as an actor changes. Do you think you appreciate it more that you are getting a little older? So much more, yeah. I didn't get it then because I fucked up. We can get into that if you want. I fucked it. Royally fucked it. But as you get older, and there's none worse a place than director's jail or actor's jail. There's none worse. But as I got older and people would come over, and I've never had a troll. I've never had a bad egg. I get drunk and the boys fucking step in the market and you've got to squeeze their neck a little bit and go turn it in and bite their earlobes, you know what I mean, and go stop now enough.

57:57and they go okay but it's excitement they're just excited so you got you and I'm good with everyone and um And what they say to you now is a lot more poignant. It means a lot more. Because before when I first started, oh, mate, you're the kids in that film. That film's fucking brilliant. Fucking you legend. You fuck it, not you legend then, but now it's you're a legend. I grew up, you was a father figure to me. And you sit there and you think, how is that? I mean, do these kids want to be villains? But it's something that they grabbed onto, the playboy or this. And I think the villains I played were powerful men, fun men.

58:39He had a bit of style, didn't he? He was everything a young, likely lad wants to be. I think every man wants to be that. Powerful, respected, happy, very well-dressed. Very well-dressed, not a wrong one. Everybody thinks they're that character anyway. Everybody's the playboy. Everybody thinks that. Not every cunt, is it? I know people who genuinely think. The amount of people I come up to, you go, real villains. Yeah. Especially up your neck of the woods. That was based on me, weren't it? I go, absolutely. It was all you. It was all you. And it's like Nick wrote it. And when you look at these characters, I didn't know who he was going to be.

59:18But Nick was part of my schooling as well, because he went away and he went, I need you to write a backstory on this character. Because I created it. Nick's got gold teeth. And I went, I want the gold teeth, Nick. Can I have your gold teeth in homage to you? He said, what's his second name? I went, Love, Charlie Love. So that was his name. So I paid a lot of homage to that character with Nick. And he went, go away and write a backstory. I said, no less than eight pages, anything more. So I went away and wrote the backstory. And I took that with me through my whole career. Because we get ink on a page.

59:49Unless it's a true life character you're playing, you just get ink on a page. And we have to bring that character to the light. So the work's there. You do your work at home. The magic's sprinkled on the day on set. You sprinkle the magic on the set and you bring it to life. and then he said write a backstory on it and I did I write a backstory on it I mean it's a bit vain the backstory is a bit vain but it suited the character and I can tell you I've never said it before but I've got it written down somewhere and I said and it was my relationship with Sammy as well we grew up we grew up together and Sammy was I was actually bullied as a kid very similar to my life story I was bullied as a kid um my my my father was uh Irish that looked like Jules Best and my mother was Spanish that looked like Sophia Loren, hence his good looks, right?

1:00:31Because you get a breakdown in it and that's where he was. And he was always a young, weak child and Sammy was older than him, but Sammy took him under his wing. Sammy was the kid on the estate that would cut people to pieces and stab them and the feared one but loved me. And then he reared me through because my father was killed in an armed robbery. He was a villain. He was killed in an armed robbery. And my mum had to raise me and Sammy looked after me as a big brother. And then he took me round that way to become a bank robber and a villain. So that was the backstory of him. And I think it worked really well.

1:01:04But as you're going along through the film as well, you have to be careful in what you say. I'll give you one example. That opening scene when I'm getting a blowjob behind the bar and fucking every scene for everyone, Mary Jane girls playing in the background behind the bar. You better fuck off now. Do you know what I mean? and it was a, there was a scene when I pulled up, like I was spending the old man's money and she goes, so-and-so's in there, she's got a right-ass date with you and she pulls up, you cardboard cunt, blah, blah, blah. See, I didn't know that, that wasn't even in the script.

1:01:37So Nick's pulled her at the back and gone, and she's married to my uncle Dennis, she's not an auntie, do you know what I mean? And it's just come out and she's gone, it's gone, I want you to put cunt, cardboard cunt in there, packy and bank robber, I don't care what you say, just go and say it. So she's come and go, I've ate three hours. She'd love the cobble. I'd look like a packet anyway. And I was like, I didn't know he was coming. So I was like, but my dialogue after that was, shut your mouth, you fucking little wretch. You're only with me because I'm looking after your pack. It was horrible.

1:02:09And for me, I thought I would have lost, and we agreed, a nigga would have lost a female audience. You'd have hated him from then because he's a prick. He started off so good. And he went, what are you going to do? And I went, I don't know. That's the thing to say. and we're going and she did it and I just went drive on do you see what I'm saying so a lot of things in the film with the characters as well you have to create while you're going along and there's a lot of things I won't say I haven't said the N word I've tried to swerve away from that I haven't I've refused to play a terrorist I've refused because when I started there wasn't a lot of us in the game there wasn't a lot of men of colour call it what you want in the game so predominantly I was getting offered terrorist roles this role and I thought if I do them I'm going to be pigeonholed so I stopped them I refuse to pay a rapist, a paedophile, and all that stuff.

