SNATCH

Cast

(in alphabetical order)

Filmmakers

synopsis

For every action there is a reaction…and a Pikey reaction…is quite a thing

A diamond heist gone helter-skelter, the rough and tumble world of bare knuckle boxing, an unpredictable Irish gypsy and…a dog. Guy Ritchie’s highly anticipated comedy, "Snatch," features a colorful ensemble cast in a rollicking ride through London’s gangster world, its bustling diamond district and a rowdy gypsy camp.

Diamond thief and courier Franky Four Fingers (Benicio Del Toro) arrives in London en route to New York to deliver a huge diamond to boss Avi (Dennis Farina). In his mission to offload smaller stones to Avi’s cousin, Doug ‘The Head’ (Mike Reid) and other local jewelers, he is tempted into placing a bet on an illegal boxing bout by Boris ‘The Blade’ (Rade Sherbedgia). Little does he know that Boris has set him up - and local pawnshop owners Vinny (Robbie Gee) and Sol (Lennie James), along with their rather plump getaway driver, Tyrone (Ade) are to rob him at the bookies.

Meanwhile, novice unlicensed boxing promoters Turkish (Jason Statham) and his business partner Tommy (Stephen Graham) move into the ‘big time’ through a fight with local kingpin villain, boxing promoter and pig farm owner, Brick Top (Alan Ford). But when the novice’s fighter is knocked out by Mickey O’Neil (Brad Pitt), a wildcard Irish gypsy boxer, the boys convince him to fight in their boxer’s place in Brick Top’s rigged match.

Unfortunately, Mickey proves to be highly unreliable and the duo find themselves in trouble as the fearless fighter refuses to "go down in the fourth" as planned. Luckily, the gypsy’s prowess and technique impress Brick Top - saving all three from the fate of his pig farm. The catch is Mickey has to fight again - and has to get it right this time - since Brick Top more than happy to use brutality and bloodshed to make his point.

In New York, news that Franky has been waylaid by the bookies sends Avi into a tailspin and he hops on a plane to London. He hires local legend, ‘Bullet Tooth’ Tony (Vinnie Jones) to find Franky and the diamond. The sorry fate of the diamond courier is soon discovered and the hunt for the missing stone launches everyone into a madcap spiral which threatens to spin out of control….

Double-crossing, double bluffing and double-dealing abound as various parties pursue personal agendas - all of them illegal, some of them farcical and most of them destined to end in blood, pain and retribution. As plans go haywire and tempers fray, dogs, diamonds, mobile homes, boxers and assorted weaponry get swept up into a chaotic free-for all…

Screen Gems presents in association with SKA Films "Snatch," written and directed by Guy Ritchie and produced by Matthew Vaughn. "Snatch" stars Benicio Del Toro, Dennis Farina, Jason Flemyng, Vinnie Jones, Brad Pitt, Rade Sherbedgia and Jason Statham. Rounding out the cast are Ade, Alan Ford, Robbie Gee, Stephen Graham and Lennie James. Tim Maurice-Jones is the director of photography and Hugo Luczyc-Wyhowski is the production designer. The score was composed by John Murphy; the editor is John Harris.

SNATCH

With a Molotov mixture of highly professional actors, "non" actors, Brits, Americans, dogs, children, tough guys and the ever unreliable British weather, SNATCH takes the gangster genre into another dimension - hilarity.

Principal photography for SNATCH started in October 1999 and continued through December, 1999 in locations around London, England. SNATCH had the biggest opening (September 1, 2000) of any R-rated British film in U.K. history.

According to director Guy Ritchie, SNATCH is not a sequel to his hip gangster film "Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels," in which a group of friends unwittingly get mixed up in a seedy underworld of drugs, crime and violence. In SNATCH, the players are the underworld, but it is London villainy with a comic twist.

"The film is more than just gangster madcap," says producer Matthew Vaughn. "It’s a diamond heist gone wrong, fixed boxing matches, a New York Mafia boss and an Irish gypsy-turned-prize fighter who fights only to win his mother a new mobile home. Plus, we have the added bonus of a temperamental dog. It’s a film full of helter-skelter twists."

The roller coaster storylines combined with gritty, realistic casting, unique locations (a pig farm and a gypsy camp to cite two) and silly situations gives the film a quantified comic edge.

"What started as a blood-rich thriller ended up as a gangster-comedy of errors on set," comments Ritchie. "It’s fast paced, ‘move-it-quick’ and with no fat on it. I also love playing around with dialogue – so this film has some of the material I wanted to put into my first film but couldn’t get in."

For Vaughn, casting was key. "Guy began to write (the film) before "Lock, Stock…" was released, so he was still living and breathing the genre of hard men characters. It took us a long time to find the right faces – we had to see hundreds," remembers Vaughn. "Guy has such strong visual references that he wanted people not only to look the part but to deliver maximum authenticity with minimum theatrical technique."

