Vinnie Jones: In My Life biography
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Vinnie Jones: In My Life filmography

[h3]The ex-footballer turned successful movie star grew up in Dronfield, near Sheffield and attended Chancellors School in Potters Bar.[/h3]

As happens with many young British boys, Jones’ love of football began at an early age and his dream was to play for his country.

In a football career that spanned 15 years, Jones played for six different teams, showing a mix of skill and aggression, which was to become his signature. In 1884 he began playing in the non-league division, for Wealdstone and moved in 1986 to play for Wimbledon. It was here that he became part of the ‘Crazy Gang’ team, who were unrelenting in their aggressive playing style. The team won the 1988 FA Cup, which was to be Wimbledon club’s finest achievement.

In 1989, Jones left Wimbledon and began a succession of one-year stints at different clubs. He played for Leeds United from 1989 to 1990, under manager Howard Wilkinson; then for Sheffield United from 1990 to 1991; and Chelsea from 1991 to 1992. He moved back to Wimbledon in 1992, where he remained for six years.

Always known for his tough image, Jones was the presenter of a video, ‘Soccer’s Hard Men’ (1992). It featured live footage of Jones and other hostile players, promoting an aggression in the sport and giving advice to ‘budding hard men’ in football. It was a step too far and the Football Association fined Jones £20,000 for ‘bringing the game into disrepute’.

After playing more than 250 games for the Dons, Jones left Wimbledon in 1998, moving to Queens Park Rangers in Shepherd’s Bush, as both a player and a coach. When the team’s manager left and Jones was not offered the position, he announced his retirement from football in 1999.

He may have been a thorn in the side to some, with his style of play and lack of skill criticised, but Jones was always popular with his teammates. He managed to gain acceptance as well as a certain air of controversial notoriety. Perhaps Jones’ most infamous moment was when he grabbed Paul Gascoigne’s (playing for Newcastle United) testicles to distract him from the game. Jones also tackled Tottenham defender Gary Stevens so savagely that it ended his football career. On a more positive note, Jones was chosen to represent Wales in international football. He earned eight caps (that is, playing internationally whilst representing the country) and captained the side, something about which he remains extremely proud.
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Following his retirement from football in 1999, Jones went into film acting. Many considered this a strange move, as he had no formal training and certainly didn’t strike many people as the acting type. However, due to the fact that he had already earned a reputation as a tough guy, these were mostly the roles he was offered.

He began working with director Guy Ritchie and was cast in Ritchie’s first two crime thrillers. He played Big Chris in ‘Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels’ (1998), set in London; and Bullet Tooth Tony in ‘Snatch’ (2000), about a priceless stolen diamond. Jones played Bob Andrews in ‘Rebel Yell’ (2000), a biographical drama about Billy Idol, directed by Mike White.

Jones then worked with director Dominic Sena on two more crime thrillers, playing The Sphinx in ‘Gone in Sixty Seconds’ (2000), starring [urlnew=http://www.thebiographychannel.co.uk/biography_home/30:0/Nicolas_Cage.htm]Nicolas Cage[/urlnew], Giovanni Ribisi and Angelina Jolie; and Marco in ‘Swordfish’ (2001), starring [urlnew=http://www.thebiographychannel.co.uk/biography_home/518:0/John_Travolta.htm]John Travolta[/urlnew], Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Don Cheadle and Sam Shepard.

Jones was certainly going places with his new acting career, having managed in a short time to be cast in high-profile films, both in the British film industry and Hollywood. Returning to his football roots, Jones starred as Danny Meehan in Barry Skolnick’s ‘Mean Machine’ (2001), the story of a famous footballer jailed for assault. He was Rodan in Adam Rifkin’s independent film about an ex-convict, ‘A Night at the Golden Eagle’ (2002).

2004 saw Jones taking on roles in several comedy films. There was Lou Harris starring alongside [urlnew=http://www.thebiographychannel.co.uk/biography_home/876:0/Owen_Wilson.htm]Owen Wilson[/urlnew] and [urlnew=http://www.thebiographychannel.co.uk/biography_home/510:0/Charlie_Sheen.htm]Charlie Sheen[/urlnew] in ‘The Big Bounce’; The Extractor in ‘Tooth’; Mad Maynard in ‘Euro Trip’; terrorist Michael Kettredge in ‘Blast!’; and the Hired Killer in ‘Survive Style 5+’, a Japanese comedy horror directed by Gen Sekiguchi.

Jones branched into the science fiction genre with his role as Winston Briggs in ‘Slipstream’ (2005) about a bank heist involving time travel; and played Bob in a made for television pirate fantasy adventure, ‘Mysterious Island’ (2005), which was nominated for a 2006 Saturn Award for Best Television Presentation.

Continuing to work prolifically, Jones played roles in seven films released in 2006, including ‘She’s the Man’, which won a Teen Choice Award; ‘X-Men: The Last Stand’, in which he was Cain Marko/Juggernaut; and ‘Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties’, for which he provided the voice of Rommel. In ‘Johnny Was’ (2006), Jones played the lead role of Johnny Doyl in this film dealing with the Irish peace process and other socio-political issues. The film won the indie award at the Toronto Film Festival.
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In a move into musical theatre, Jones made his debut in October 2006, when he performed in Stephen Sondheim’s ‘Into the Woods’ at the Royal Albert Hall, London. 2007 has seen the release of films ‘7-10 Split’, a comedy directed by Tommy Reid; ‘The Riddle’ in which Jones plays the lead role of Mike Sullivan, a tabloid sports reporter, opposite Julie Cox; and ‘The Condemned’ set in a corrupt Central American prison.

