Achi news desk-
Brennan Artists, who represent Friell, said in a statement: “It is with great sadness that we announce the death of our friend and client, Vincent Friell, who died unexpectedly in hospital with his family around him on Sunday 14 April.
“Above all, Vince was an incredibly loving father, husband and friend and we send our love at this difficult time to his wife Alana and his two children Connie and Jude. We ask that they be given the privacy to coming to terms with this very sad loss.”
Friell rose to fame as the Wolfman in Restless Natives, which became a cult classic in the mid-80s.
The story of two Edinburgh boys who become local folk heroes and tourist attractions when they start holding up tour buses with toy ‘guns’ in a spree of non-violent robberies.
Joe Mullaney played the Clown to Friell’s Wolfman, with the soundtrack written and performed by Scottish band Big Country.
Vincent also starred in a classic series 5 episode of Still Game called ‘Whos the Daddy’, starring as the estranged ‘son’ who was trying to take over Jack and Victor’s beloved Clansman.
It saw his character Chris the Clansman temporarily renamed Jenny and later revealed as Pete the Jakey’s lost child. Friell also starred in the world-famous Trainspotting in 1996, playing the father (or roommate) of Ewan McGregor’s girlfriend, Diane.
Tributes poured in from colleagues from across the industry and fans, and spoke volumes for Friell’s iconic role, Wolfman.
The author of Restless Natives, Ninian Dunnett, told The Herald that it was a ‘blessing’ to discover a young talent like Friell during the Eighties in Scotland.
He said: “I think we are all shaken by this tragic news. We were only young people when we did Restless Natives – and so was Vince – but we were lucky to have found him among all the unknown actors reading for us.”
Alongside original director Michael Hoffman, Dunnett is currently on an upcoming stage show based on the film, which will tour Scotland next spring, and says she is sad to know Vincent won’t be around to experience it.
“There was a kind of stubborn innocence in those big brown eyes that I know even today people still think of him as the lovable ghost of the film. Vince has been in our thoughts a lot because we’ve been working on this new revival, and I am very sorry to think that he will not be with us for the fun and celebrations next year.”
In 2005, Restless Natives was re-released on DVD, and included an interview with Friell talking about the role which was his first feature film.
Vincent described the story of his characters as ‘true fantasy’.
He said: “I wonder what people will think when they look back at this film and see the style and fashions of the 80s. It was such a weird and strange time. Now it’s not just the movie you’re watching, you’re going back in time and seeing these styles and fashions. Thank goodness none of those clothes were mine.
Tribute to our wonderful client Vincent Friell 🤍
📷 Enrico French pic.twitter.com/D5ndcR33Xg
— Brennan Artists – Actors (@brennanartists) April 16, 2024
“It’s great that the film is out again, because there are a lot of people over the years telling me they couldn’t get a copy because the video had been deleted.
“It’s a wonderful feeling to know that 21 years later maybe a whole new generation is going to be seeing it.
“I hope it sticks around for many more years so it can become a nice novelty factor that this crazy little Scottish film that was made in 1984 is still going for a while.”