The team was adamant about producing layers of casting to create an original look for the ensemble, rather than cast star names who might only be associated with their previous roles. They needed a surplus of original styles for the motley group - Irish gypsies, New Yorkers, Cockney Londoners, Jews, Blacks, Chinese, Russians and Scots. Leaving no stone unturned, the team looked everywhere - even the Peacock Gym in the East End - for their crew of real life hard men.

"One hefty guy arrived for a job as a security guard and Guy told him ‘no way’ – he needed him for a part in the film instead. That made his day," commented Vaughn. The guy, named Ade, who’d never acted before, became the famous Tyrone, the oversize getaway driver who completes the bumbling duo of Sol and Vinnie.

Ritchie elaborates: "The cast gelled together so well. Each one is such a character - on and off screen – and they brought a life of their own to the original script I wrote. The roles needed coarseness as well as credibility and comedy. It’s no good getting Shakespearean actors to play crooked cockney gang members."

"Lock, Stock…" attracted Brad Pitt, who called Ritchie immediately after the premiere in America and requested a meeting. "They clicked straight away. Brad literally asked to be cast in Guy’s next film," reveals Vaughn.

"We were shocked at first, thinking ‘God, there’s nothing in it for him.’ Then Guy came up with the idea to cast him as the Irish Gypsy. He normally gets $20 million a film but agreed to a much smaller fee for SNATCH – and the same size trailer as everyone else!"

Pitt admits he found the lack of red carpet treatment refreshing. He was whisked off to a travelers’ campsite to spend time with real gypsies to ‘appreciate’ their lifestyle. Jason Statham recalls the experience: "The one we went to see was pretty straight-forward, like (puts on an Irish accent) ‘what the fuck are you doing here?’ We were wondering whether the car was gonna be left on bricks but fortunately it wasn’t! You’ve got this stigma attached with these kind of characters; sometimes they live up to it and sometimes they don’t."

Vaughn was initially worried about casting a Hollywood phenomenon. "The thing about "Lock, Stock…" was that everyone mucked in. We had a magical ingredient and I thought Brad’s presence might throw all that away. But in fact, he added to it and understood exactly what we were doing."

"It’s very flattering that a star such as Brad would be in our film. He was one of the lads right from the start, a top boy who doesn’t mince around," says Ritchie. "Out of everyone, he was probably more of a gent than anyone – he made cups of tea for the punters on set."

Casting the other American characters was slightly trickier. "Benicio Del Toro has played such strong, interesting characters that we knew he would meld well into the eclectic clan," says Vaughn. "We were adamant not to go down the stereotypical route, say, with a Joe Pesci type casting."

As Franky Four Fingers, Del Toro’s role is crucial, setting off a chain of events that will intertwine several storylines and cause multiple characters to cross paths. Ironically, he has less screen time than the other characters because he meets up with Boris the Blade faster.

Dennis Farina’s character Avi, the Jewish diamond honcho from New York, is forced to go to London to retrieve the unfortunate gem. "I absolutely hate England – my character does, not me personally! That made me unpopular from the moment I stepped on set," he joked. But Farina became part of the crew quickly. "There’s no real ‘lead’ in the film. If anything, the story is the main lead with the actors coming second," he says.

Benicio Del Toro, whose character Franky Four Fingers gets the plot rolling, found Ritchie’s unique casting choices a change from his Hollywood experiences. "With the right attitude from the right director, you can get a good performance from someone who has never acted before," he says. "I think all the characters make the film and the film makes all the characters…and Guy will have brought his angles and signature to it."

The Americans did have some trouble with the cockney rhyming slang, however. "In my neighborhood, if you went up to a guy and said ‘you have a nice ‘pack ‘n’ rye,’ you’d probably get punched!" muses Farina.

With Mike Reid as Doug "The Head," Ritchie knew it would be interesting to have him play a typical "Jewish Londoner" working in the diamond trade. "It was something about Mike’s sense of humor - he gave the part real flavor," said Vaughn. Doug isn’t Jewish – he only pretends to be because he thinks it’s good for business.

Vinnie Jones’ convincing performance in "Lock, Stock…" secured his place in SNATCH as legendary hard man Bullet Tooth Tony, who has the scars to prove it.

"We wanted Vinnie back – he was part of the original "Lock, Stock…" team," says Vaughn. "If things are working, why break them? Vinnie has a great looking face and delivers his lines perfectly. Nothing needs to be cut around. He’s also extremely creative."

Former soccer star Jones is very serious about his acting, taking to it with a sportsman’s attitude - training, warming up and then giving a stellar performance. Jones cites a major difference between his two careers: "You’re on your own in acting, nobody can hide you if you’re rubbish and stuff your lines, whereas in football you’re covered by a team," he says.

