A quarter of a century after the film’s release, the cast of The Full Monty are reuniting for a new TV spin-off.
This week it was confirmed that stars including Robert Caryle and Hugo Speer are coming back together to film a their roles in a new eight-part series, which will follow Pam and Tommy onto on Disney+ as one of the more surprising additions to the streaming service.
The Full Monty became an instant classic when it was released in 1997, following the story of some Sheffield steelworkers who became unlikely strippers after seeing their wives fawning over a strip troupe that come to town. After their steel factory shuts down, the gents found themselves unemployed – cue the film’s hilarious job centre queue scene to the sounds of Donna Summer’s Hot Stuff.
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The film’s soundtrack also included classic tracks like Hot Chocolate’s You Sexy Thing and Tom Jones’ You Can Leave Your Hat On, the song that men strip to in one of the final scenes. As fans get excited about the new TV spin-off, we look at what happened to The Full Monty cast.
Robert Caryle
While Robert’s character Gaz was centre stage for the stripping action, he was also at the centre of a heart-wrenching battle to get access to his son, following a split from his mother.
Since very nearly baring all on screen, Robert has gone onto star in countless TV shows and films. He starred opposite Leonardo Di Caprio in 2000 film The Beach. Other film roles include parts in Bond movie The World is Not Enough, as well as appearances in Oscar nominated Angela’s Ashes, 28 Weeks Later and, more recently, in Beatles inspired movie Yesterday, where he played music legend John Lennon.
Now aged 60, Robert’s TV appearances have come in the likes of Hamish Macbeth, fantasy series Once Upon A Time and Cobra.
Mark Addy
As Gaz’s best mate Dave, one of Mark’s most memorable scenes saw his character wrap himself in cling film in a bid to get a more honed physique for his big strip performance.
Like co-star Robert, Mark hasn’t been short of work since the credits rolled on The Full Monty. The big role that saw him watched by millions of people the world over was as Robert Baratheon in HBO hit series Game of Throne, for which he received a Screen Actors’ Guild (SAG) award nomination for.
On the big screen, Mark has also starred in The Flinstones in Viva Rock Vegas, where he took on the iconic lead role of Fred Flinstone and in the much loved Downton Abbey film, which was released in 2019. And on TV, he has starred in everything from The Syndicate to Doctor Who.
Hugo Speer
It’s on the small screen that you’d have seen Hugo most since his days as Guy in The Full Monty. Over the past 35 years he’s taken role in everything from Bleak House to Silent Witness and Death in Paradise to Vera on ITV.
The now 54-year-old has also been heard on the airwaves as the lead character of DCI John Stone in eight series of the BBC Radio 4 police drama Stone. Hugo now lives back in his native North Yorkshire, following a 15 year stint in London after filming The Full Monty.
Tom Wilkinson
A well known star prior to appearing in The Full Monty as steel work boss Gerald, Tom, now 74, earned himself an Oscar nomination for his performance in In The Bedroom. Oher films the Yorkshire actor has appeared in include Shakespeare in Love and The Patriot.
The highly acclaimed actor’s CV is full of big screen credits in very famous films, with other movie appearances, including Batman Begins, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and Dead in A Week or Your Money Back, to name just a few.
William ‘Wim’ Snape
The young actor who was shot to huge fame in The Full Monty, Will played Gaz’s son Nathan, with his character going onto be the strippers’ biggest cheerleader and a constant presence at rehearsals, as Gaz was desperate to spend any time he could with him.
Now 36, William has gone onto star in Genesis, as Justin Parker in Coronation Street from 2017-18 and in BBC drama Gentleman Jack, which is about to return for a second series.
Paul Barber
Already very well known to British viewers thanks to playing Denzil in iconic comedy Only Fools and Horses, Paul lit up the screen in The Full Monty as well endowed wise cracker Horse. Other roles before the 1997 film included parts in Minder, Boys from the Black Stuff and To The Manor Born.
And, since The Full Monty he’s been a regular on both the big and small screen. He reunited with Robert Caryle to star alongside Samuel L.Jackson in The 51st State and has also appeared in The Hidden City and One Night in Istanbul, about a cabbie who takes his son to see Liverpool in the Champions League.
Most recently Paul has starred in Casualty as Ernest Maxwell, in hit CBBC series The Dumping Ground and in Only Fools spin-off, The Green Green Grass.
Steve Luison
(Image: Fox Searchlight Pictures))
Another Full Monty star to go onto the cobbles of Coronation Street, Steve played Eddie Windass for three years. Other TV roles since his tripping days have included parts in The Royle Family and Scott & Bailey.
Lesley Sharp
One of Britain’s finest TV actresses, Lesley has rarely been away from the screen since playing Jean in The Full Monry a quarter of a century ago now. Roles in the immediate aftermath of the film included parts in BBC dramas Playing the Field and Clocking Off, while over on ITV, she starred alongside Alan Davies in Bob & Rose.
Other TV credits including another ITV show, supernatural series Afterlife, Scott and Bailey and Doctor Who, which saw her work Bob and Rose creator Russell T.Davies again and in Channel 4’s Before We Die last year. It’s not just the small screen Lesley has been seen on, she starred in acclaimed Mike Leigh film and in From Hell with Johnny Depp.
The now 61-year-old has also tread the boards in theatre productions such as The Rise and Fall of Little Voice and, most recently, Philoctetes at the National Theatre.