1:02:53Because I have, I have, people believe stuff. But this year, I'd like to watch. Well, they believe what they see. And you can get put in that realm. Yes, I play the villain. Yes, I love playing the villain. I'm too ugly to fucking sit in front and be the romantic lead, right? So, and I couldn't think of anything worse, sitting opposite a table, reciting poetry to a beautiful leading lady. I want to shoot the guns. I want to ride the guns. I want to drive the guns. I want to crash the guns. I want to have the fights while I'm fit and able. But even when we did Bondi by Blood, there was a bit of dialogue in there that the young Leobets who sadly passed away, who OD'd, and that was a prominent part of that story, it always has been.

1:03:31And there was something in there where I, my dialogue was like, fuck her, the dozy male, or something like that, fucking poxy piece of shit, she fucking OD'd, something like that, and I refused to do it. And the director was like, why? And I went, because she has parents. And this is a true adaptation of something that if they watch it will really affect them. And he went, and I said, I'm not saying it. I said, I can change it. And I changed it to something like, you know, the poor thing has drunk too much water and OD'd, but it's on our head, you know. So it showed a bit of compassion. It wasn't, it didn't have to do, it didn't have to be that.

1:04:07So I try and work things. I'm very conscious of what I say, especially with doing true life stories. And I think it's the right thing to do because I'm a parent myself. And, you know, the rest of the story is the rest of the story. But little things like that, there was a scene that we did Wrong Turn and someone said say the N word I said I don't have to say it I can dance around it I mean listen if I'm doing a film and it's predominantly blacks versus whites they're doing it and I'm doing it and that's what the story is but if it doesn't need to be said I won't say it do you see what I'm saying I won't say it were you ever offended by you have to go off script and people just have to say shit were you ever offended sometimes even though you know it's acting Frank Harper did it did he the fucking shit you probably know this thing it'll be comes to me entertaining it.

1:04:47Frank did it to me on the football pitch when we did the football factory. It wasn't in there. And my name's fucking Millwall Fred. But for once, yeah, I'm a fucking Ingleso, you know what I mean? I'm one of the boys. I've got an English name. And he just comes out of it. We're sitting there and he just comes out, well, where is it that you buy your child off a white man? You go home and you kebab shop in five minutes. Five minutes. Oh, you cunt. That's when I went in. As if we were doing business with a turk when you're supposed to be right wing. Scooby-Doo's that fucking confusing. And I thought, you fat fucking Chelsea freak.

1:05:23If you look at it, when we was doing it, I was that fucking annoyed. If you look at it, when we clash, I was just fucking rattling him. I was on him, biting him and fucking. And Nick went, stop, stop, stop. It's got to look like a draw because you're going to give the game away. It's normal Chelsea. I'm like, fuck this, fuck that. And that one time I let him get on top of me, I rolled over. he fucking put that in there didn't he but if you listen to Frank carefully he goes I'll give you Gallipoli you cunt listen to him carefully from that day up I called him a fat bastard all the way through the film you're having it do you know what I mean those two characters were you as unbelievable brilliant weren't they yeah class man because it was a nice mixture a bit of respect but also your fucking hatred was there it was a perfect mixture it worked didn't it it just worked two men watching the game and I'm doing this and then he's throwing I'm throwing it back Listen, I mean, I think Nick, I think that was his favourite.

1:06:19I think that's most people's favourite scene in that movie. But I mean, Danny's stuff was brilliant as well, wasn't it? Fucking. How did you deal with the fame, the attention that comes with it, the glory? I was all right with it too. She was with my daughter. Fucking terrified. I remember walking through the malls and stuff and I got famous really quick and she used to be terrified by getting mobbed and all that. And I went to watch the business at the cinema near the Black Hole Tunnel. And I just said to my wife, I said, let's go. Let's just go and sit in the back and see packed. Everything else.

1:06:50I mean, fuck it. It was a phenomenon even then. And I sat in the back. And this is the first bit of fame I really experienced that was quite frightening. And the lights come on. And I just got up and took my wife by the hand. And I was walking out the little room. And I'm like, what is fucking him? It's the Playboy. Because no one knew my name. I've got a double bro. I don't tell me how I say it. I'm not John Smith, am I? Do you know what I mean? So I see him from the business. And so I go, oh, hi, everyone like this. And they've all started rushing up. And those were, back then, 2030, those were the days where famous people were famous.

1:07:24There was no reality TV. So you was famous or you weren't. And if you was, you was chased. And fame was fame. And then I remember they all come out. I got pinned against the wall. My wife actually pulled me and kicked a fire door through and took me down the fire escape and slammed the door, took me down the fire escape. and then as we come out, they started running and chased us to the car. For fuck's sake. It was fucking terrifying. Did you ever worry about that for your kids when you started? Always. You always worry about your kids and I had to have that conversation with them. Listen, you know, your dad's famous now and you've got to be a little bit more vigilant.

1:08:00You've got to be a little bit more careful because people think differently and, you know, people think we make millions. We don't. You know, back then, you're a movie star and you'll need these big cinema blockbusters and these release, they think you're making millions. You're not. I think I've got to pay 15 grand to do the business, you know. That's fucking... 15 grand. Blockbuster following as well. Right, 15 grand. But I would have done it for nothing because Nick Love, thank God for him, see the relationship me and Danny had and gave me my first lead. So it went from there. So I would have probably given him money to do it.