Jones cannot praise working with Ritchie enough. "He’s a one-off…his beliefs are very strong – there are no grey areas. When he makes a decision, he knows it’s the right one. He led me through "Lock, Stock…" and he’s leading me all through this one. Any advice I need, I go to him."

"Lock, Stock…" was a training ground for SNATCH in many ways. For example, Alan Ford, an authentic East Ender, who was the narrator in "Lock Stock" and Sting’s barman, plays the local kingpin villain Brick Top – a man with a penchant for dog fights and clever body disposals on his pig farms.

Ford’s menacing performance is all the more terrifying when he utters such lines as "Get us a cup of Tea, Errol" and declining sugar because "I’m sweet enough."

Another player from "Lock, Stock…" is Jason Flemyng, who plays Darren in SNATCH, Mickey’s gypsy best friend. "There are a lot more gags in SNATCH and plenty more action," says Flemyng. "What you end up with is this deadpan humor that works because Guy tells everyone to deliver their lines as if ordering a pint of milk."

According to Casting Director Lucinda Syson, Flemyng took a smaller role to what he’s accustomed because he loves working with Guy, not to mention that he recognized the strength of the script. "He just wanted to be part of the boys again after the fun of "Lock, Stock…," says Syson. "But as the filming went on, his role became more important. The pikey community simply grew around Brad’s character and Jason just gave enormous support."

"I am going to be the most famous extra after this film," muses Flemyng "because I can say I’m Brad Pitt’s side kick! Besides, nobody is going to recognize me as I have a long red wig on, I’m unshaven and I look like I am recovering from a severe hangover."

Ade, who makes his screen debut as Tyrone the portly getaway driver, reveals that just being on set was entertainment in itself: "Guy knew what he wanted, but he allowed us to be creative and funny and try things out."

Stephen Graham, the Liverpudlian who plays Cockney Thug Tommy, couldn’t agree more. "Guy always had a plan, a structure, and he kept everyone on the go. But once the camera was rolling, he let the scene develop its own magic."

Vaughn elaborates on the casting of Graham: "Tommy’s character was probably the most difficult to cast. We found our Tommy just a week before shooting. He had to have that rare chemistry with Turkish, being his cheeky sidekick." Together Turkish and Tommy run – badly – an amateur boxing syndicate, desperately trying to keep up with the more ruthless, professional gamblers on the circuit.

Graham enjoyed every minute of filming. "Being part of this cast is just like being on a football team. There is no lead and there is total trust," he says.

Statham remembers one particular scene which evolved with a mind of its own. "There’s a scene when we are marching Brad out of the boxing ring and we’ve got all the extras there and, all of a sudden, a riot starts. This was never scripted…so we have a lot of fun with chairs flying and all that! A lot of stuff just sort of happens on the day…its part of the fun."

Jason Statham, gleaned from the original "Lock, Stock…" cast, jokes that Turkish and Tommy are the "George and Mildred" of the criminal underworld. "We all wheel and deal but to different degrees. Everyone’s plans collide and go haywire, with the madcap nature of it all getting bigger and bigger and this diamond still floating around London," he says.

"It’s a great ensemble piece where there aren’t any real leads," adds Statham. "Except for the dog - he’s the star! He was just uncontrollable – attacking everything, especially leather which, unfortunately, featured highly in our wardrobe."

The bumbling pawnshop owners - Vinny (Robbie Gee) and Sol (Lennie James) - were very hard to cast. "They had to have that special, natural comedy element between them while ganging up and making life difficult for their getaway driver, Tyrone," explains casting director Syson.

"It comes out in the dialogue – Sol is the rational one and Vinny the more gung-ho. Playing off each other, they muster their way through sticky situations, never really knowing what they’re doing."

Particularly for the boxing scenes, Ritchie was determined for the crowd to be as authentic as possible. "When you’re making a film set in this very gritty world, you need the audience to believe that these people aren’t just a bunch of posh actors dressed up as gangsters, boxers and petty thieves," he says. "You have to believe that world is real. I try to pepper that world with locations and extras that are as authentic as possible."

As Ritchie points out, "it’s not only about getting the right face and personality to play the part. It’s about creating a family. That’s why casting takes so long – the actors themselves have to be very real and very strong and they also have to gel off screen. After a long day’s shooting, I want to be able to have a pint with the lads and cash in on the money Statham owes me from our daily game of chess."

Statham elaborates: "It’s because it’s the same crew as "Lock, Stock…". It’s all the same giggles and laughs everyone’s having so it’s very similar in a lot of ways. It’s just as much, if not more, fun."

