Ray Winstone felt like he was 'on holiday' quarantining in Portugal for Damsel

Ray Winstone felt like he was "on holiday" while in quarantine in Portugal before shooting Damsel.

During an appearance on the Off Menu podcast, the Sexy Beast star revealed he tested positive for Covid when he arrived in Portugal for the shoot in early 2022 and enjoyed a mini-holiday in quarantine before going to set.

"Damsel was done during and just after Covid. I remember flying out to Portugal. I had a Covid test the night before, and I was negative," the actor recalled on the podcast. "We got to Portugal and I had another test - because you have to before you go on set - and I was positive. I couldn't go on set for a week until it cleared."

He joked, "There was a swimming pool there and we had a barbeque going and I felt great! I was like, I've come on holiday."

Damsel, starring Millie Bobby Brown, was originally due to be released on Netflix in October 2023 but it was pushed back until 8 March due to the actors' strike.

As a result, Winstone has two projects debuting on Netflix in the same week - Damsel and the TV spin-off of The Gentlemen.

"It happened that way because of, you know, Covid and all that kind of stuff, and then the strike in America, so these two things (the release of Damsel and The Gentlemen) kind of got drawn together. Very enjoyable jobs," he explained about their releases. "They're not a bad company to work for, you know. I mean, you're allowed to get on with it, and allowed to do what you want to do."

The Gentlemen will premiere on 7 March, the day before Damsel.