▁Ast ley , ▁is ▁identified ▁as ▁Sir ▁Tony ▁Sp encer ▁on ▁screen , ▁and ▁the ▁Wall ▁Street ▁financi er ▁named ▁Ben ▁Mitchell ▁in ▁the ▁film ▁was ▁really ▁Bert ▁Taylor . ▁ ▁Daniel ▁M asse y , ▁who ▁port rayed ▁No ël ▁Cow ard , ▁was ▁Cow ard ' s ▁god son ▁in ▁real ▁life . ▁His ▁performance ▁earned ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁seven ▁Academy ▁Award ▁nomin ations ▁for ▁the ▁film . ▁In ▁his ▁comment ary ▁for ▁the ▁las erd isc ▁and ▁DVD ▁release ▁of ▁the ▁film , ▁M asse y ▁reve als ▁he ▁was ▁unh appy ▁with ▁the ▁sound ▁of ▁his ▁voice ▁when ▁he ▁saw ▁the ▁film ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time . ▁As ▁production ▁wrapped ▁in ▁late ▁ 1 9 6 7 , ▁he — at ▁his ▁own ▁request — re - d ub bed ▁all ▁of ▁his ▁dialog ue ▁before ▁returning ▁home ▁to ▁London . ▁M asse y ' s ▁comment ary ▁also ▁rec ount s ▁a ▁conversation ▁in ▁which ▁Cow ard ▁addressed ▁his ▁own ▁sexual ▁orientation , ▁which ▁is ▁bare ly ▁hint ed ▁at ▁in ▁the ▁film . ▁M asse y ▁quotes ▁Cow ard ▁saying ▁" I ' ve ▁tried ▁it ▁all , ▁from ▁soup ▁to ▁n uts ..." ▁confirm ing ▁his ▁preference ▁for ▁the ▁latter . ▁ ▁Michael ▁K idd ▁ch ore ograph ed ▁the ▁musical ▁sequences . ▁Both ▁he ▁and ▁Andrew s ▁have ▁talked ▁about ▁his ▁pushing ▁her ▁beyond ▁what ▁she ▁thought ▁her ▁limits ▁were , ▁particularly ▁for ▁" B ur ling ton ▁Bert ie " ▁and ▁" J en