But the standard of accommodation didn’t change. According to Statham: "One day we might do a film and, you know, get to wipe our feet before we go into the trailer rather than on the way out!"

And there were more than a few complaints logged regarding the menu of "economy biscuits and eggs," to producer Vaughn, who counters that "keeping the cast hungry keeps them sharp." He paid dearly for his logic when several cast members saw fit to fill the trunk of his brand new Porsche with rusty horseshoes, which he only discovered after bringing the groaning vehicle to his local mechanic.

"We constantly took the piss out of one another," Ritchie elaborates. "You either sink or swim in this atmosphere and, with this group, a lot of us have swum like fish."

To keep things in order, Ritchie introduced a fine system on set. There were fines for mobile phones, arriving late, taking naps during shooting, being ‘cheeky,’ being unfunny and moaning. One staff member was even charged for letting the craft service table run out of coffee cups.

Ritchie explained: "The fines helped to keep a tight ship. Unfortunately, I was one of the ones who suffered most. These lads had a whole wrap party on me because I kept forgetting to give socks back to the prop department." Jason Statham adds: "The fine that actually got him every time was the ‘flash’ fine, imposed on him anytime that we felt he was being a bit too ‘flash!"

"Guy was always late," according to first A.D. Dave Reid, "and he always had an excuse, usually involving transatlantic phone calls with his girlfriend," says Reid. "Of course I gave him massive fines."

On the subject of money, an old-fashioned game of speed chess or cards kept most of the cast occupied between takes. Vinnie Jones explains: "The producer comes on and upsets everybody by bringing the cards out! Brad was right up for the cards…although I reckon he was playing in dollars when we were playing in pounds. I think he was getting skinned a little bit!"

According to Production Designer Hugo Luczyc-Wyhowski, they managed to obtain some illegal footage of real bare-knuckle fights and tracked down fighters to discuss the intricacies. "The reality is a little more makeshift than what we built in the film, as all evidence has to be removed in a hurry," says Luczyc-Wyhowski.

The biggest adventure was to produce sets for the film that felt real and didn’t patronize or stereotype. "For example, we created a gypsy camp to look entirely believable and interesting without being a romanticized version of reality – all from just a bare field," says Luczyc-Wyhowski. "But the secretive world of diamond dealing in Hatton Gardens was incredibly hard to simulate and film because the establishment is so concerned with security. We put a lot of attention into the details of all the paraphernalia and myriad of locks and video cameras."

For the underwater scenes in which Mickey takes a terrible blow and almost doesn’t resurface, Ritchie shot in a specialized water tank. D.P. Tim Maurice-Jones remembers: "It was absolutely freezing. Although I’m a qualified diver, they wouldn’t let me use the diving equipment, so I had to hold my breath, duck underwater and try to take the light readings before I ran out of oxygen."

"We threw all the American actors in at the deep end and they jumped right in," says Ritchie. "Brad, poor geezer, was blown up, thrown around, burnt, slapped, frozen. But never a moan or a whine. Now that’s what I call a real star."

Then there were the special touches. "We had some unusual requirements - like having to make diamonds that a dog can - and wants to - swallow, diamonds that smash when dropped, briefcases with secret compartments, squeaky dog toys…" laughed Vaughn.

Working with dogs created some hysterical stories: "The hero dog was male. I should stop there," says Vaughn. "But, there was a scene in a car at a gas station with four of the guys. During the filming, the dog became more and more in love with one of the actors and could only be separated from his leg with great difficulty! Doesn’t sound like much but it was hilarious at the time – an actor trying to walk across the front of this gas station with a dog stuck to his leg and Guy shouting "YES - FANTASTIC! KEEP FILMING!"

The Insider’s guide to SNATCH…

The opening sequence was originally set in a forest in Russia. Like much of Guy Ritchie’s writing, the idea for the heist sequence evolved out of a real incident. While the team was scouting locations for a completely different scene, Guy, Tim Maurice-Jones and Dave Reid, the first A.D., checked out a jewelers shop in Bond Street, and had to go through an endless maze of security doors and monitors everywhere. Dave Reid explains: "All three of us were standing in the lift, staring up at the security cameras. It was Maurie’s (Tim Maurice-Jones) idea to use the security monitors as a recurring theme throughout the film."

"I come from the Balkans so its easy for me to look menacing. If there are no weapons, sometimes I just resort to using my teeth." - Rade Sherbedgia, "Boris the Blade"

"Producing a movie is a lot like playing poker. Only I take more risks with my films."

- Matthew Vaughn, producer

"I’ve been the thief of the week for over thirty-five years so I know how to play a villain. But I had four screen tests before I landed this part. The first time I went along to an audition, I’d learnt my lines, dressed the part, made sure I’d had a good hair day. Guy called me back the fourth time. I didn’t bother to dress up and wore my glasses instead of my contact lenses. As soon as Guy saw me he said, ‘love the glasses, Alan!’ So that’s what clinched it for me: an antique pair of specs."

