Behind The Scenes With The Cast

"There's an element of Aesops Fable about 'Mean Machine' in that it's all about teamwork. Only by working with other people can you achieve great success, and this is what Danny learns. Only then is he able to kill off his demons." says director Barry Skolnick.

Vinnie Jones who plays lead character Danny Meehan adds, "Danny's had his heart and soul ripped out and now he's desperately trying to get his dignity back." The prospect of playing Danny was a challenge for Vinnie whose previous roles have seen him play a succession of tough gangsters including 'Bullet Tooth Tony in 'Snatch' and more recently Marco in 'Swordfish'. When he was first approached to play Danny Meehan he had no hesitation in accepting the role. "Danny presented a real challenge for me," agrees Vinnie. "I've played the tough guys and a debt collectors and now here I am playing the part where this guy who had everything and lost it. When I was first saw the script I felt a real excitement. And I haven't stopped feeling that way throughout the shooting of the movie."

Being an ex-professional soccer player the role of Danny Meehan was perfect for Vinnie. As Barry explains, "The whole project was part of a marriage. The movie cannot work without Vinnie because you need someone who is going to have the credibility of playing an ex-footballer. Without Vinnie the project just wouldn't work."

For Vinnie it was an opportunity to combine his two passions - soccer and movies. "I've always wanted to do a proper soccer movie," says Vinnie. "Over the years I have been offered a few football films, but they never had what Mean Machine has. It's more than a football movie. I've been very moved by the story. Soccer is a tough business - it's fantastic when you're winning, but the flip side of the coin is viscous. I've seen a lot of good players lose it."

Prison is a tough environment for someone who's trying to claw back his dignity. Entering the prison atrium for the first time Danny feels the full force of his fellow inmates resentment for him, as Vinnie explains, "Danny had the life that they can only dream of and he threw it all away on a match against Germany. It is the ultimate sin."

Only Doc and Massive see beyond the celebrity that is Danny Meehan "Everyone that Danny meets threaten and harangue him, but from day one both Massive and Doc accept him," explains Vas Blackwood who plays Massive. "They don't care about what sort of man he was. Massive genuinely likes the guy and wants to help him."

"Danny is bewildered by it all," continues David Kelly who plays Doc, the old lag who becomes Danny's mentor. Danny finds a friend in Doc, and it's Doc who helps him come to terms with his life behind bars. "He's vulnerable. He's a lads man - he doesn't belong amongst these hard villains. Doc spots this and takes him under his wing and minds him like a sort of father figure."
Off screen David remembers the first time he met Vinnie. "I thought I'd blown it," laughs David. "He came over to me and said he'd enjoyed some film or other I'd been in and I said I thought he was marvellous in 'Elizabeth' and he gently pointed out that that was Eric Cantona, which wasn't a very auspicious start. He has forgiven me, but he could have blown my head off couldn't he! I mean to confuse him with another actor would be alright but another footballer, no, not a wise thing."

Danny's biggest adversary behind the prison walls is the arch con Sykes played by John Forgeham. "Sykes is the head gangster," explains John Forgeham. "He's been inside for 35 years and pretty much runs the show - the Governor, the screws, the prisoners. He's a sort of Ronnie Kray meets Mr. Bridger ['The Italian Job'] - an old school gangster turned prison dictator. Danny is a new arrival and represents a potential threat to his status as top dog, so he is quick to nip in the bud any pretensions Danny might have. In jail you've got to make your mark or they'll walk all over you. Sykes made his mark 35 years ago and has been running the prison ever since."

Sykes control extends to the Governor. As David Hemmings who plays the Governor explains, "The Governor is a fool. Sykes runs rings around him, using his weakness for gambling to his advantage. He gives the Governor tip-offs on the horses, but doesn't always steer him in the right direction." The Governor's greed clouds any reason he should have to doubt Sykes' integrity, and he continues to supply Sykes with specialist racing papers, unaware that he is inadvertently supplying the prison with drugs - the papers in questions are soaked in LSD. "Sykes uses the prison system to his own ends, abusing his privileges at the Governor's expense. By the end of the film the Governor's authority is completely undermined."

Danny soon realises that without Sykes' support he doesn't stand a chance in recruiting a team, and so attempts to broker a deal with him - let his men play and he'll fix the match result. A betting man, Sykes sees the advantages of controlling the game and agrees to Danny's proposition but only if he challenge one of his men to a fight. Danny accepts the challenge unaware that his opponent is Ketch (Andrew Grainger).

