Jimmy White will always be known for his quality on the baize, but the snooker star is about to embark on a new project in a different world
Snooker icon Jimmy White is set to star in a new TV crime drama. The 63-year-old is enjoying a successful start to the 2025/26 snooker season.
White kicked off the season with a 5-2 victory over Anthony McGill in his Wuhan Open qualifier, which secured him a spot in the last 64 of the Chinese competition. He will be in the hat for the tournament, which begins on August 24, where the winner will take home a cheque for £140,000.
Although his chances of winning the event will be slim, the fact that ‘the Whirlwind,’ who turned professional in 1980, is still performing well at the highest level of snooker is impressive. However, White is about to embark on a brand new venture that could potentially turn into another lucrative career beyond the baize.
He recently landed a cameo role in the upcoming TV adaptation of Write To Kill, written by top-selling London author David P. Perlmutter.
The series revolves around an aspiring author who is burdened with debt and writer’s block, before being offered a large sum of money to commit a ‘heinous crime’. According to Deadline, White will portray the director of an estate agency who fittingly has the task of sacking the main character in a snooker hall.
The official synopsis of the 2019 published book reads: “Caught up in the machinations of the underworld and at the mercy of a London gangland boss, Mad Dog, will this budding writer accept the money, commit the crime, and leave his innocence behind him?”
The project is still in the works and is set to be filmed in London and New York. Confirmed cast members include Charlotte Kirk and Hunger Games’ Elena Sanchez, with Lillee Jean Trueman directing.
Negotiations are reportedly ongoing for the male lead. Meanwhile, this week, White delivered a stellar performance against former World Championship semi-finalist McGill.
The Scot clinched the first frame with a break of 51, but White then turned back time by winning five of the next six at Leicester’s Mattioli Arena. With scores of 92, 80, 90 and 71, the seasoned player advanced to the last 64 in August.
There, the ex-Masters and UK champion is due to face off against former Grand Prix winner Marco Fu. Like White, Fu is competing on the main circuit courtesy of an invitational wildcard.
The Hong Kong player showcased his skills with a 5-3 victory over recent Crucible quarter-finalist Chris Wakelin. It’s a huge test for White, who is showing no sign that he is going to put his cue down for good any time soon.
In February, White told the Stephen Hendry Cue Tips podcast that he still has plenty left in the tank. He said: “For me to still be able to play and compete now is like a godsend.
“I’m going to play for another three years and if I don’t win a tournament, I’m going to stop. I’m 62. People think, ‘Why are you doing it? You’re nuts.'”