1:08:35Do you see what I'm saying? Because sometimes you do these, at the beginning, you've got to make these decisions. and I made the right decisions. And 15 grand, we spent that while we was there. We was there three months. I had the best time of my life. He's partying. It's non-stop. What we'd do then, it was brilliant. We'd finish work. We'd all go back to the trailer. Me, Jeff, all the boys that were rolling, we'd get the dialogue in and go out on the piss. It was just the best time ever. And we'd go down to Marbella and then we'd go down to it. and um honestly we had we had listen we didn't even let our wives come out and what we did as well um nick made us do a dress rehearsal we had a party in character as well and we weren't allowed to call each other by our names it's really weird like we called he was sammy i was shot all the way through like even after the set we had to call each other by by the names it was really bizarre but within two weeks i got used to it and then i finally let the wife come out and she'd come out for a weekend because it's my birthday or her birthday or something and she'd be calling me tam tam and i wouldn't listen to her i couldn't hear her and then and then she'd go and then jeff said call him charlie because she was on set she'd go charlie i go what though it was that it was yeah and it's only now i'm thinking about these things that they're coming back to me but it was a fucking It was a trip, man.

1:10:00It was fucking brilliant. It was weird. When we did the wardrobe call, they put me in Farrah's, Sergio, Pierre Cardin's shirt, and it was fucking horrendous, mate. It was. And I was in that wall. It was just like in a room like this in a wardrobe thing. It was, and I think, did I used to wear this shit? Did I actually used to wear this shit and feel good in it? but I've got to tell you when Nick set it up and you was there and he captured the 80s you put that gear on we thought we was the bollocks we thought we was the bollocks even when you're talking about you look how happy you are man it's just fucking great memories it's just great memories it's just you know the industry's changed a lot it's not like it used to be I did a TV show called Snatch and these young kids these young millennials are terrified to ask directors things we're a dying breed I thought man we're rock and roll and we got stories and and these kids won't have these stories they just don't have it you know I mean and they're scared that they've been putting these this bubble and and that's the bit of the industry I don't like anymore I'm sitting there and I won't say who it was and she's very famous now she's doing really well and a few of the youngsters just kind of go they call me hunks on set hunks do you think I could do it this way And I go, ask the director.

1:11:18Oh, no, no. They go, no, no. Can you ask for me? And I'm thinking, where's the creative process in that? At the Elan? And I pull the director. I go, listen, you know they're scared to ask you, why? Why are they going? And I learned quite quickly, it's not the director. It's them upstairs. It's the little wankers upstairs that fucking, that get a high-powered job. That start frying the frets out. You'll never work again. Don't do this. You'll never work again. Don't do that again. You'll never, you get blacklisted. You get this. You get canceled. horrible their mindset it's horrible whereas us rock and roll mate fuck yeah let's go you know what i mean did you have a bonnock time yeah when i burned out early doors i did if you think about i've been in the business 25 26 years i've done 60 titles you know it's madness i was doing two three films at a time i missed my kids growing up um and i did burn out because what happened What happened with me was I, we was turning up at clubs, me and Danny, and it was rock and roll.

1:12:17It was a different, it was a different time. It was, you know, you wouldn't see De Niro turn up at a club or doing PAs, but we started getting a fortune for doing his PAs. And, I mean, Danny was super famous and super loved. He was a fucking, he was a god. He was a fucking sex symbol. He was great. And I was just following, you know, following him around. And then when we become one in these two films, it was madness, mate. It was like, I can't remember most of it. Like, literally, that's why I know we had a good time. Because we'd get taken to clubs, we'd get given bottles, millions of people just, it was like you're sitting there, there's ropes around us through back doors.

1:12:58We were like rock stars, but we weren't in the rock star business. We were actors, but we were treated like rock stars. We'd put 4 ,000, 5 ,000 people in a club. but not only more Danny because of, you know, he was that guy at the time and then I'd sort of come and then we'd become one and then it would double up and then, you know, it got to the point where I started working, getting up early, going out, getting up early, going out, working, working, working, and it just started burning me up. And then I started getting ready. Then I started getting on. Then I started being late for work. And quickly people turn around and go, we can't work with him.

1:13:35he's too much hard work as great as he is we can't work and it's happened to a lot of people it's not just me i'm not special you know the the madsons do this to that all of those great actors it comes and it can go really quickly now i've learned you're humbled be grateful go to work do your work go home i stopped drinking uh for many many years i sat without working for about four years not understanding why i could walk out on the street and i get mobbed and what the fuck's up with people why can't i fucking get a job mate i couldn't even get doctors i couldn't even bag a job on doctors it was that bad because the industry will go it's like anyone if it's any it's a work it's a workspace you're a builder you you're running a building so if someone turns out and starts trying paint all over the place and fucking disrupting you know your workers and disrupt disrupting progress you're not going to want to you're not going to want them on your job either it's no different in the film game but we just didn't see it we thought it was invincible well i did and but mind you danny had a hard time as well and and um and then before you know it mate the money dries up the work dries up the pAs dry up and you're just a famous man that everybody loves that doesn't know that side of your life you see what i'm saying here because nobody knows that side of my life nobody would have known because i would still give out an award and you'd still see me at an event with a tie on a black tie event i'm not one to go to an open event envelope but every now and again i'll if i'd start to go somewhere i'll go so the public the general doesn't see that they just see their fucking hero they just see tamah hassan as the playboy or milfred or whatever but then you get to the point where it's one two three years and it's like are you are you gonna do anything soon you start fucking fannying you know yeah oh yeah i'm gonna do this so yeah i'm doing this i'm doing that blah blah blah and then before you know it you realize that time has passed a decade has passed and you haven't done those great movies and thank fuck nobody else has neither because i don't i think there was an era of movies prior to that was you know long good friday italian job i think we we cornered an era of of british film history um but then that goes and then you have to start again and that's the odd bit because you're in an industry you love so much you're in an industry that you love and respect so much.

