Warnie actor Alex Williams says he had ‘mixed emotions’ depicting Shane Warne

Alex Williams has admitted that filming Channel Nine’s new Shane Warne miniseries, titled Warnie, was difficult so soon after the cricketer’s death. 

Production on the controversial show began in November, just months after Warne died in March. 

‘The show really is a celebration of his life, so it’s mixed emotions, obviously everyone was devastated, the country was,’ the actor told Yahoo Lifestyle. 

‘But, you know, we set out to celebrate his life and that’s what we knew we were doing so yeah, that was the goal,’ the 33-year-old went on. 

‘And you had to bring that joy, he lived his life with a joy, and you know he was a magnetic person,’ he continued. 

‘You didn’t want to go [into work] every day, kind of with that feeling lumped on your shoulders you needed to kind of bring the magnetism.’ 

It comes after Shane’s ex-wife Simone Callahan slammed the timing of the miniseries.  

The former WAG believes it’s too soon for a show about the late cricketer, who died suddenly from a heart attack aged just 52 on March 4, 2022 while on holiday in Thailand.

‘I haven’t wanted to read into too much about it, but I think it’s a bit unkind and mean spirited to be honest,’ the 53-year-old told the Herald Sun. 

Warne died suddenly from a heart attack aged just 52 on March 4, 2022 while on holiday in Thailand. Production on the controversial show began in November, just months later

‘The show really is a celebration of his life, so it’s mixed emotions, obviously everyone was devastated, the country was,’ the actor told Yahoo Lifestyle

‘He’s just passed, let him rest in peace. And for the kids, I just believe that they’re not showing any compassion at all by putting this out there in such a short amount of time after this has happened. To be honest but that’s how I feel about it,’ she added.

Just six months after his death, the network confirmed that it was producing a two-part miniseries about Warne’s life, however, it was reported that production on the series began just three weeks after his death. 

The miniseries is due to air over two nights later this year. 

Many viewers took to Twitter to share their disappointment with Channel Nine.

‘But, you know, we set out to celebrate his life and that’s what we knew we were doing so yeah, that was the goal’ the 33-year-old went on 

‘And you had to bring that joy, he lived his life with a joy, and you know he was a magnetic person’ Alex said

One person said: ‘Are Channel Nine taking the p**s with the Warnie mini series. That promo was s***house, embarrassing and disgraceful. Let him rest in peace.’

While another wrote: ‘Does anyone else think it’s too soon for a Warnie show on? He hasn’t even been gone for 15 months, and already the show seems filmed and ready to release.’ 

The miniseries was filmed in the late cricketer’s home of Melbourne, and it tells a dramatised version of the Spin King’s remarkable sporting career and rise to fame, including his marriage to ex-wife Callahan. 

Warne is survived by his three children, Jackson, Summer and Brooke, all of whom he shares with his ex-wife of ten years Simone Callahan. 

Shane’s ex-wife Simone Callahan has said she believes it’s too soon for a show about the late cricketer. Simone and Shane are pictured in 2010