Steve Redgrave Bio Pic

Last Update: 05 November 2000


The 05 November 2000 edition of The Express (UK) carried the following story:

Who'll play hero Steve?

BY ANJALI KWATRA

THE dramatic story of Britain's greatest Olympian, rower Steve Redgrave, is to be made into a BBC feature film.

Three big-name actors - Ross Kemp, Robson Green and Sean Bean - are vying to play the oarsman, who overcame illness and injury to win his fifth Olympic gold in a row at Sydney this year at the ripe old age of 38.

Redgrave, who last week announced his retirement from the sport to raise funds for charity, has been asked to oversee production of the film, and may even appear in it. The story of his superhuman efforts could be on screen as early as next Christmas.

A source close to Redgrave said: "There have been approaches from the BBC about making this film, but at the moment we aren't allowed to say any more. We aren't even supposed to say when it's going to be aired."

Much of the filming is expected to be on location in Marlow, Bucks, where the oarsman lives and did most of his training. A BBC scriptwriter said: "It's a brilliant idea and a story about a real hero. It has lots of elements in it, the emotions he went through, the sacrifices he made for his medals and the physical torment he put himself through."

Redgrave's plans to raise millions for charity over the next five years were announced at a celebrity ball to mark the closure of Wembley Stadium on Thursday.

The £1,500-a-head bash was a world apart from his humble beginnings. The son of a builder, Redgrave left Marlow Comprehensive at 16 with one O-level, in woodwork.

At 18, he so excelled at rowing he only narrowly missed out on the 1980 Moscow Olympics. He did part-time jobs that allowed him to fit in his training.He stuck at it when the rewards were anonymity and an empty bank balance and trained for this year's Games despite injuries and being diagnosed diabetic.


Update: 05 November 2000 - Who will play Steve Redgrave has not yet been announced.


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