- Alan Ford, "Brick Top"

The inspiration for the squeaky dog also came from a true story. One day, Jason Flemyng’s dog, Holly, was accosted by an Alsatian in a dog park. Apparently the Alsation was very keen on Holly’s squeaky ball toy, but Holly was so determined not to let him have it that she swallowed the whole thing. Flemyng claims that Holly "squeaked every time he touched her in funny places." Guy Ritchie comments: "Although I have no idea whether this story is true or not, it was funny enough to steal. Holly is apparently better now, thank goodness – so it’s probably time for Jason to stop touching Holly in funny places."

"After Bo the dog tried to bite or shag practically everyone on set we knew we’d have to let him go," says Dan Cadan, assistant to Guy Ritchie. "We managed to get a hold of a doggie double." The doggie double was a female with no eye patch, and so had to spend a few minutes each day in makeup to get the appropriate markings.

"The dog just lost it," remembers Robbie Gee, who plays Vinny. "I don’t think anyone realized how much we had to rely on the dog chewing things up. It just so happened that this particular dog was fine one minute and the next it was causing absolute mayhem."

"We all laughed so hard at the scene where the dog goes mental that Guy decided to keep it in the final cut," laughs Jason Statham.

"Funnily enough, every mistake you see Sol, Vincent and Tyrone make were inspired by various documentaries on real-life bumbling American criminals – real footage of not-so-well-planned crimes gone horribly wrong. There are some shockingly bad American programs on telly late at night."

- Tim Maurice-Jones, Director of Photography

"Vinnie can look extremely menacing without trying very hard. When we first worked together on "Lock, Stock…" I started trying to give him lessons on how to lose your temper. He just looked at me and said, ‘I think I can manage that one, Guy.’ That look was enough to convince me to shut up."

-Guy Ritchie

About the Cast

ANDY BECKWITH (Errol) leaves a formidable imprint of East End clout as Errol, one of Brick Top’s henchmen. Beckwith has performed in Willy Russell’s Stags & Hens and his first major public appearance was with Wee Lassie Productions at the Groucho Club in Last Orders.

EWEN BREMNER (Mullet) is perfect in this almost cameo role of a hard-nosed grass. Bremner, remembered, if not loved, as the sheet-clutching Spud in "Trainspotting," has also appeared in "Judge Dredd" and as Archie in Mike Leigh’s "Naked." His theatre credits include two productions of Trainspotting, in which he took the part of Renton, and John Byrne’s comedy "The Slab Boys Trilogy."

NIKKI & TEENA COLLINS (Alex & Susi) are identical twins who play the streetwise daughters of diamond merchant Doug the Head. ‘SNATCH" marks the twins acting debut, as both came to the production from successful modelling careers.

SORCHA CUSACK (Mum O’Neil) plays Mickey O’Neil’s much loved "mam." Cusack has enjoyed a particularly successful stage career, taking her talents world-wide with such highly-acclaimed roles as Mme de Merteuil in Les Liaisons Dangereuses (1988). Audiences will recognise Cusack for her portrayal of ward sister Kate in the BBC’s hit drama "Casualty." Other television credits include Jane in "Jane Eyre," "Private Affairs" and "Within These Walls." Cusack has just returned from Spain where she was filming the role of Mrs. Maguire in "One Of The Hollywood Ten" directed by Karl Francis.

BENICIO DEL TORO (Franky Four Fingers) is considered to be the actor’s actor, consistently turning in diverse and stand-out performances with every role he tackles. Del Toro will be seen in four feature films including Steven Soderbergh’s "Traffic" for USA Films, in which he co-stars with Michael Douglas, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Don Cheadle, scheduled for release in December. He also has a co-starring role in Sean Penn’s "The Pledge," with Jack Nicholson and Robin Wright-Penn and was most recently was seen in Artisan’s "Way of the Gun," reuniting him with Chris McQuarrie ("Usual Suspects").

Born in San German, Puerto Rico, Del Toro grew up in Pennsylvania. He attended the University of California at San Diego where he divided his time between painting and acting classes. He appeared in numerous student productions, one of which led to performing at a drama festival at the Lafayette Theater in New York. Del Toro remained in New York to study acting at the Circle in the Square Acting School and won a scholarship to the Stella Adler Conservatory in Los Angeles. He studied at the Actor’s Circle Theatre, which led to guest starring roles on various television series and movies for television.