1:15:57How the fuck do you get it back? And it's nine impossible. And you see like Mickey Rook with The Wrestler did that for nothing, mate. And Derek told him, you play out once, you're out. Got him an Oscar, got him a Golden Globe. So there are comeback stories. Everybody loves a comeback story. What's his name? Iron Man. Robert Downey Jr. Robert Downey Jr. Look at all these great comebacks. Witchiest man on the planet. And there is always a comeback story, but only you can make that happen. And only you can prove. and this is just a bit of a lesson for the younger ones coming through. If you fuck up, you fuck up.

1:16:30But always remember this, the journey back to where you was is not impossible. Don't do it. Be professional, be committed, be disciplined, go to work, do your job, go home. Treat it as a job. Don't treat it as a privilege, as if you're giving them a privilege because what we do is a privilege. It ain't a job, it's a privilege. We get to dress up as people. We get to drive the car, shoot the guns, travel the world, meet amazing people and make loads of money when that time comes. And if you abuse that and it goes away, it's the hardest thing in the world to get it back. When were you at your lowest time?

1:17:10About 10 years ago. About 10 years ago. It was at that point where everything was on top and it just kept coming and coming and coming. and I found myself. I've always delivered good performances. You know, sometimes I was having a laugh, so I've delivered my best performances drunk, you know what I mean, or hungover.

1:17:34But I've never fought in a role. I've never fought in a scene. I've never fought in my commitment to delivering the art, whether it be one scene or 300 scenes. Never, ever fought. I've always been, and if you look at some of the behind-the-scenes stuff, with me and Danny, we're just about to kick that door in and rob the Spanish people at the end of that. I'm behind the door going, you ready? You ready? We're going to fucking eat this. We get sights up for it. So we actually go in there. We go in. We don't just do it. We go in. So I've never thought of that. But on the outside of it, with the industry and with my behavior, and it wasn't done, and this is the sad part of it, when you don't know you're doing it, and you can't see it, and you're blinded by the lights and you're blinded by the bullshit and you don't know you're doing it and there's no one there to fucking tell you're doing it.

1:18:26And if there is, you're not listening to them because you think they're talking shit. Shut up, you fucking div. Don't tell me. Look at me. I've done this. And you get to that. And that's the odd bit. When you finally have nothing and you won't know until you have nothing. And trust me, as good as God made little green apples, I don't give a fuck who you are. you will end up with nothing Have you ever suicide though? No, never Never had mental problems Never I'm very, very strong Strong in my heart Strong in my soul I've been through a lot It takes people to that though to be at the height of the biggest name in British films to then you feel as if you're on a decline you're kind of losing jobs you're burning bridges but people think life's over Social media Reality TV is happening now it's happening now it's happening all the time I mean, it's plaguing us at the moment, especially in men.

1:19:20But, you know, for me, I've always been strong. And I've been strong because I am somebody who serves and protects. I know that. Everybody will go and say, I'm a closer. You know, it takes a certain person to close a deal. I'm an opener. You want to fucking get in the door with a pope, I'll open the door. You've got to get in there and do the deal. I can do all of that stuff. But I serve and protect. I have responsibilities, which is my family. And my family's family. And my family's family's family. And I'm now thinking about my grandchildren. and their grandchildren. So I have responsibilities.

1:19:49So I don't have time to be suicidal. I don't have time to be, to have mental issues. Well, listen, I'll get the hump and I'll fucking, I'll throw a skits now and again, but it quickly goes. I know I had to get rid of it quite quickly. And I'm good at talking people out of stuff as well. How did you worry for your daughter being on a reality show? Because a lot of people will maybe go to acting school and then maybe do 10 years of their craft, like yourself, not through any limelight because you kind of work your craft and then you got your big roles. But how did you ever worry for her because of the attention that that programme gets to then worry that you in the cinema and people flooding them?

1:20:26That was a concern. Because I've got a daughter at 12 and she does the acting. She just played. It's the worst thing in the world. A daughter coming up to her father going, I want to go to Love Island. Can you imagine? Especially me and me. But no, my daughter actually went to drama school. She was classically trained. She did Irish dancing. She's a trained actress, singer, trained singer, dancer. She'd done all of that stuff. But going back to what I was saying before, how it affected me being mobbed with the fame, put her completely off it. She didn't want anything to do. They didn't want to go nowhere near it.

1:20:58So she took up makeup and become really good at it and was making a lot of money at it. And then she had a few bad boyfriends. And then she just out of the fucking blue, Dad, I want to go on Love Island.

