Sometimes You Don’t Need a TED Talk… Just Two Weeks With Burt Reynolds...
Sorry, your majesty. Were you expecting someone else?
17th November 2008 - Odeon Leicester Square - London
Being in London this week reminded me of a rather extraordinary evening I once had there back in November 2008.
That night, my wife Donna and I attended the Royal Premiere of the film A Bunch of Amateurs at the Odeon Leicester Square, screened in the presence of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip.
Yes… that actually happened. Even better than that, I am in the film.
But the story of how I got there started many months earlier on the Isle of Man.
At the time, I was working as a manager for Barclays Wealth. One evening, Donna mentioned that a film crew had arrived on the island and was looking for extras.
Normally, I might have shrugged and carried on with my very busy day, but she added one important detail:
“It stars Burt Reynolds.”
That got my attention. Mr Reynolds is a childhood hero of mine. Fond memories watching Hooper, Cannonball Run, Smokey And The Bandit, to name but a few, with my late dad.
The cast also included the legendary Sir Derek Jacobi and Samantha Bond, known worldwide as Miss Moneypenny in the Pierce Brosnan James Bond films. Plus the absolutely remarkable Dame Imelda Staunton.
So I went along to the audition at The Claremont Hotel in Douglas. Calling it an audition might be generous — it was more of a relaxed conversation with the director Andy Cadiff and the production team.
At the end of the chat, they simply said:
“Can you give us two weeks?”
After a few very quick phone calls to arrange leave and my work schedule… that was it.
I was in.
Becoming One of the Stratford Players
I spent two weeks filming as one of the Stratford Players, the fictional amateur theatre company at the centre of the story.
The film poster. An original from the premiere hangs in my hallway
The premise of the film is wonderfully British: a small English local theatre group stages King Lear and tricks a fading Hollywood action star — Jefferson Steel, played by Burt Reynolds — into appearing in their production under the pretense of appearing for the RSC in Stratford Upon Avon.
Film sets involve a lot of waiting around, but the experience was tremendous fun.
The cast were lovely throughout. Burt Reynolds himself could be a little aloof at times — he was dealing with several health issues during the shoot — but whenever we spoke, he was charm personified. As someone who grew up watching his action films, having a few conversations with him about movies was a real joy. I will never forget having a surreal conversation between takes about his friendship with Sylvester Stallone, "Yeah, Sly's a good guy".
I really have to thank Samantha Bond, who was absolutely delightful and used my own name in the production for the character I played.
The film was written by Ian Hislop, of Private Eye and Have I Got News For You fame, and I had the chance to meet him during the shoot.
As a media graduate and an admirer of good storytelling, simply observing the craft of filmmaking up close was remarkable. The Director of Photography, Ashley Rowe, was kind enough to spend time explaining how he set up shots and how the camera team worked. He had just finished working with Jude Law on the remake of Alfie, so I was getting a masterclass in filmmaking from someone at the very top of his profession.
And then there was a lovely small-world moment.
I bumped into John Evans, a crew member whom I had actually attended college with back in Carmarthen in the 1990s. Completely unexpected — proof that the world really is smaller than we think.
Eventually, production wrapped with a great wrap party. Photos were taken, hugs were exchanged, and I returned to my day job in continuous improvement.
The wrap party with the great Imelda Staunton - Love this lady and her fine work over the years
No Hollywood dreams. No dramatic career change. I went back to the post-its on my continuous improvement wall.
Just a fantastic experience and a few quid for my trouble.
Then Something Unexpected Happened
Some months later, I heard something remarkable.
The film had been selected for a Royal Premiere.
At the time, the James Bond film Quantum of Solace had been slightly delayed in its release schedule, which opened the door for A Bunch of Amateurs to take the prestigious slot.
This is the second time Bond has stepped into my life, besides the help I had with my degree dissertation, which I wrote about in a previous article.
After a few phone calls, I was able to secure tickets for Donna and me, plus time off to head from the Isle of Man, where I was still based then, to London.
On 17 November 2008, we walked the red carpet into the Odeon Leicester Square for the premiere. One of the joys of that night was my wife Donna complaining to me that we were not allowed to walk the red carpet. I not only knew we were allowed but were expected to walk it with the full paparazzi impact!
The film was screened in the presence of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip.
While we didn’t have the opportunity to meet them personally, we were seated directly across the auditorium from them.
Which means that while 007 didn’t entertain the Royals in 2008… this lad from Llandovery did.
Why Share This?
Because experiences matter.
In professional life, we talk constantly about career strategy, training plans, development programmes, and leadership frameworks.
Those things are valuable.
But sometimes the most powerful growth moments come from unexpected experiences.
This one taught me a few simple lessons:
Put yourself out there.
Say yes to opportunities.
Enjoy the experience and learn from remarkable people.
Taking two weeks of annual leave to appear in a film was certainly not part of any sensible career development strategy.
But it became one of the most memorable experiences of my life.
And it reinforced something I’ve come to believe strongly over the years:
Always say yes.
Test yourself.
Be bold.
Take chances.
Because when you do, something interesting happens.
The impossible starts to feel feasible.
The feasible becomes possible.
And occasionally…
Dreams come true.
Sometimes you don’t need a TED Talk in life.
Sometimes you just need two weeks with Burt Reynolds.
A Bunch of Amateurs sadly didn't make any waves. It's a lovely little film and the kind that generally turns up on TV around Christmastime and is perfect post-meal entertainment. It's a gentle comedy along the lines that Ealing Studios used to make, and we could well use more of that sort of entertainment right now. I do recommend it, as if anything else it was a lovely swansong for Mr Reynolds that I was privileged to observe firsthand as one of his guards.
I can officially put on the CV that I did King Lear at Stratford with Burt Reynolds, and then out of hours, considering actions for a continuous improvement project, which only a handful of people can say. I literally carried a torch for old Burt.
Yes, the moustache was a deliberate homage
As mentioned, fair to say that Mr Reynolds wasn't at his best in health and stature. I will never forget the last night of the production, when we filmed the live performance within the film. At the end, I said to Mr Reynolds, "It's been an honour Mr Reynolds" and motioned for a handshake, and he replied, "It's mine Ty". He hugged me, remembered my name. No selfie, no photo, no autograph.. but I carry that with me..
If you get the chance to meet an icon.. Just do it..
A Bunch of Amateurs 2008 is available on the majority of streaming platforms and on DVD/BluRay from major stockists - All A Bunch Of Amateurs images (c) Entertainment In Film/Isle Of Man Film/Cinema NX - Personal photos (c) Ty Davies 2026
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