Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels was the springboard to Jason Statham’s acting success – and he was more than familiar with a springboard…
Statham made his Hollywood debut in 1998 as he starred in the Guy Ritchie gangster classic and he has gone on to become one of the most biggest action heroes in the world.
However, a few years before he became an on-screen superstar, he was – somewhat incredibly – a professional diver aiming for a place in the Olympics.
At 23 years old, Statham represented England in the 1990 Commonwealth Games, competing in the 1m springboard, 3m springboard and 10m platform events.
He donned a full head of hair and a slim build as he showed off his agility and flexibility, pulling off some impressive Tom Daley-esque flips into the pool.
Despite his clear diving talent, he didn’t experience that much success and failed to make the Olympics with Team GB.
In the Commonwealth Games, he finished eighth in the 1m springboard and 11th in the other two events.
He also took part in trials for the Olympics in 1988 and 1992 but unfortunately didn’t make the cut on either occasion.
Since then, Statham has often looked back on his time diving and has recalled how it all started for him, saying: “I was on holiday in Florida with my mum and dad.
“And there was a guy who used to do a high dive at noon every day from one of the hotels we stayed in. And I say ‘When we get home, I am going to do that.’
“I joined the club then, I was like 11 or 12 years old. Within a year, I was part of the British team and it gained momentum and I spent the next 10 years doing that.”
Statham eventually moved away from diving, but believes that failure helped him get to where he is now in the acting world.
“I think what I didn’t achieve [in sports] has probably helped me focus more and take my acting career more seriously,” he told the BBC in 2008.
He also admitted a few years earlier that his experience in competitive sport helped him become a better person and actor.
“It was a great experience, you know, to travel the world and compete at a certain level,” he told IGN. “It teaches you discipline, focus, and certainly keeps you out of trouble.”
Statham moved on from diving when he reached Hollywood in 1998 and he has played a part in many huge films since.
He has starred in the Fast & Furious series, Snatch, The Italian Job and The Meg just to name a few.
The actor is all-action now, but his life could have been very different if he had continued to focus on diving.
And in an alternative universe, we could have seen Statham standing on the top step of the podium as a Team GB athlete with a gold medal around his neck.