Britain’s Toughest Leading Man on Fame, Fists and Footsoldier
“The characters I play are a bit much at times, but at the end of the day, they are just make-believe, and they can get away with stuff. When it’s rooted in reality, I tend to find it much more disturbing.”
By Darren Croft
Images Simon Howard
Craig Fairbrass has barely had time to shake the sand from his shoes when we catch up. Fresh off holiday and buzzing with news, he’s in buoyant form, and for good reason. With the sequel to Villain officially greenlit, one of Britain’s most recognisable screen tough guys finds himself reflecting on a career that’s been anything but accidental.
From his very first audition at the BBC to cult-classic crime films, Hollywood breakouts, and boundary-pushing indie work, Fairbrass has built a body of work rooted in authenticity, graft, and an unmistakable East End edge. Over the course of our conversation, he talks candidly about success, rejection, loyalty, masculinity, and why British crime stories and the audience for them aren’t going anywhere.
How are things, mate?
Really good. We’ve just got the go-ahead to film the sequel to Villain. I’m waiting for the script to come through at any moment, and I can’t wait. Villain was number one in the UK on Netflix for eight consecutive days. When it was re-released three years later, it went straight in at number two. It was a very successful film, both commercially and critically.
Director Philip Barantini has gone on to win a Golden Globe and a BAFTA. Every now and again, you strike gold, and it was an amazing team that made the film. It was a great opportunity for me. The film had heart, it had violence, and it was dark and brooding, too. But at the centre of it was an emotional story that resonated with audiences, and that’s always a good thing.
It’s customary to talk about your earlier work in these interviews, but the one I’d like to know a bit more about is the TV series, Big Deal. I binge-watched that show during lockdown.
Haha, yes, that was my first job. Ray Brooks, God rest his soul. He died last year. I went along to the BBC and auditioned for the role of ‘Nev’. It was my first experience of auditioning, then sitting around on tenterhooks and waiting for a ‘Yes’ or ‘No’. It’s usually a ‘No’, haha. It was such an enjoyable experience doing the show.
Ray was really nice, but I drove him mad about Mr Benn. He had a really warm, calming voice.
Did growing up in London help to shape some of the characters you’ve portrayed?
Oh, massively. I was born in Mile End, grew up in Stepney, then moved through the pipe- as they say- to South East London. My dad was from Canning Town, my mum from Poplar. He was a docker, and it was a proper East End family. Growing up, you mix with certain fellas, which is all part of life’s rich tapestry.
All of that stuff definitely helped me get the balance right later, when playing certain characters. It’s important to come across as authentic and believable, like wondering how a certain person would react in a particular situation. That’s why I’ve had a little bit of a touch playing those characters.
You hit the ground running in America. I think you’re secretly very good at auditions.
Well, as I said before, it was tougher than it appeared. I’ve had a lot of ‘No’s in my career, too. Back in the day, when I was in my 20s, young and naive, I didn’t really listen to anyone’s opinion other than my own. I was chasing the dream.
Certain roles I played led to other things. I’ve always maintained that each role you play should lead to more roles. It’s like crossing a pond on rocks. Prime Suspect helped me get an agent in America. I went over there for six weeks, auditioned for a couple of roles, which I didn’t get, and had a lot of meetings. Luckily enough, I went to meet Mindy Marin, the casting director of Cliffhanger, who liked me. We just clicked in the room. I did a couple of auditions after that and ended up getting the role.
I ended up spending six months in Italy on the set of a multi-million dollar movie. I’d just got pipped at the post for another big one, which took me a week to get over. It’s a small world, and a big film.
What lessons did you learn early in your career?
As I said before, I never listened to anyone. I had the blinkers on, and I was in my own little world. Acting was a strange thing to do, but when you’re chasing something, you sometimes have to take yourself away from everything. But then I met my wife, and when you find someone who’s behind you 1000%, you feel you can really go for it.
I was very driven. I had massive self-belief. You have to take the knocks, but one ‘Yes’ is worth a million ‘No’s in the acting game. You’ve got to be tough, ‘cause it ain't easy. Especially now, with global casting.
