Robert Carlyle has said he believes the UK film industry could be vastly improved – if only the audiences had the chance to see more of our home-made British movies.
The Scottish actor – who shot to fame following his appearance in the cult movie Trainspotting – believes that reserving a screen in multiplex cinemas for British-made productions could make a huge difference.
Speaking out at last night’s Scottish Bafta Awards, which were held in Glasgow’s Science Centre, Carlyle said: "What I'd like to see in terms of an overall. I look at these multiplex cinemas, 15 and 20 screens. They are basically wall-to-wall American product. You will be lucky if you find any British subject in there at all.
"I don't see why there's anything wrong in giving our industry a wee lift up, a wee leg up, and reserving one of these screens, just one of these screens for a British product.”
He added: "We make stuff and we bury it. You don't get to see it and what's the point in that? Reserve something so people will then vote with their feet."
Robert Carlyle lifted the award for the best acting performance in television for a male, for his role in The Unloved, at last night’s glitzy ceremony. He beat off stiff competition from Doctor Who actor David Tennant.
In September the actor claimed he was going to stop making British films because hardly any people actually get to see them, making a lot of them commercial failures.
When asked whether he had changed his mind since that statement, Carlyle said: "I'm not going to be hanging about making films in Britain for quite a wee while, to be honest with you.
"It depends what it is because these little projects are very close to the heart so of course I'm going to get pulled towards it. But whether I actually commit to these things in the future I really don't know.
"The major problem for me is it's getting harder and harder to make these type of films. More and more difficult to get the finance.
"Once these films are made, if they are made, the release is then anything up to three years. They are sitting there in the can for so long."
