Hollywood hard man Jason Statham is the go-to guy for no-nonsense action films, but his tough guy persona stretches beyond the screen.
Case in point: in his latest movie, revenge-thriller The Beekeeper, Statham did most of his own stunts – including one with a swarm of live bees.
“The crew were laughing: ‘There’s no way you’re putting Jason Statham with a bunch of bees for real!’ But Jason wanted to do it,” director David Ayer tells Empire. “So, we put him with a beekeeper, and he learned how to open the hive and work with the bees. He connected with the whole ‘Zen’ beekeeping things.”
So, what happened? Were there any mishaps? “Jason did not get stung,” reveals Ayer. “I got stung pretty bad shooting bees later on. But it was fine. You make a movie called The Beekeeper, you’re gonna get stung.” To be honest, after filming with Statham, it’s amazing the bees escaped unscathed.
But it’s not The Stath’s only set-piece you can look forward to in The Beekeeper. “The big shock was how much he does his own stunts,” Ayer continued. “His stunt double was just sitting around, hoping to be invited to the dance.”
In The Beekeeper, Statham plays a former operative of rogue organization The Beekeepers. After Ayer’s bee story, that seems like an apt title.
Hopefully the actor has to content with less bees when Jason Statham stars in an action film scripted by Sylvester Stallone.