Del Toro has been honored with back to back Independent Spirit Awards for Best Supporting Actor for his work in "The Usual Suspects" and for Julian Schnabel’s "Basquiat." His first highly praised performance was in the Emmy-winning series, "The Drug Wars" for producer Michael Mann. Other motion picture credits include Sean Penn’s "Indian Runner," John Baily’s "China Moon," Peter Weir’s "Fearless," George Huang’s "Swimming With Sharks," Abel Ferrara’s "The Funeral," Tony Scott’s "The Fan," Marco Brambilla’s "Excess Baggage," "License to Kill" and Terry Gilliam’s "Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas."

SAM DOUGLAS (Rosebud) plays Avi’s "protection." Douglas’s feature films include "Eyes Wide Shut," "Fifth Element," "Hackers," "Mission Impossible" and "Batman," as well as performances at the Royal National Theatre in various productions. He will be familiar to television audiences for his performances in "Kavanagh QC," "Goodnight Sweetheart," "Wolverine," "The Painted Lady" and "The Dirty Dozen: Next Mission."

AUSTIN DRAGE (Gypsy Kid) is leader of the brat pack of young gypsy kids. Drage has already accumulated some stage and film experience with productions Snake in the Grass, Waiting for Godot and The Music Man, plus a short film aptly named The Kid. Drage trains with Ridgeway Studios School of Performing Arts.

DENNIS FARINA (Avi) plays the New York head honcho who launches the film’s plot. Farina has appeared most recently alongside Ben Affleck in "Reindeer Games," Claire Daines in "The Mod Squad" and in 1998’s box-office smash ‘saving Private Ryan." Farina has showcased his dramatic talents in such films as "Preston Tylk" and "Manhunter" and his comedic talents in "That Old Feeling," "Midnight Run," "Get Shorty" and "Out of Sight." His notable television credits include "Buddy Faro," "Crime Story" and "Miami Vice." Farina will next be seen in Ed Burns’ "Sidewalks of New York."

JASON FLEMYNG (Darren) is country ruffian Darren, best friend of Mickey O’Neil. Flemyng has turned out performances both on the big and small screen. His credits include "The Hollow Reed," "Stealing Beauty," "The James Gang" and "The Jungle Book." He won the Best Actor award at the Geneva Film Festival in 1996 for "Alive and Kicking" and has just completed filming "The Body" in Israel and is currently filming "Metal God" in the US.

ADAM FOGERTY (Gorgeous George) plays gentle giant Gorgeous George, who looks threatening enough but gets knocked out in the first round. Fogerty’s career spans both sport and acting – he is an ex-professional boxer and Rugby League player– and has appeared in numerous TV programmes including "Coronation Street," "City Central" and "Queer as Folk." His film credits to date include "Shooting Fish," "The Power Of One," "Brassed Off" and "Incognito."

ALAN FORD (Brick Top) is the merciless local kingpin villain Brick Top. Ford has worked extensively on British television for the past thirty years. His feature credits include "The Long Good Friday," "An American Werewolf in London" and "The Squeeze." Ford was also the narrator and Sting’s barman for the hit "Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels."

ROBBIE GEE (Vincent) plays a small time pawnbroker with a soft spot for his "gypsy" dog. Gee is best known and well loved for his "Desmonds" character Lee and has also been a regular on the BBC’s "The Real McCoy." He has appeared numerous times at Theatre Royal Stratford East, the Royal Court and the National, as well as touring nationally with "The Posse."

GOLDIE (Bad Boy Lincoln) joins the Vincent/Sol possé as Bad Boy Lincoln. Under the pseudonym Metalheadz, Goldie has been part of London’s hardcore music scene since 1991. He also enjoyed a successful role in the latest Bond movie "The World Is Not Enough." Other projects include starring with David Bowie in "Everybody Loves Sunshine" and several documentaries.

STEPHEN GRAHAM (Tommy) plays amateur boxing promoter Tommy, Turkish’s cheeky sidekick. Graham has appeared in several features including "Blonde Fist," British action thriller "Downtime" and the Willy Russell screenplay adaptation of "Stags and Hens," "Dancin" Thru The Dark." His theatre credits include stints at the Bush, Everyman Liverpool and Bristol Old Vic. For television, he has enjoyed roles in "Forgive and Forget," "The Lakes" and "Where The Heart Is" and has recently completed a key role in "Band Of Brothers," directed by Tom Hanks.

ADE (Tyrone) plays Tyrone, Vincent and Sol’s lame getaway driver. Ade makes his feature film debut in "SNATCH."

LENNIE JAMES (Sol) enters the diamond heist as part-owner of a pawnshop and part-time "gun." James has had a varied career, performing extensively throughout London’s theatres, including The Royal Court, The Tricycle, The Man in the Moon and The National Theatre. His numerous television performances include "A Touch of Frost," "Thieftakers" and BBC1’s superbly received "Cold Feet." Film credits comprise of Sam Millers" "Elephant Juice," "Among Giants" and Billy Augusts’ "Les Miserables."

