Ray Winstone, known for his roles in "Sexy Beast" and Guy Ritchie's Netflix series "The Gentlemen," has revealed he declined the lead part of Detective Jimmy McNulty in the acclaimed American television drama "The Wire." The actor, 69, stated that his decision was driven by a desire to prioritize his family over potential Hollywood fame.

Winstone was offered the role in the series, which aired from 2002 to 2008, but ultimately decided against the commitment. He explained that the initial seven-month filming schedule for the first season, followed by a similar commitment for subsequent seasons, was too long to be away from his wife, Elaine, and their three daughters.

"I go don't see me kids and me wife for seven months because they were little or I bring them," Winstone told The Romesh Ranganathan Show podcast, mimicking a US accent. "Mommy, daddy, I'm not having that. We're British."

He also cited concerns about the prevalence of gun culture in U.S. schools as a factor in his decision. "Kids going to school, you know, checking for guns. No, we didn't have that then here, you know, and it's like, no. You got to make choices. Choices in life, you know."

The role of Detective Jimmy McNulty was eventually filled by fellow British actor Dominic West. Winstone expressed no regrets about his choice, even joking that "the show was better for me not being in it. The geezer who played it was blinding, you know."

Following his decision regarding "The Wire," Winstone continued to build a career with roles in notable films such as Jerry Bruckheimer's "King Arthur," Martin Scorsese's "The Departed" (2006), and "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull."

Currently, Winstone is appearing in the second season of "The Gentlemen," where he portrays Bobby Glass, the incarcerated head of a cannabis empire. The series, which debuted in 2024, follows Eddie Horniman as he inherits his father's estate and becomes entangled in the criminal underworld.

When asked about his career pace, Winstone quipped to The Times, "Well, you've got to pay the taxman, haven't you?"