Rex Ryan

He was in prison when I chatted to him, but yes.

So I got the Zoom link, I went downstairs to the office and my plan was, I didn't have too much of a plan, but I knew I wanted to play him.

I knew I wanted to tell this story and I didn't want, big thing for me was, I didn't want to do this, even though I hadn't seen these people in years and I'd begun, you know,

I was totally disconnected from that world.

But I didn't want to do it without his agreement.

And there's a number of reasons for that.

A lot of my favorite films are biopics about people with similar backgrounds and all those things.

I did know that the directors and the writers often had a connection with them.

And you have to be careful with it.

You have to keep it distant as well, because I have to stay as objective as I can.

But I knew that if I was going to try and do this...

to a high level, I needed to get the blessing and I needed to be around him to get the energy and to help me write the script.

And I needed to not just have secondhand information.

So when I did meet him, you press the Zoom link, this bearded individual comes up on my screen.

and the set up how are your legs I said how are you Jerry haven't seen you in a while and then we had a meeting that was essentially I think you get 25 minutes 24 of them was talking about Heat Robert De Niro and Al Pacino our favourite film once upon a time our favourite films once upon a time in America Heat catching up and

that thing goes, a little warning, you've got a minute.

I thought, bollocks, I haven't even done my pitch.

Yeah.

My big pitch plan.

So in 60 seconds, I go, look, I want to play you on stage in a one man show.