VINNIE JONES (Bullet Tooth Tony) plays Bullet Tooth Tony, a legendary hard man with the markings and reputation to prove it. Jones is a renowned world class footballer who began his professional career at Wimbledon FC. A well loved media star, Jones has hosted his own chat show and published his own book, once again delighting audiences by lending his "hard man of football" charm to SNATCH. Having recently filmed "Gone in Sixty Seconds" with Nicolas Cage, Jones will be next be seen in the starring role in "Mean Machine" for SKA Productions.

BRAD PITT (Mickey) has emerged as one of the most prominent actors of his generation following such diverse performances in films such as "Fight Club," "Seven Years in Tibet," "Legends of the Fall," "Seven" and "Twelve Monkeys."

Pitt’s role as the seductive hitchhiker in Ridley Scott's "Thelma & Louise" first brought him national attention. He then went on to star as the psychopathic serial killer in "Kalifornia," the charismatic-but-doomed Paul Maclean in Robert Redford's "A River Runs Through It," and the bloodsucking Louis in Neil Jordan's "Interview With the Vampire."

Pitt has been nominated twice for a Golden Globe Award -- for his work as Tristan, the passionate, untamable brother in Tri-Star’s "Legends of the Fall" and for his co-starring role in Terry Gilliam’s "Twelve Monkeys." Pitt won the award for his performance in the later.

Up next for Pitt following "Snatch" is DreamWorks’ "The Mexican" co-starring Julia Roberts and James Gandolfini and directed by Gore Verbinski which is due out next March.

Currently filming "Spay Game" with director Tony Scott for Universal Pictures, Pitt is co-starring with Robert Redford. After "Spy Game" is completed, he will begin Warner Bros.’ "Ocean 11," an ensemble cast including George Clooney, Julia Roberts and Matt Damon and directed by Steven Soderbergh.

Born in Shawnee, Oklahoma and growing up in Springfield, Missouri, Pitt attended the University of Missouri at Columbia where he majored in Journalism with a focus on advertising. Right before graduation, he moved to Los Angeles to study advertising and graphic design, but instead began to pursue an acting career, studying with Roy London. Soon thereafter, he began securing roles in various television projects, including the Fox series, "Glory Days," HBO's "The Image" and the critically-acclaimed movie of the week, "Too Young To Die."

On film, Pitt has also starred in "Johnny Suede," which won the 1992 Golden Leopard Award for Best Picture at the Locarno Film Festival, Ralph Bakshi's "Cool World," Tony Scott's "True Romance," "Sleepers," "The Devil’s Own," Jean Jacques Annaud’s "Seven Years in Tibet," Marty Brest’s "Meet Joe Black" and last year’s "Fight Club" reuniting him with director David Fincher.

MIKE REID (Doug the Head) plays a " Jewish" London diamond dealer and cousin to New York hard man Avi. Reid is well known for his role in the BBC’s long running and highly popular series "EastEnders," in which he has played Frank Butcher for the past 12 years.

RADE SHERBEDGIA (Boris the Blade) plays the slick double-crossing Russian who will do whatever it takes to retrieve the diamond. Sherbedgia is a widely talented artist with writing and recording credits in addition to his numerous film and theatre performances. He has enjoyed a successful film career, including roles in the 1994 Oscar nominated "Before the Rain," "The Saint" and Stanley Kubrick’s "Eyes Wide Shut." He has recently filmed "MI/2" and the new Clint Eastwood film "Space Cowboys" (August 2000).

JASON STATHAM (Turkish) serves as the film’s narrator and plays boxing promoter Turkish, Tommy’s scheming sidekick. Statham’s first feature performance was as Bacon, "the muscle" in "Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels," after being spotted by Ritchie in a commercial. He is currently shooting "John Carpenter’s Ghosts of Mars" for Screen Gems. As he’ll tell you himself, Statham has a first hand understanding of being a wheeler-dealer as he used to be a "dodgy" perfume salesman on London’s Oxford Street.

SNATCH

MATTHEW VAUGHN (Producer) is the co-founder and managing director of SKA FILMS with partner screenwriter/director Guy Ritchie. Vaughn raised £960K to make award-winning hit "Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels." The film went on to gross over £18 million at the British Box office. In addition, Vaughn and Ritchie signed an exclusive TV series deal with Ginger Productions, executive producing a two hour special and a six-week series of hour-long "Lock Stock" episodes which aired on Channel 4. In addition, SKA FILMS created a film fund championing new British film directors and their international and commercial endeavours. SNATCH marks the duo’s second feature film effort. Their next projects include "Mean Machine" starring Vinnie Jones and a 17^th Century Civil War action/drama. Both are slated for production in 2001.