1:21:16what is this a fucking wind up and i mean i won't go and i won't bore you with the details but we went she went on love island and i said to her look you know what's your end game she was 21 i think at the time and she went well i want 150 000 followers i want five salons and i want my makeup range and I want to float it to L 'Oreal for 100 million how old are you 21 and you're enough for how do I how do I say no to that how do I stop that and I was overwhelmed at just that and I just said so look just go in there if you don't find love darling um have the best holiday of your life it's a game show and remember I'm fucking watching now I'm watching everything I'll be fucking saying the same I'm watching every fucking movie standing outside the villa with a shotgun yeah exactly I'll be on that roof watching every movie and you know who your dad is right remember who your dad knows she's like dad dad I got it I got it and you know what she went in she's done amazing man and I see a lot of your traits in her now that have made me there's kind of similarities we and her like that me and her are like that did you worry though every night nah do you know what I've got to tell you about enjoying it yourself.

1:22:33My mum, and I wouldn't watch it, but my mum, I watched a bit of it, but my mum taught me to respect women. We live under women's feet as men. We bow down to women. My mum's taught us to be like that and to raise my daughter. I raised my sister. I never locked her up, especially being from a Turkish community. They've got sitting doors. They've got to do, you know, they can't move. They've got very strict, but we wasn't like that. My sister's like, I'll pick you up, drop you off. I want to wear some heels. We buy some. I was like, my daughter's out this time. I thought, My wife and my son would discipline the life out of her.

1:23:02But I was the one actually. I was a naughty dad. Me and her are very, very close. And she literally went in and she, like the producers would call me. I don't know if they'd call anyone off, but they'd come and go, Sam, listen, it's going to be a bit raunchy tonight. The task is lap dancing raunchy. Maybe you shouldn't watch it. And I'm like, I'm okay. I'm on my way to Switzerland. I'm on a rally. I won't watch it anyway. Like this, boom. But when I got back, and I watched her walk out on them steps, even though she's my daughter, like, she's touching six foot. Beautiful, stunning. Walks out in slow motion.

1:23:40I was so proud. I was so, like, overwhelmed. I'm not like that. Listen, I'll pull her in the line when she needs to be pulling in the line. But I just looked at her. I went, go on, girl. You know what I mean? Look how amazing. I get goosebumps. I'll talk about it. Look how amazing you look. Look how beautiful you are. Go and show them what. Go and show them what God gave you. Go and be the best you can be. It doesn't matter what it can. I know who you are as a person. I'd go on shows and I'd be on the right stuff and stuff like that. It was all predominantly hilarious. I used to get people called onto stages saying, Hollywood actor, hard man actor, Tam Asan.

1:24:13Now I get invited to stuff as Star of Love Island, Bel Hassan's dad. That's how big it was for her. That's how big the show was. You're the same show. You're just a dad. I'm so bummed there, which I'm happy. but yeah go on there and you'd have people phoning in like how could you let your daughter do that i'm like hang on sweet first thing she's 21 secondly i can't really tell her what to do she's a strong powerful independent woman thirdly as a parent the best i can do is guide her yeah do you know what i mean and you've got ignorance around it but then she went in there and she was fucking brilliant she i watched it all she came out she had a million followers and i sat her down And again, and me being in the industry and where I've messed up, I'm not going to allow her to mess up.

1:24:56I wasn't going to allow her to fall out of nightclubs doing PAs drunk with a load of boys around her. We predominantly set up a map for her with her makeup, her tutorials, her singing and her presenting. And I said to her, you've got a million followers. We shared a million too then. She went, yeah, that's great then. And I went, hang on, what's the age group? She went, I think from like eight up until 17. You got responsibility, girl. You've got responsibility to these girls now. Remember that. And she got it straight away. She went, you're right, Dad. She's never put Botox in her mouth, in her face.

1:25:33She's never put fillers in her lips. She's had no veneers. I'm not saying there's a problem with that. And she was probably one of the first ones to come out with no makeup on. She turns out with no makeup and her glasses on and her geeky dogs and messages back. And then it was quite funny. a little while back my wife said something to me oh no it wasn't my wife it was someone else in my family went is Belle okay I went yeah she's fine because I don't watch her stuff TikTok stuff I don't watch it because there's so much of it she said is Belle okay oh she had a meltdown on Instagram I went hang on so I'll call you back Belle you alright love she said yeah yeah I said what's the matter you had a meltdown on the city she went yeah I did dad I went what are you doing that for to the public why are you showing that to me because dad I have a responsibility to do it like you said because everything ain't fucking rosy.

1:26:20Everything isn't always great. And people need to know that our lives ain't perfect because I'm always smiling and doing this and doing that. No, if I'm having a meltdown, I want to show them that we're normal. I went, good for you, girl. But are you okay? She said, I'm okay. She said, good. I know you're very big on mental health. Is that because you had struggled yourself about 10 years ago? Did you get a better understanding of that? No, when I say I've not had mental health, I've known how to deal with my issues. Everybody has mental health issues and everybody says, I don't have mental health.

1:26:56We all have mental health. We just learn how to deal with it. Some people are stronger than others. And for me, I always find a way around it. I always find a solution to the problem. I go to prison. Most people go to prison and go, I'm fucked. My wife's going to leave me. I'm going to die. And they go on that slope of fucking hell. I'll go and send them doula. I'll go in there and go, great, I'm going to lose weight, I'm going to read, and I'm going to get in the gym. And the great thing is I get three meals a day and I don't have to give anyone any money. Do you see what I'm saying? So that's kind of my mentality around things.

