Vas Blackwood, known for his role in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, has spoken about the transformative impact women are having on Hollywood. The actor, who appeared in Guy Ritchie's debut feature film, noted that while the 1998 classic was male-dominated, the industry has since evolved significantly.
A Cult Classic with a Male-Dominated Cast
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels remains a cult classic, following four friends from London who get caught up in a dangerous scheme after one loses £500,000 in a rigged card game. The film launched the careers of Jason Statham and Vinnie Jones, with Nick Moran, Jason Flemyng, Dexter Fletcher, and Vas Blackwood also starring. However, only two women have speaking roles in the film, highlighting the lack of female representation at the time.
Positive Changes in Hollywood
Speaking exclusively to the Daily Express, Vas, 63, praised the growing influence of women in the film industry. He said: "There are some really good films now made by women. And there's a lot more with female leads that have really caught my attention." He credited the Me Too movement for accelerating this shift, adding: "I think we've come into that era now, especially after the Me Too movement."
The Creative Power of the Feminine Side
The Only Fools and Horses star believes that every man has a feminine side, which is essential for creativity. "We have a female side and your female side is your creative side. Every good actor is in touch with that side of themselves," he explained. "When you start seeing women leading in movies and also directing and writing scripts, and hitting it every time, that's something that was destined to happen."
Stronger Female Characters
Vas highlighted the emergence of stronger female roles, using Charlize Theron as an example. He praised her performance in the Netflix film Apex, where she performs her own stunts. "I've got two daughters and a granddaughter so it's nice to see that women can watch films like that and go with it because they didn't make films like that so successfully, or well-focused around 20 years ago," he said. "Those films are definitely making their point and making good business in the box office."
Vas concluded that the trend of female-led films is only set to grow, with more compelling characters and stories on the horizon.
