English action star Jason Statham has convincingly embodied images of bad but loveable boys who usually get spanked. But before stepping onto the set, Statham’s life was as colorful as the characters he played on screen. From Olympic diving to modeling to black market side hustles, Statham has amassed unique skillset that prepare him perfectly for the role of an action star.
The bald charmer was born in Darbyshire on July 26, 1967 to Eileen and Barry Statham. He has an older brother named Lee and both are interested in martial arts. But Statham also had other sporting passions, including scuba diving, and he began working on those skills, eventually forming the British Olympic team that traveled to Seoul, Korea in 1988. After the Olympics, he continued to be a member of the National Diving Team for the next decade. However, after several disappointing results at World Championships and Olympic Trials, he decided to focus on the next chapter of his career.
A few years later, his athletic physique caught the attention of a talent agent and landed Statham a role in an ad campaign for European clothing chain French Connection. An appearance in a Levi’s jeans commercial and work for Hilfiger followed, and Statham soon had a modeling career. This helped him work as a dancer in early 1990s music videos such as The Shamen’s “Comin’ On” and Erasure’s “Run to the Sun.”
His first film break came when Guy Ritchie signed him on Two Smoking Butts due to the character’s connection to Statham’s past. He is also known for his role in Geppy, where he starred with actors Brad Pitt, Dennis Farina and Benicio del Toro. He also starred in The Invincibles alongside action stars Sylvester Stallone, Jet Li and Mickey Rourke. In “Transporter” he plays the main role of Frank Martin. He reprized his role in Transporter 2 and Transporter 3
In 2013, Statham joined an already established action franchise – Fast and Furious 6. He later teamed up with his one-time nemesis Dwayne Johnson.
Statham stands out as the anti-James Bond in the 2015 comedy Spy, written and directed by Paul Feig and starring Melissa McCarthy, Jude Law and Rose Byrne. Although Feig wrote the role of badass agent Rick Ford with Statham in mind, he told Forbes he never thought he would take the role. Statham admits he hesitated a bit. “You never know what you’re getting into in a comedy,” Statham said in an interview with Variety. “But it helps to have a great director, and Paul Feig is the Scorsese of comedy.”
In August 2018, Statham returned to cinemas as the star of the sci-fi horror film The Meg, about a 75-meter-long prehistoric shark that terrorizes a submarine crew. The film was expected to flop, but instead turned out to be a surprise hit, grossing $44.5 million at the North American box office in its opening weekend and an additional $97 million abroad.
Since 1998, Statham has directed more than 40 films, almost all of them in the action genre. However, unlike many other action stars, Statham is known for doing most of his stunts himself. He has also advocated for the inclusion of stunts in the Oscars with their own category.
Statham dated model Kelly Brook for seven years, but the couple split in 2004. He briefly dated Bardot’s Sophie Monk in 2005 and began dating model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley in 2010.
Rosie became a first-time mother in 2017 and gave birth to a boy. The actor met her on the set of Transformers: Dark of the Moon.
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And since we told you that his life before stepping onto the set was no less colorful than the roles he slipped into, now it’s time to explain why.
1. Jason Statham danced half-naked in several music videos.
The internet never forgets. In 2015, two ’90s music videos – The Shamen’s “Comin’ On” and Erasure’s “Run to the Sun” – became popular, and not just because the songs were so good. And because in both clips the half-naked Jason Statham danced in the background.
2. Sold counterfeit jewelry and perfume on the street before Guy Ritchie cast him in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.
After years of skydiving, modeling, and dancing to various songs, Statham was still looking for a way to make a living in the late 1990s. He sells fake perfumes and jewelry on London street corners. Luckily, this sort of real-world bully is exactly what director Guy Ritchie needed for the 1998 film Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.
3. He regularly does his own stunts.
In addition to being in impeccable shape, Statham prides himself on performing many of the stunts in his films himself, from hand-to-hand combat to being hung from a helicopter.
“I’m inspired by people who can do their own thing”says the actor.
4. Edna didn’t die on the set of The Invincibles 3
For all the authenticity Statham loves to bring to screen with his own stunts, sometimes things don’t go as planned. While filming an action scene for “Invincibles 3” at a dock in Varna, the brakes on Statham’s three-ton stunt truck failed. He almost drowned in the Black Sea.
5. He practices various martial arts.
Statham’s fitness program is about more than weights and muscle work. The actor is also engaged in various martial arts such as boxing, judo and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Of all the things he does to stay in shape, it’s martial arts that benefit Statham’s on-screen presence the most.