Ever since former footballer Vinnie Jones put his hardman image to good use in the film Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels, the entertainment bug that bit him just hasn't let go.

Not only has he become a film star, appearing in blockbusters such as Gone In 60 Seconds, Snatch and Swordfish, but he's also embarking on a singing career, releasing his first album Respect next month.

''It's all Blues Brothers-type stuff, a lot of soul music, James Brown, that sort of thing,'' he says. ''It's going brilliantly. I've never sung before this but I just like to have a go at any type of entertainment really.''

Sitting in a London hotel, Jones, 37, seems chuffed with the many strands of his career, ''business interests'', as he calls them. He's tired, yawning after exercising his new-found vocal talents at a Christmas do for Woolworths staff the previous night, at which he supported Status Quo. ''Earliest Christmas do I've ever been to,'' he says. ''But I brought the house down.''

He's here to talk about his latest business venture - a board game. Called The Movie Game, it will put the knowledge of any movie buff to the test. Jones is certain the game would make a great TV quiz show but while he's happy to try out most things, he doesn't think hosting the programme is really him.

''It needs somebody that can mould into it; Bradley Walsh, Chris Tarrant, Johnny Vaughan, that sort of person, people that do these shows. I'm too busy making the movies. I've got to make sure that my card stays in the pack,'' he laughs.

In person Jones is chatty and personable yet he is also quite intimidating, mainly because of the stories of his violent past. When he fixes you with his deep-set eyes it's not hard to understand why he found it so easy to make the leap from footballer to film star. His angular features make him the quintessential screen villain.

While he's happy that this role has been thrust upon him - after all, it's given him a whole new career he never imagined doing - he's hoping to expand his acting repertoire in the future.

''I don't worry about being typecast because my acting is me,'' he says. ''How many times did John Wayne change his character? What people are buying is the Vinnie Jones face. That is where I'm typecast, my face.

''But there's not many roles that I wouldn't take. I'm always on the look out for movies that read well, if they do then I'm interested. But because I'm 6ft 2ins, 14 stone and very athletic, there are roles I'm going to attract. I would like to do some comedy but I'm going to have to wait.''

Jones and his wife Tanya have two children between them - Kaley, 15, from Tanya's previous marriage, and Aaron, ten, from a previous relationship of Jones's. The family have been filmed for a 20-part series to be shown on BBC One this year that could see the Joneses have the same success as the Osbournes.

''They just asked if they could do a 20-part series of life with the Joneses,'' explains Jones. ''It's completely the opposite of The Osbournes. The cameras don't follow us around all the time. And hopefully we're not as nutty as that lot,'' he laughs.

l The Movie Game is available now. Vinnie Jones' debut album Respect is out on November 1