Vinnie Jones Details Tearful Reunion with Guy Ritchie After 10-Year Feud

Vinnie Jones has revealed a deeply emotional reunion with director Guy Ritchie on the set of their Netflix series, "The Gentlemen," marking the end of a ten-year period in which they did not speak.

Jones, 61, believes Ritchie, 58, had distanced himself during Jones's struggles with alcoholism. The reconciliation occurred after Jones had been sober for a decade, leading to his casting as Geoff Seacombe, the long-serving gamekeeper of Halstead Manor, in Ritchie's series.

Recounting the initial contact from Ritchie for the role, Jones told Louis Theroux on his podcast that he received an unexpected call. "I was literally 500 meters from here and got a call out of the blue," Jones said. Ritchie inquired about his availability and mentioned he might have a part for him, before ending the call.

The rift between the two men began when Jones, in a drunken state, responded poorly to Ritchie's call regarding the film "RockNRolla." "Guy rang me about RockNRolla, and I was f*cking drunk, and I went, 'No, I want this, I want that'," Jones recalled. Ritchie's calm response was, "Really?" After this, Jones stated he didn't hear from Ritchie for a considerable time.

Jones described Ritchie's offer of the role in "The Gentlemen" as an "olive branch," noting it came about ten years into his sobriety. "Maybe I was about 10 years sober, and maybe that's when he may have called me and went, 'Okay, I'm going to give you another chance', sort of thing," Jones speculated, adding that they have never directly discussed the decade-long silence.

Jones admitted to feeling apprehensive on his first day back on set. The reunion occurred during the filming of the opening scene, a funeral sequence for "The Gentlemen." As Ritchie approached the assembled cast, Jones felt nervous, comparing himself to a teenager before a significant event. "He comes walking towards us and he just walks straight at me. Walked straight up and just went bang. F*cking hell, both of us in tears," Jones described. He noted that the crew witnessed the emotional moment, but the event was not explicitly discussed between him and Ritchie, as some things, in Jones's view, do not need to be talked about.

Recent reports indicated that Meghan Markle was in preliminary discussions for a role in the third series of "The Gentlemen." However, sources close to the production team have dismissed speculation that the series requires "stunt casting," and some cast members have expressed disbelief at the prospect of Markle joining the show. Insiders have also refuted claims that the streaming service used Markle for promotional purposes.

Jones's career transition from football to acting was influenced by his notoriety on the field. His aggressive persona, earning him the nickname "The Human Rottweiler," and frequent off-field altercations, including an infamous incident where he bit a reporter's nose and a later assault charge, shaped his public image. Jones has attributed his anger in part to heavy drinking and his parents' separation during his youth, which he felt led to a lack of boundaries after he left home at 16.

His early life was marked by struggle, finding a path into professional football with Wimbledon after a period working as a groundsman. He credited football with providing him self-respect and preventing him from a life that might have led to imprisonment.