GUY RITCHIE (Writer/Director) from his original screenplay, made his feature film debut with the sensation "Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels." Ritchie started his career directing music promotional spots for bands and commercials. After meeting his producing partner Matthew Vaughn, the two formed SKA Films. Under this banner, "Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels" was produced, and an exclusive deal with Ginger Productions for a TV series based on the successful film was signed.

TIM MAURICE-JONES (Director of Photography) is an accomplished cinematographer with a broad range of experience in music promos, commercials and features. He has worked with numerous recording artists including The Spice Girls, Eternal, Simply Red, Suede, Blur, Take That, Massive Attack, Diana Ross, Bjork, Kylie Minogue and Robert Palmer. His commercial work includes worldwide brands such as Levi’s, Coors Beer, Smirnoff and Adidas. As well as working on the box-office success "Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels," Maurice-Jones’ credits include "Feast At Midnight" and the short films "If You Loved Me," "Spook Time" and the award winning "Weekender."

HUGO LUCZYC-WYHOWSKI (Production Designer) Hugo Luczyc-Wyhowski graduated in 1979 from the University of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne with a degree in Fine Arts, and before long was directing rock videos and commercials. Stephen Frears gave him his first break into feature films when he asked him to design the low budget British film "My Beautiful Launderette." He went on to design two further films for Stephen Frears - "Prick Up Your Ears" and "Sammy and Rosie Get Laid." Luczyc-Wyhowski combines his work between the USA and Europe, having designed "Waterland" for Stephen Gyllenhaal in the Norfolk Fens, "The Music of Chance" for Phillip Haas in North Carolina, "Uncovered" for Jim McBride in Barcelona and "Cousin Bette" for Des MacAnuff in France. More recently he has designed Jex Butterworth’s "Mojo," Gary Oldman’s acclaimed directorial debut "Nil By Mouth" and Daisy Mayer’s "Madeline" for TriStar Pictures.

VERITY HAWKES (Costume Designer) Verity Hawkes is an accomplished costume designer boasting a vast wealth of experience, encompassing both commercial work and films. She graduated from the Wimbledon School of Art in 1989 with a BA Honors in Theatre Design. Her film credits include "Cold Enough For Snow," "If You Loved Me and the collection of shorts film "Tube Tales," directed by a host of well-known names such as Ewan McGregor and Jude Law.

JOHN MURPHY (Film Composer) is among Britain’s most prominent film composers. Murphy was originally half of the production team with David Hughes; they first collaborated as composers seven years ago with the award-winning score for British hit "Leon The Pig Farmer." They then went on to produce the scores for seventeen feature films with credits including "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels," "The Bachelor" (Chris O"Donnell and Rene Zellweger), "Tube Tales," "Horny" by Stephen Hopkins and "Shiny New Enemies" (Salma Hayek, Jeff Goldblum). Murphy is currently working on "The Fridge" starring Catherine Deneuve and Natasha Leone.

LUCINDA SYSON CDG (Casting Director) has an impressive reputation, which extends from casting in the UK to France, Spain, Portugal, India and Argentina. She was responsible for securing the American contingent in SNATCH – Brad Pitt, Benicio Del Toro and Dennis Farina – as well as casting the charismatic posse of British characters. Other film credits include "The Visitors," "Hotel Splendide," "The Messenger – Joan of Arc," "Entrapment" and "The Fifth Element." Syson was also joint Casting Director on "Everafter" and "The Thirteenth Warrior," and Associate Casting Director for "Seven Years in Tibet." She is a member of the Casting Directors Guild (UK) and has cast several successful commercials.

FAE HAMMOND (Chief Make-up, Hair & Tattoos) is a versatile and widely experienced make-up and hair designer for both feature films and television. Before working on SNATCH (in which she also helped to design and paint freehand Pitt’s remarkable tattoos), Hammond has worked on many notable film productions such as "The Wrong Blond," "Ravenous," "Lost in Space," "Nil by Mouth," "Heart of Darkness" and "The Young Americans." She has acquired 11 years of training at the BBC and has worked for Granada and Channel 4. Her TV credits include "The New Adventures of Robin Hood," "Young Indiana Jones Chronicles," "Rick Mayall Presents the Big One," "Pig Boy" and "Body Beautiful."

JON HARRIS (Editor) Jon Harris has worked as an editor for a variety of projects stretching from music videos to documentaries and dramas to movie trailers. His short film credits include "Occasional," "The Second Death" and the 1999 Oscar nominated short film drama "Strong Holiday Romance." Harris has also worked as an Assistant Editor on "When Saturday Comes" and on Joseph Conrad’s "The Secret Agent." SNATCH is Harris’ first feature as an Editor.