Ashley Walters

Ashley Walters has had a busy old life. Still only 26, he’s already had a No. 1 album, won acting awards for his acting debut, Bullet Boy, spent time in prison for carrying a firearm, acted on the London stage, starred in Hustle, been in two films with 50 Cent and braved the madness that is Dennis Hopper. Not that it fazes him. The Peckham-born star, formerly known as Asher D, is now most definitely on top of his game. Shrugging off his naughty past, he is one of the most exciting British talents around. With a self-titled album out next month, and a new film with Michael Madsen and Ving Rhames in the pipeline, we caught up with him in his North London local, for a whisky and a comedy chinwag.

What was your favourite night out during your time with So Solid Crew?

It’s hard to remember anything  ’cos most of the time I was off my head, but doing the Brits was one of the best moments. The performance we did was really good, and we had a fight with Westlife. We were both up for Best Video and So Solid won, for  ‘21 Seconds’, I think it was. We had to walk up past their table to get to the stage. Now I don’t know if Brian McFadden was off his nut or whatever but he just started shouting, ‘You don’t deserve it,’ sarcastically. It was the wrong thing to do to a load of black boys from South London. He got a little slap and then security got involved.

What clothes do you most regret wearing?

We used to have all-day concerts in the local park. Around that time we were wearing string vests and jeans with bullet holes in them – gravity jeans with the big old red and green patches on the pocket. The worst item of clothing I’ve worn though are shellsuits. They don’t look good. I can’t look at pictures when I’m wearing one of those. I think we’ll leave shellsuits to football managers now.

How scared were you in prison?

Shit scared. It doesn’t matter who you are. It’s one of those places you just don’t want to be. I wasn’t really fearing for my life or anything, but there was a time that I was scared that people were going to do things to me  ’cos there was a lot of hype around me. Everyone knew who I was, and when I was coming.
I got off the Securicor bus in the holding cell where you get inducted and there was a TV showing me walking into court. All the other boys must have been watching it. I was banged up with a guy that was racist. A skinhead with tats. He’d say some proper, mad things that weren’t PC. Not directly to me but when we were talking or whatever. But by the end of it, we were really good friends. When you spend 23 hours a day with someone, whether you like the colour of their skin or not, you have to talk to them.

Do you get into trouble when you go out nowadays?

Yeah, you can’t go anywhere without getting a bit of trouble. I tend not to go out. I’ve had some bad experiences. The last time I went out properly to have fun, I got my head kicked in. For nothing. I was talking to someone’s girlfriend and I didn’t know that. Everyone wants an excuse. So usually, I keep myself to myself. I hang out with my family, take my kids bowling and go for pizza.

You worked with Dennis Hopper on House Of Nine. Was he a complete nutjob?

He was different! He’s a legend, and most legends I’ve worked with are a bit different in their own way.  You hear they can be quite selfish as actors sometimes because they’re thinking about their performances and how you can help them, rather than how they can help you. I mean, we had a scene together where the camera went in for his close-up and then it came onto me. I stayed to give him his lines, even though I wasn’t on camera, but when I did mine he’d left, so they had to hold something up for me to look at! It was hard work.

Who’s a better actor: De Niro or Pacino?

I see them as equals but if I had to pick one, I’d say Pacino, but only because of Scarface – it’s my all time favourite film. I watched it years ago and I can still watch it now. For a long time there was a day when everyone wanted to be a gangster. Everyone wanted to be Scarface, whatever it meant – and some people I know still live their lives by that now. In a way, if you push away all the negative stuff, it’s inspiring. It’s the story of a man who comes from absolutely nothing into a country and made a success of his life in his own way. Out of nothing. No help. In the inner cities you feel like you’ve got nothing. Like the whole world’s against you, like you’re fighting everything. So I think everyone could immediately relate to it. And I think Pacino pulled that off.

When was the last time you laughed so much it hurt?

I did a play at the Old Vic which was set in New Orleans. There were these two girls who play, not hookers, but very flirtatious American girlies. One of them was wearing a low cut top with chicken fillets underneath to push them up. Anyway, she did this little scene just before I came on. Me and my mate are on the side watching, ready to come on. She’s grabbed her handbag but where she’s gripped it, she’s gripped her bra strap as well, not realising that she’s holding it. She’s doing her thing on stage, having this argument with this other girl. In the commotion, gradually, every time she moves her arm she’s pushing one of her
tits up. It was hanging out and she didn’t realise. She did the whole scene with her tit hanging out and we were on the side just cracking up in tears. It was fucking hard to keep it together when we got on.