Currently in post-production and due for release later in 2007 and 2008, are several more Jones films. These include ‘Rush Hour 3’, a crime thriller with [urlnew=http://www.thebiographychannel.co.uk/biography_home/861:0/Jackie_Chan.htm]Jackie Chan[/urlnew]; ‘Midnight Meat Train’, about a serial killer in NY; ‘The Filthy War’, an anti-war drama; ‘Loaded’, a story of sex, drugs & violence; and ‘Hell Ride’, a thriller with Dennis Hopper. He has also signed a contract to continue playing roles in the X-Men films.

Jones married his wife, Tanya, in June 1994. The couple have two children, daughter Kaley (b. 1987) and son, Aaron (b. 1991). Over the years, Jones has won a number of accolades. On 30 December 1995 he was named Nike Man of the Match in the Arsenal vs. Wimbledon FA Premier League game. In 1997, Satellite TV Europe Magazine named Jones Satellite TV Personality of the Year. In 1998, the Variety Club of Great Britain gave him the Sir James Carreras award for Outstanding New Talent and GQ magazine named him Man of the Year. In 2000, he was given The Millennium Cigar Award for Male Cigar Personality of the Year.

For his acting, Jones has been granted the 1999 Empire Magazine Award for Best Debut, and the 1999 Odeon Cinema Audience Award for Best Actor, both for ‘Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels’ (1998). In 2001, he won the Empire Magazine Award for Best British Actor, for ‘Snatch’ (2000).

Keen to pursue other creative and commercial endeavours, Jones has tried his hand at writing, music, adverts, voice-overs and television presenting. He has written two books entitled ‘Vinnie: The Autobiography’, published in September 1999, and ‘My Life: Vinnie Jones’, published in September 2001. Following musical tuition from Phil Edwards, Jones released an album of blues and soul, titled ‘Respect’ (2002). He has appeared in several adverts, including for Bacardi and for a drink called ‘Red Devil’, in a controversial advert that was eventually withdrawn.

Jones became the first guest host on Channel 4’s ‘The Friday Night Project’ in February 2005. British bookmakers, Ladbrokes, began in September 2006 to use Jones’ voice and image to promote greyhound racing. A keen enthusiast of the sport, Jones has recently bought his own greyhounds to race. He and his wife, Tanya, have appeared as themselves in an advert for the RAC. Jones was involved in providing voice for ‘Change’, the introductory track of Joss Stone’s album ‘Introducing…Joss Stone’, released in March 2007.
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A supporter of charities, Jones’ favourites are Harefield, the Royal Brompton and Harfield NHS Trust; SPARKS, Sport Aiding Medical Research for Kids; and CLIC, the Cancer and Leukaemia in Childhood charity.

Whilst not always conventional in his views and behaviour, Jones has certainly managed to achieve an enormous amount in his life, winning recognition along the way. His enormous drive and energy insure that he throws himself with vigour into everything he does. His fans will always have something to anticipate from the ‘tough man’.

Carey Latimore
Vinnie Jones: In My Life biography



- Height: 6’ 2” (1.88m).

- Nickname: The Axe.

- Has five tattoos, each marking significant periods in his life: a rose on his left forearm; an FA Cup on his right calf; the Leeds United rose on his left calf; the dragon and feathers Welsh emblem on his chest; and the names of his wife and children in a triangle in the middle of his back, between his shoulders.

- First car: a blue mini van traveller with wood panels, bought from a friend for £110.

- Dream car: a blue Ferrari, bought after his success in ‘Snatch’ (2000).

- Football playing position: midfielder.

- Convicted of assaulting a neighbour in 1998.

- Is the president of NOBS (the National Organisation of Beaters and Pickers-up).

- In May 2002, Jones was convicted of air rage offences on a Virgin Atlantic flight and was banned from flying with them. Following his conviction, Bacardi withdrew their Vinnie Jones adverts.

- Became president of the Hertfordshire Agricultural Society in 2005.

- Is an enthusiast of country sports.

- Was able to qualify for a position on the Welsh team, despite being English, due to the fact that his maternal grandfather was Welsh.

- Holds the record for the fastest ‘yellow-carding’ in a professional football game, when he was booked three seconds into the 1987 game and sent off the field.

- During his football career, Jones played 384 league games; scored 33 goals (most with Wimbledon); and was sent off 12 times.
Vinnie Jones: In My Life biography



The Condemned (2007)

The Riddle (2007)

7-10 Split (2007)

Strength and Honour (2006)

Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties (2006)

X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)

Played (2006)

She’s the Man (2006)

Johnny Was (2006)

The Other Half (2006)

Mysterious Island (2005) (TV)

Submerged (2005) (Video)

Slipstream (2005)

Hollywood Flies (2005) (TV)

The Number One Girl (2005) (Video)

Survive Style 5+ (2004)

Blast! (2004)

Euro Trip (2004)

Tooth (2004)

The Big Bounce (2004)

Night at the Golden Eagle (2002)

Mean Machine (2001)

Swordfish (2001)

Snatch (2000)

Gone in Sixty Seconds (2000)

Rebel Yell (2000)

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)

Soccer’s Hard Men (1992) (video)
Vinnie Jones: In My Life biography

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