1:27:29It's around that with everything. Everything I do, I do it with love. And the best medicine for me is don't give a fuck. Just get on with it. And I know that might sound sort of easy, and some people could say, you know, well, you're fucking easy for you to say. You've got a great family. whatever I've got I work for whatever I've got I create myself and I started seeing this mental these mental breakdowns in my family and around the communities and around where I lived and people and I started thinking about why are people getting on drugs why are people doing this why do people become alcoholists and I started I'm a bit geeky when it comes to things researching stuff I will sit and I'll research stuff and I'll look at stuff and then I started sort of looking at it and I started thinking about what we was told as kids and all my mum and dad used to say and everyone around said don't go near him he's fucking mad don't go near him he's a nutter and the more they hear it the more the worse they get because that's what they're told they are that's what they are we're programmed to do as we're fucking told we're programmed as humans to to adapt to our environment you're a product of the environment as they say and I started looking at it and I'm thinking is he fucking mad though is he man is he this is he that and why are we being talked that why are we why is that being drummed into us he's a nutter if he's a nutter and then I started looking at the suicide rates and all of that stuff and then predominantly I really looked into it hard around the lockdown and the pandemic looking at the stats and we set up something called Mind Soldiers, which was then, and then we set up something called Mask Our Heroes, which is another charity that we was giving out PPE and stuff.

1:29:05But you started looking at going around these hospitals, you started seeing people and the mental states they're in. Then you start looking at reality TV, why people have their six months of fame, the next show and the new ones, and they're done, they're finished, they're going to kill themselves. Then they start getting on the gear. And it was all predominantly around crying and speaking. and why what i was looking at why is it predominantly more in men you know men are stronger men are the money getters men can go and have a good time men men men men to be a man in my head is great to be a woman it's like oh you gotta give birth you go you gotta have periods you got this you got that you got a part with this you know for me being a man was always fucking the best thing in the world.

1:29:51And then looking at it, you started thinking, they don't talk. The masculinity. We won't cry. I remember like when I was crying, if I cried, stop crying, will you? A little girl? How dare, don't you dare let me see you crying. It's the wrong, it's the worst thing in the world. Crying's the biggest healer on the planet, you know. Expressing yourself, talking. And we set up these chat rooms as well and what it was is we set up these little cells of chat rooms where people from all around the world could sit in that little bubble, that little bit where, and the whole thing around it was, if you're lying in bed and you look over, you've got your wife there, you've got a cop with a baby in, you've got two kids in another room, you ain't going to wake your wife up and go, I'm suicidal.

1:30:35You ain't going to do it because we're men and that's how we're raised. So what are you going to do? You're going to go downstairs, you're going to top yourself, or you're going to try and work through it. but you're never going to call anyone at three o 'clock in the morning are you? It's difficult. It's difficult right? You've been there? Yeah yeah. The thoughts with the gear and the booze the gambling that's all an escape and then it's the depression you don't feel good enough you feel like a loser you keep doing it to try and numb the pain escape from the pain Edding the ball Yeah Wim Hof I'm good friends with the Iceman and his wife committed suicide he snapped just pushed himself to cold water saved him because it was there with the cold water raises your dopamine levels 250 % it lowers anxiety, it lowers depression, he didn't know this at the time.

1:31:16Freezing water? Yeah. Brilliant therapy. Everything I believe should be natural to heal the pain. Speaking out is a must. Again, the reason why suicide rate is so high in guys is because we've got the fuck it button. We've not got the feminine energy where girls sit in wee packs and talk all their bullshit out. We just fucking sit behind the drink and the mask or whiff the lies. I'm fine. I'm okay. Listen man, open up, put your hands up and say, you know what? I'm fucking struggling. I don't like the job I'm in. I've got debt, whatever. I do suicide work in Glasgow with Chrissie's house. I'm an ambassador for...

1:31:46I've seen kids come in with their rope burns. And the first thing they think about... Yeah, when they're hanging from the rope. Like two kids have come in on the ropes. The first thing that happens when they jump to kill themselves is once they start feeling the pain, I don't want to die. I don't want to die. As soon as they jump... One kid jumped to my fucking bridge. Daft cunt broke his two legs and survived. Now the boy does his own talks now at the suicide centre. It's unbelievable. but the first thing he thought about when he jumped onto the bridge was, I don't want to die, what have I done?

1:32:17So we've all got something here. Don't commit suicide. The pains appear that you can change the way you think and feel. How's your relationship with your brother now? My brother's good. I just want to touch on this, find yourself a cell, find yourself a group of people that are on a WhatsApp group. Just tap on a normal WhatsApp group where you can, and it should be global, where you can tap and go, is anyone around, I need to speak? and someone will come in. And the minute you start talking, because I have done this and people will tell you that social media is what it is for me. Social media.

1:32:51Socialize, right? And people would, and it used to drive my wife mad at my, what are you doing? I just donate two hours a day and it won't even just chat into single moms talking to them about why they should live, why they shouldn't live. And you just talk around. Even if it's in Texas, you have to fucking talk, boys. You have to talk. Speak to someone. And if you see someone, and I know this is cliched, you heard it all before. If you see someone that you think's okay, still ask because you don't know what's behind their minds. Check in. How are you, mate? You all right? You're sweet? Somebody's just split up with their wife.

