Every long-lasting partnership has a particular kind of magic that keeps it going. It’s been 25 years since the iconic partnership between Jason Statham and Guy Ritchie began with Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels, the film that launched both their careers, and four films later, it’s clear to both of them what keeps them coming back again and again.
“It’s the money,” says Ritchie.
“It’s always about the money,” laughs Statham.
Sitting with the two in Dubai ahead of the premiere of their latest collaboration Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre, filmed in part in Qatar, and it’s clear they’re not taking any of this too seriously. Their work, of course, is still a joy, still full of the crackling dialogue, larger-than-life characters and inimitable style that the two offer, but this whole trotting around the globe thing is part of the job, as we fight to get a serious answer out of the two.
Perhaps it doesn’t matter if they don’t want to get weepy. After all, that’s not why you go see a Statham and Ritchie project. You go for the charisma and the chemistry, and the two have that in spades, whether they’re ordering breakfast in a hotel in Dubai or in the middle of their next massive action set piece. Whatever they had back in 1998, they haven’t lost one bit.
Esquire Middle East sits down with Jason Statham and Guy Ritchie
It’s been two and a half decades since the two of you came together, at a time when Guy was just establishing himself and Jason was switching careers. What excites you now differently than when you first started out?
Guy Ritchie: Well for Jace, the money [laughing]
Jason Statham: It certainly is. Filmmaking has been one of the most intimidating and at the same time exciting experiences I’ve ever had. We work alongside actors, just making the movie, great characters and people, you know, performing. And there’s so much to learn about how to hit your mark, and it’s a masterclass of blundering through—of falling down on your face and getting picked up. And great dialogue is always stimulating experience, believe me. I mean, we didn’t do it for the money back then. Guy, you didn’t have any money!
Guy Ritchie: [Laugh] No we didn’t ever have any money back then.
Jason Statham: Having said that, 20 odd years ahead of that, we still get a great kick out of it. We still find the fun and we can reminisce and look back at the journey that we’ve had. We’ve been all over the world, we’ve been very lucky and we’ve been working in the same films, we’ve done four or five films together. And here we are still able to look back without cringing.
You’re also both fathers now. Do you find that reorganizes your motivations at all?
Guy Ritchie: No, its still the money [laughs]. I think it’s a mixture of things. I mean, everyone needs a job and this is the job we chose. And the truth is, it’s no less exciting now than it was 25 years ago when Jay and I first met. It hasn’t lost any of its luster. The truth is, I am also as excited about filmmaking now, as I was back then. As Jason pointed out, we’ve been lucky enough to travel all over the world and we’ve been lucky enough to sustain a career. And the truth is, it’s a bit more fun now than it was 25 years ago.
How do the kids factor in?
Guy Ritchie: Kids come along and you enjoy that, but it doesn’t really affect what you do, unless it does. Actually, you become more interested in making family movies too. So that’s a fun departure. You try and mix your genres up a bit so you don’t get stuck into one particular vein. You don’t want to be a one trick pony in one particular genre and that’s quite intimidating initially to find different genres in which you can express yourself.
And you find the confidence probably to not take yourself too seriously.
Guy Ritchie: Well…
Jason Statham: I mean that’s important [laughs]. [To Guy] I couldn’t even take you seriously for one minute. I mean, you get heckled a lot by the director. You have to have thick skin when you work for this chap. And I think that’s one thing I’ve developed over the years in the crocodile lair. I’m good at taking insults.
What did Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre offer you that no film had before? What was it about this experience that you’re going to remember most deeply?
Jason Statham: Well, I mean, I’m happy to do whatever he wants me to do you know? We have a great time. So I’m not looking at this with a “doesn’t really sort of Ring My Bell” sort of attitude. I’m looking at this like “How can I go to work with the people I want to work with?”, and he just keeps knocking on the door! I’m not searching for the one role that I haven’t done. I’m a sort of a working man who knows what my strengths are and I know when I work with good filmmakers, they can bring something out of me.
Absolutely.
Jason Statham: So I’m still looking for the decent filmmaker.
When do you say no to each other?
Guy Ritchie: Oh, quite a lot. You’ve gotta say no to him a lot.
Yeah? [To Jason] What does he say no to?
Guy Ritchie: Usually the money.
Jason Statham: It’s always about the money [laughs].
Guy Ritchie: The truth is, we’ve had a lot of fun making the films that we’ve done together and when you enjoy doing what you do as much as we do, you really like to find as many films as possible to continue that relationship.
Jason Statham: When you’re always working it’s hard to find a spot where we’re both aligned in having some availability to do something together. We’ve been lucky that the last few years, it’s just been: “What are you doing next?” “Nothing.” “What are you doing?” “Okay, let’s do this.” It’s a very sort of casual provider of work.
Guy Ritchie: There is an advantage in being in close proximity to one another as when an idea comes about you can just ask “Are you around?” And it can just organically happen at once. I mean, we made Wrath of Man and just came up with this one, didn’t we?
Jason Statham: Yeah, you said “that was half decent, we should do this again”, so we did. Just wrote something on a packet of crisps and boom: Operation Fortune.
Guy Ritchie: Sometimes you can work these things out quite simply, they become inevitably more complicated as you get into the details. But in principle, the idea can be very simple, and they can just unfurl in real time. And then before you know it, you’re on the promotional tour.
If you could be any age again, what age would you choose?
Guy Ritchie: Thing is, I quite like getting older actually. So it’s going to be a bit of a cliche, but I’m going stay with where I am at the moment. I’m 30 pounds heavier than I should be. But outside of that, I sort of like getting older.
And you, Jason?
Jason Statham: I don’t know. Maybe 15-20 years ago when I was walking around pain-free. See what that’s like for a day.