The fight was a gruelling scene. Vinnie and Andrew sat face to face at a table, their right hands bound together and their left tied down. Andrew Grainger explains, "We had to take it in turns to punch each other until one of us hit the table. First head to touch the table was out. Before each punch we had to knock back a shot of cognac (which in this case was Appletise). It got very messy - there was a lot of blood and sweat, extremely intense. Vinnie and I were surrounded by 70 odd extras cheering us on. It was without a doubt my favourite scene."

"It was very exciting to watch," adds Omid Djalili (Raj). "But I think we were all relieved not to be a part of it. We're crowded round Danny and Ketch all 70 of us, shouting 'Fight! Fight! Fight!' and really getting into the spirit of the scene, but I have to say I'm so glad it wasn't me fighting. The scene was very realistic to watch."

Danny succeeds in beating Ketch and with Sykes' support sets about recruiting and training a team worthy of beating the wardens.

An unlikely recruit is The Broadhurst Monk played by Jason Statham. A psychotic, martial arts obsessive Glaswegian, The Monk is segregated from the prisoners in special unit, until, that is, he is recruited by Danny to play goalie. "When Matt [Vaughn] told me he was doing a re-make with Vinnie I was desperate to get involved." Says Jason, "I've seen the film so many times and I always thought it would make a fantastic re-make, so no matter what role was there I was willing to do it."

The Broadhurst Monk is the most dangerous inmate in the prison and the one man that both the wardens and Sykes are wary of. "The Monk. The mad man with the kung-fu shit. He's beyond mental, and so are his mates outside." [Massive - Vas Blackwood].

"He's committed some heinous crimes in his past," says Jason. "He's a killer - he's murdered more than a few people and now he's paying the price. But we're trying to keep him away from being a complete psychotic thug - he's taught himself karate, and meditates."

Geoff Brown and Ralph Brown play the two prison guards. "When I saw Ralph and Geoff I knew instantly they were right for the part. They just seemed to own Burton and Ratchet," says Barry. Geoff plays Mr. Ratchet, a bitter and twisted guard who rules with violence and fear. "Essentially he's a mean, sadistic, sarcastic and nasty piece of work," grins Geoff malevolently. "The majority would say he's sick. I think of him as misunderstood."

Ralph Brown plays the head guard Mr Burton. Burton captains the governors prison team and is under increasing pressure to win. He also harbours a smouldering grudge against Danny. "Mr Burton has it in for Danny. He started out as a football apprentice but never made the grade, so there's an element of jealousy in his relationship with Danny. Essentially though he's a decent bloke - hard but fair. He plays a fair game and despite his tough regime will not partake in the dirty tricks and I think that's proven at the end of the film when he stands up to The Governor."

The final match can only be a dirty, gritty and bloody affair. Both the guards and the cons are determined to win - survival on the pitch is imperative. But this was never going to be a clean game "Obviously there are a lot of little vendettas going on because you've got the cons v the guards," says Vinnie. "As one of the cons says, "come on we've got to play because we can kill one of these and it's legal". And so the match becomes this gladiatorial battle where anything goes."

"This is their one opportunity to beat the guards, to get back at the dirty hand life has dealt them. 'Win, and they'll have something that they can't touch, never confiscate, never lock down.' For the guards it's a simple matter of survival: "Lose and they'll never let you forget it." (Mr. Burton).

Despite the tensions on screen, from day one there was a great rapport between cast and crew, many of them having worked together previously on 'Lock Stock' and 'Snatch'. As Jason confirms, "Anything that Vin does I'm always up for. We have such a great time. It's just an atmosphere he brings to the set - it's all fun and games. There are so many funnies - it's just the most enjoyable set you can ever be on."

"It's all locker room male banter," adds Omid Djalili who plays Raj. "Very masculine. While I was doing the football training my wife was directing a piece of women's theatre and we've come to bed and I said, 'What were you doing?' She goes 'Well I was doing a play talking about abstract colours and using petals and scent to heighten the spiritual effect. What were you doing?' I said, 'Well, I was with Vinnie and the lads trying to light my farts in the dressing room. While you were being meditative I've got blue flames shooting out my arse. ' "