Film star Richie Woodhall was once lord of the ring

With 101 days to go to the Olympics, Mark Timms meets a former medallist to find out how the Games changed his life. Richie Woodhall reflects on a burgeoning movie career.

You wouldn't have thought he'd have been the one who became a film star. When Richie Woodhall began his momentous journey from Telford's Woodside Estate, you'd have been able to bet your house that he wouldn't have moved into acting. All that pretending to be somebody else, all those false accents – none of that was for the boy with iron fists.

The tough guy who climbed to the top of the world's boxing rankings, however, has achieved precisely that. There seems to be no end to his talents. Since retiring from a highly successful career in boxing, the former World Champion's work ethic has continued. These days, however, the graft that he once put into going to the gym is channelled into his new life as commentator, coach, pundit and actor.

Woodhall enjoyed his first taste of the film industry when he appeared as a body double for Brad Pitt in the movie Snatch. Subsequent roles have been bigger and his latest movie is The Quiet One.

Woodhall says: "The Snatch experience wasn't too difficult as I was boxing at the time but I loved the whole experience. When I retired from boxing I went more into television commentating. I was never a professionally trained actor so I suppose it was difficult to break into that industry. But I've always had an interest in it and after a few acting lessons. I have done a couple of short films with John Pegg, who I knew through boxing. He liked what he saw and gave me the role in The Quiet One."

The Quiet One is a thriller based in Birmingham, another British film following in the footsteps of Dead Man's Shoes. Based around a gang trying to take over a pub, the gritty, pugnacious movie features a tense revenge plot.

"It was a great experience for me as I got to work with a few full time actors and hopefully the movie will do as well as it should. Of course, I've got a lot of other work on as well as the acting, it's a nice change and a great hobby but I'm not putting all my eggs in one basket.

"I'm not doing this because I'm planning on going into acting full time, I see it as a bit of fun, I feel I've done it well and the two directors I've worked under have pencilled me in for a future projects."

Acting is just part of Woodhall's burgeoning portfolio of engagements. During the past year, for instance, he has been increasingly busy with media commitments. Such work has kept him busy and eased away the anxiety that comes with retirement from the ring. "When you've been a World Champion it is extremely difficult to let go of the sport but I am blessed in the sense that I've resisted all temptation to compete again. I've found new things to occupy myself. As soon as I retired the BBC got hold of me as a commentator and that has snowballed now and I do a lot of work for Sky these days. I'm a freelance and I tend to drift everywhere.

"I have had a bit of luck here and there but when you retire from boxing you've got to keep yourself busy. It's a common misunderstanding that boxers can fight and then never work again. That is simply not true, unless you're a heavyweight or can sell out arenas there isn't a lot of money in the sport. Once you're retired and the money runs out, there's always the temptation to come back.

"I had a great career, winning a bronze in the Olympic Games in 1988 and only losing to Roy Jones Jr, who was one of the best pound-for-pound fighters of all time."

Like most people in a sport which seems to get under the skin of its participants, Woodhall's love for film became apparent in the early stages of his career.

He watched movies for inspiration while training, or before getting ready to fight. "I used to love the Rocky films, they were fantastic growing up and I think they inspired every fighter, especially the first one, that's the real success story, going from nothing to challenging for the heavyweight world title; that has got to be my favourite.

"One of my all time favourite boxing films though has to be Raging Bull with Robert De Niro. I love the way there is no fairytale ending, it's just the way it was; a very down to earth, gritty film which I still enjoy. I actually met Jake LaMotta (De Niro's character), he's still going at 80 odd and we had a good chat about how boxing used to be, being ran by the mob etc. It's a classic."

With numerous diary dates for work as a presenter, commentator and coach, it is safe to say Richie Woodhall's post-boxing retirement has been as big a hit as his career in the ring. It is filled with exciting projects and acting has become the latest string to his bow.

In the ring, he was anything but a Quiet One – but on the silver screen, that's what he's become.