Jones gave acting advice to boxer Lewis

Vinnie Jones today told how he calmed the nerves of former World Heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis as he prepared for his big screen debut.

The ex-footballer stars alongside Lewis in Johnny Was, a thriller about a man hiding in London from his violent past in Ireland.

The movie is being filmed in Belfast and also features pop diva Samantha Mumba and ER star Eriq La Salle.

Jones called the ex-boxer in advance of the shoot to pass on a few tips on making the transition from professional sport to acting.

The former Wimbledon and Wales international said: “I gave him the advice that Jason Flemyng (actor) gave me on Lock Stock (and Smoking Barrels).

“I said, ‘The whole cast is behind you. It’s fantastic you are doing it. Just go with it. Enjoy it’.”

Jones hailed Lewis’s performance as a reggae pirate DJ and forecast he could enjoy a successful career in the movies.

“Even as (boxing) champion of the world it is quite daunting to go in,” he said. “You are worried about letting people down.

“You are worried you are not going to remember your lines.

“When I done Lock Stock it really surprised a lot of people and I think this is going to surprise a lot of people.

“It is not just a cameo role, it is a proper character.

“Lennox went on tape, we watched him and we were blown away by him.”

Lewis said he had enjoyed his first taste of acting.

“It has been an experience,” he said. “I would look at the possibility of this as a new career.

“Obviously people want to know if I will go back into boxing but it’s definitely a ‘no no’ right now.”

Lewis said there were similarities between his old profession and his new one.

“It is just another form of focus,” he said.

“In boxing you have to practice and once you practice a few times you always get better at it. It is the same thing in acting.”

The boxer, who now lives in Jamaica, spent his honeymoon in Belfast but said his new bride didn’t mind.

He joked: “She likes it. I think she likes the shopping aspect of it. There is always a sale on. It’s great.”