1:33:25Check in on a regular basis. Someone's just lost something. Someone's got the sack. Someone's, the minute you hear somebody say, oh, you ain't going to fucking believe this, check in. How can people get this up? Check in. it's um it's called uh is that an app it's it's on um i'm gonna give it to you it's called 24 7 i'm gonna give it to uh i'm gonna give it to it's a it's a phoning it's a phoning thing but the one we've got i'm not promoting it or saying it but what i'm saying is is get a group of um get a mind space mind it's called mind space but i'll get you the detail get a uh get a group of guys you all know you're not you know you all know what you're going through what we joke about it but even jokes get a group of you put it out there put it on your social say listen i'm setting this be brave enough to go i'm set do a story i'm setting up a little whatsapp group there's the whatsapp number if you want to come in and you're struggling go on the whatsapp group just set it it's the easiest film a live story just set up set up a whatsapp number invite people into put it on there, invite people into it.

1:34:30It'll be predominantly men. And then they can just sit there and go, three o 'clock in the morning, get up, I'm having an hour time. Can it ease anyone about? Someone will come on. How's the relationship with your brother now? He says he's on a good run. Big brother. He's good. Yeah, he's good. He was having a bit of a moment the other day, blessing me. He just lost his wife. He hasn't had a relationship for 10 years, 11 years, and he woke up and she was lying face down, dead next to him, which is always tough. He was going to get engaged to her on the Saturday. She passed away on the Friday. It was about a year, 80 months ago, but he has his ups and downs and we're checking on him.

1:35:07And he's very much of that ilk. I'm all right. I'm all right, bruv. Don't worry about me. I'm sweet. I'll get through it. But you're not. You don't get through it. Because I know he says to me, ping me a few quid. I've got no dough. I'll send him a few quid. I know he's sitting in the park with a case of beer, reminiscing what's happened. and that doesn't get him anywhere. But then he goes missing. My mum checks in on him and he went missing for about two weeks and he's always around my mum's. He's every day, stops on. He's a very simple man. He's not like me, extravagant and all that. He's got his bike, he gets on his bike, he does a bit of labour and he's a very, very simple man, a beautiful man, I wish I could be like that sometimes.

1:35:45Life's very simple and he goes around my mum's every day has a bit of dinner. She hasn't seen him for two weeks. So, it's just something about him. He'll always answer to me. My sister's driving mad, this one, I just want to answer. I'll pick up,

1:35:58ah, just me head's all over the place. They want to admit me to Morsley. But they can't hear what he's saying. I said, what, the mental hospital? He goes, yeah, I go, what's the matter? He goes, I'm releasing it by shouting in my room. He lives in a room. I go, well, you're just shouting. He goes, yeah. But to me, that's okay. To scream out a problem is okay, but everyone around him thinks he's losing his nut. So I just said to him, what do you need? He said, oh, I'm scared. I've got love. I said, all right. I said, do you want to speak to your favorite niece? Because then my daughter will get on well.

1:36:27and did the phone over to him. We was on the phone with him for about an hour just talking about stuff, normal stuff. I pinged over a little bit of money into his account. At the end of it, I said, put some money in your account. Go and get some food. Go and get a bit of grub. He had a good time. He went, it's exactly what I needed. He went, thank you so much. That's all I needed. It's a bit of love, a conversation, and a bit of grub. You know what I mean? It's like nothing. And that's our relationship now, me and my brother. That's our relationship. We locked in at my dad's funeral. We've had our ups and downs.

1:36:56we used to fight a lot but we're alright he's old he's not well I say he's old he's going to be 60 but he's he was an alcoholic at 14 years old it's ravaged him do you know what I mean but see with your success do you think that can play a part on people around you thinking they never reached those heights as well yeah he did he hated me he had those regrets he hated every time I got drunk he'd fucking smash into me and destroy me verbally I never bothered it was just a drink I don't worry about a drink but yeah he had it but then he started doing featured artist work he fucking loves it do you know what I mean he turns up on set he works more than me he's working every day he works more than me what do you want I'm on Mission Impossible now what are you doing he goes oh we're running down the street we're doing this we're doing that he's happy he's low and then he can't do a bit of labouring he says 80 quid I've got today brother brilliant just keep going it's funny man because the people who come back from addiction are the most beautiful people on the planet because they see the world differently.

1:37:56They know what it's like to be at fucking rock bottom. There's no, because I always say this shit, no cunts coming to save you. Fucking no cunts. No one's going to get done. You've got to do it. And when you do that and start making changes, see the world a little differently, start seeing a player, you can make, you can change the world. Absolutely. You can fucking change the game. Even him now, he was jealous before. He goes, I fucking owe you out now on that set. I go, we don't look alike, but we've got the same eyes, haven't we? And I tell him, I'm your brother. I go, where does that get you?

1:38:24He gets me more grub, a little bit more money. They look after me better. Good for you, brother. Good for you. But a phenomenal career. Where do you go for the future, brother? James Bond. Keep telling everyone they won't have it. James Bond, if they can call me Mill Walfred or Charlie Love, why can't they call me James Bond? Anything's possible. Anything's possible, brother. I don't know, mate. I don't know. I tell you what, I've taken different directions in my life and my career in the last three years. The pandemic really shook everyone up. it was great for me i was always away from home and i have a lovely home i have a lovely uh house with all the amenities and stuff and i'm always away from the family and when we got locked down the sun was shining um i said three months i was like i can't do i was the only one that wanted like a year lockdown or six months you know because i could spend time with a family and and have a good time and stuff um but i started thinking different there was my thought process started changing a little bit especially with the hard times with the how difficult the industry is at the moment as well.

