Stars from rock icon Sting to actress Amanda Holden came out in force to support footballer-turned-actor Vinnie Jones on Tuesday night for the London premiere of his latest film, Mean Machine. And when the film’s producers Guy Ritchie and Matthew Vaughn strolled down the red carpet, their glamorous dates – Madonna and Claudia Schiffer, respectively – made it clear they are among Vinnie’s biggest fans.
The Grammy winning singer and the supermodel had high praise for Vinnie as they arrived for the glittering event. “He’s a great actor,” said Madonna. “Very charming, and he’s got gorgeous eyes.” Claudia echoed the pop diva’s sentiments, calling the Snatch actor “fun and natural”. “That is what so many people love about him,” she added.
The adoration did not go unnoticed by the Mean Machine star. “It is great to see my friends from sport and acting here,” said Vinnie. “Me and Madonna go back a long way and she has given me a lot of support.” The actor, whose first screen role was in Guy Ritchie’s Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels says he had consulted close friends Madonna and her director husband before accepting his latest film. “I always phone them when I’m thinking of doing a project,” he says.
The ex-footballer’s performance in Mean Machine, a remake of the 1974 Burt Reynolds film, is his first leading role after supporting parts in Gone In Sixty Seconds and Swordfish. “I am immensely proud of what I achieved as a footballer, but I have never had a greater challenge than playing the lead in a movie,” he says. “To hear people cheering and shouting for me at the end of the film was one of the greatest moments of my life.”
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
