Gazza shooting for acting roles (From This Is Local London)

Gazza shooting for acting roles

11:11am Tuesday 8th May 2007

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At a top secret location, Paul Gascoigne was being trained to battle aliens for a new film. Reporter MICHAEL REILLY met Gazza to talk about his acting debut.

GAZZA thrust the Chinese-made AK-47 he was holding towards me and said: "Feel the weight of this."

‘This is probably the hardest training I’ve ever done.’

PAUL GASCOIGNE

I took the world's most infamous gun from the exhausted arms of one of our greatest football icons.

"You must be knackered, Gazza," I replied. He was. But he admits this is the first time in 15 years he has had a six-pack.

Gazza was perched on a bench and about to light a cigarette after storming down a field firing blanks at imaginary aliens.

He is being trained by a security company based in Swanley in order to convince cinema-goers he can handle weapons.

Final Run is the name of the film in which he stars as a former SAS soldier dealing with the aftermath of a failed alien invasion of Earth.

It is being described as Black Hawk Down meets Aliens.

The 39-year-old Geordie said: "My role is to save the world. I have to get fit for it.

"The training isn't messing about, it's proper military stuff.

"It's one of the best experiences I've ever had in my life."

Gazza has been training for the past three months and has been swimming, running and doing gym work for the role.

He added: "The movie's going to be fantastic. Me and my dad have been up at 6am every morning and been on the road at 7am.

"I've been running the hills, going to bed early and eating properly."

He said: "I've done pre-season training in football but this is probably the hardest training I've ever done.

"I'm having a laugh as well but at certain times I have to be serious."

Graham Parsons, the managing director of DSL Defence Services, based in Azalea Drive, Swanley, says Gazza has not had it easy.

He said: "We have been very strict with him. However, his determination and desire to succeed is tremendous.

"If Gazza applies himself with the same enthusiasm and hunger he has shown so far, he will certainly have a chance to qualify as a great actor.

"Paul will acknowledge this has been a very hard period but he is now the fittest he has been in his life."

Gazza is now hoping to carve out a career in film and follow in the footsteps of fellow former footballer Vinnie Jones.

He said: "I'll see how this goes but hopefully I can make a career of it.

"I'm going to learn how to act when I come back from holiday."

He added: "I'm going to wait until after my holiday because I want to be tanned and look like Bruce Willis.

"They have also told me to learn English as nobody in America will be able to understand my Geordie.

"If I could follow in the footsteps of Vinnie Jones, it would be fantastic."

Final Run is due to be released next year.

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