1:39:24Getting offered, I got offered so much crap. I was turning so much crap. I'm still turning crap down now as well. And I won't go into it because it's not there for everybody wants to do a film and wants to get into the business. But the whole mechanism of the film industry has changed now. And I'm okay. I'm an essential element. I'm good. I've made my bones. People always employed, Tamar. But I started sort of moving into the corporate world, doing things hotel-wise, looking at big deals.

1:39:57And I started enjoying it. I found myself good at it, structuring deals. I'm sitting in an office in Savile Row with some 10, 15 great like-minded people. Mikey, he's father. We've got a biotechnology company with him. And then we've set up an NFT business. And all these sort of tech things that I knew nothing about, I was ignorant to them. metaverse, Bitcoin, stock shares, all of that. I was like, oh, I leave me alone. I was a man. Buy it, sell it, tangible assets. Or I'll go to work, I'll go home and make me money. And years ago, we could make it with Steely, wouldn't we? So whatever it took, do you know what I mean?

1:40:37And I was always with that guy and an ignorant and a bit of an old dinosaur. But then I was just full. Let me have a look at something where I can be successful, make loads of money. And I've always been there. I've got to make loads of money. I'm not content with small amounts of money because I have a big family and I have a lot of responsibilities and I want to give. I love giving. I want to give. The more I get, the more I give. So I always want to get more, not selfishly, but I want to get more so I can do more and give more. And I just looked into the corporate world and I started looking at other things, developing other things, technical stuff and technology, should I say, not technical stuff, technology and platforms and trading and all that.

1:41:14And I fell in love with it. and so I kind of parked that up I did a few little bits but I parked it up for a minute and then I'm concentrating on this and we've got something that's amazing that we're doing an NFT project that we're doing which I believe is going to be a real big deal considering that sort of 2-3 % of the world is sitting in that market space I missed the dot-com era I was too young and I know how people made trillions in that I missed the trading platforms. I missed the properties in Dubai. So I didn't have money wherever I made it. So I've always missed the boat. And me and Mikey's dad, Andy, decided we're not going to miss a boat on this one.

1:41:57And we've got, our kids are grown up and they're smart and they're in that world. And we're going to jump on that bandwagon, understand it and create something memorable and brilliant that's going to change everybody's life around us forever. But I think that's your nature. Just had that with the times. Like you say, everything changes every 20 years, I believe. and it's just a case of you rolling with the punches and learning the trade and no doubt you'll be the top boy at that we've got Mikey here today who's going to come on after you so let's touch on what Mikey's about well Mikey is my prodigy Andy that's his dad, he's mine now, I've taken him Andy is a wonderful wonderful young man who is the meaning of new millennial for me he's very smart He's a good kid.

1:42:45He's never wanted to be at school. He goes to school and he's educated himself, but school's never been for him. And he's always been an innovator. He's always been somebody that tries to look at ways of making money, changing the blueprint, creating stuff, understanding stuff. His father's the same. He's very much the same. He's got a brother, an older brother, who's probably not so much like them, but his sister Amber's very driven and ambitious. but his dad's a proper, smart, creative wheeler dealer, and he's taking his father's traits, little things his dad was telling me. He said when he was a kid, he put him on a tractor, a little tractor, a little digger.

1:43:23He's digging away. He's teaching him how to do the digging and stuff. The first thing that comes out of his mouth is, who is this digger, Dad? He goes, we've rented it. Oh, he rented it. He goes, why haven't you bought it? He said, well, we're going to buy it. He said, when you buy it, can I rent it? That big. so his entrepreneurial brain has always been ticking and then he got to the point it's quite funny about year 80 months ago i went to his dad's birthday party and he was trading crypto and winning telling his dad dad put 400 quid here take it out put 300 quid here i think he's i think i think they made about 30 40 grand between them the dad just just on his intuition his instinct and his know-how on the crypto market and i put my arm around him at the party and i said everyone invest in this boy because this time next year he's gonna be a billionaire he's your man just as a jovel throwaway and we're here now and he's created this amazing uh idea and this concept in the nft space um which the nft space has been a little bit volatile at the moment as well but what he's created he's created something that's very unique um he's created smart contracts around it he's created utilities around it he's all it audited it he's created a game a comic a film and a community that i think is going to be way bigger than just the nft idea that he's brought to the table i mean his dad are fully behind him uh we've we've put a whole team behind him a technical team behind him to to create and develop his dream and i'm going to hand you over to him and let him tell you about it but honestly um you will have him on very soon in america speaking about his successes and how great he is and i'm gonna hand you hand you over to him mikey the stage is yours my baby but tam for coming on today and telling your story mate thoroughly enjoyed that for anybody that's watching though that's maybe struggling what advice would you have for them speak talk that's it's page one have the courage to wake up and speak to your wife because let me tell you something, your wife would rather hear what you've got to say than cry a grave.

1:45:30Yeah. Simple as that. Tam, absolute legend, mate. Love you, mate. And speak to you in a bit.