There are so many people who want to be in the entertainment industry these days. With the internet now, every country can throw their hat in the ring these days. The stakes have got even more fierce.
Are you surprised at the huge following the Footsoldier movies now have?
Absolutely. It’s incredible. It’s a cult film. It wasn’t easy getting that film. So many people had said to me in the past that I’d be really good as Pat Tate if they ever made a movie about the Essex Boy murders. I was doing TV at the time, and film was another world, although I’d obviously done some films at that time and predominantly became an actor to be in films.
And then I met the casting directors, did a little audition, and ended up getting the role. But it was ten years later that the film became a cult movie, with millions of DVDs sold. That was when they came back to me and said that they wanted to do another movie, telling the Pat Tate story, because the character stood out in the first film. Especially with the pizza stuff and all that.
That’s where they saw the film going. And here we are, seven movies later! The latest, Vengeance, did the best out of all of them. There’s a market for this kind of movie. Andy Loveday and the boys at Carnaby are businessmen. They’re smart. Why would you not feed that appetite if people want to pay to watch these films?
I mean, there are a lot of movies on the streaming platforms, but not many for that kind of audience. When I grew up, there was Minder, The Sweeney, and The Professionals. There were things that people could relate to. Everyone’s fascinated by true crime. Although the stories have been embellished to make them a bit more entertaining, the fanbase is there. British crime is massive!
In the Pat Tate Story, you killed off a Loaded legend in the shape of Shaun Ryder. I don’t think we’ll ever forgive you for what you did to him in the movie.
Ha! I liked Shaun a lot. It was a new adventure for him. We rehearsed, and it took a while for him to get warm. There were 300 or so geezers in the room, including the extras. He’d just travelled down, and it was quite overwhelming. But he took to it so well, he composed himself, and it turned out he was a natural. He enjoyed it, and I think it was good for the film.
What’s the toughest scene you’ve filmed?
I did a lot of really tough scenes in a black-and-white arthouse movie called Muscle, but it landed me the best reviews I’ve ever had as an actor. It’s a film about toxic masculinity, set in the gym world.
There was a lot of suggestive and uncomfortable stuff in it. Orgies and all that. But it paid off, and I love the film, and I love being offered those types of roles. It was good to get in front of a camera and experiment in that way.
How do you mentally prepare for a role like that?
I don’t. For me, acting has always been about who can pretend the best. I do what I do when the cameras are rolling, and when they’re not, I don’t see any point in being anyone other than yourself. Don’t get me wrong- everyone has their own way of doing it. There are certain actors who are into that, and good luck to ‘em.
For me, I’ve always just tried to make things as real as they can possibly be, and I use that energy purely for when the cameras are on.
I’m guessing you still go to the gym?
I think most people do these days. I do it for the physicality side of it, but it’s also good mentally to get up in the morning and go and sweat it out for a bit. I’ve always done it, ever since I was a young man, and when I don’t do it, I feel the difference mentally and physically.
Do you ever get nightmares from adopting a character for so long?
Haha, no. I get that some of the characters I play are a bit much at times, but at the end of the day, they are just make-believe, and they can get away with stuff. When it’s rooted in reality, I tend to find it much more disturbing.
What’s the atmosphere like on the Footsoldier set?
They’ve all been incredibly fun to make. When you’re making movies with your mates, it’s a laugh. Don’t get me wrong, we all take it super-seriously, but there is a side of it that is very, very enjoyable.
The next instalment of the Footsoldier series is set in Ibiza. What can we expect?
It’s the biggest of the bunch, put it that way. You can tell that by how long it’s been in post-production. Logistically, production-wise, and in scale and scope, it’s a much bigger film than the previous ones.
It’s quite ambitious, but each movie has been different. They’ve all got their own identity. One’s super-violent, one’s funny; they’re all different in their own way. It’s the best way to be; you’re just making the same film otherwise.
As each film has come along, the budget’s got bigger, which is the natural progression for something that’s grown so much in popularity. When you’re trying to make each one bigger and better, that’s what happens.
