JASON STATHAM

Born: July 26, 1967 in Shirebrook, Derbyshire, England
Height: 5’10

Personal Quote:

“Growing up where I did, you met a lot of colorful characters whose business was on the other side of the law, or more likely you didn’t know what they were up to, and you never would. So playing those kinds of characters now, I can draw on that.”

Did You Know?

Well trained in Mixed Martial Arts and is an expert in Kickboxing/Jujitsu.

Jason Statham spent 12 years on the British national diving team, competing on the 10-meter platform and the 3-meter springboard. In 1992, he was ranked 12th in the world as a platform diver.

Inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame in 2014.

SUMMARY:

In addition to amassing one of the best collections of character names among actors today, Jason Statham has punched, kicked and charmed his way to Hollywood’s A-List. There’s a lot of actors who specialize in action movies and even do their own stunts, but Statham’s charisma is what truly separates him from the crowd. One minute he’s knocking out someone’s teeth and the next he’s that guy you want to have a beer with while watching the football game.

Statham has wisely used humor in his roles as a way to connect with the audience, which has been particularly effective with non-action fans. The Meg will be a good test for Statham as this is the first big release he’s opened with his name being front and center. I’ve heard a few groans from fans watching the trailers, fearing the movie might be more Sharknado than Jaws. While that might very well be the intent of the studio, I’m hoping the movie still pulls off being entertaining, giving Statham yet another franchise to add to his profile.

HIGHLIGHTS:

Best Known For:  Snatch (“Turkish”), Transporter Trilogy (“Frank Martin”), The Italian Job (“Handsome Rob”), Crank & Crank: High Voltage (“Chev Chelios”), Death Race (“Jensen Ames”), The Expendables Trilogy (“Lee Christmas”), The Fast & Furious Franchise (“Deckard Shaw”), Spy (“Rick Ford”)

Breakout Role:  The Transporter

Next Project to Look Out for: The Meg (In theaters August 10)

Most Famous Role: This is a tough one. For die-hard action fans “Frank Martin” from the Transporter Trilogy was the role that defined Statham during his rise to fame in the 2000’s. More recently, Statham’s character “Deckard Shaw” from the Fast & Furious Franchise is possibly his most popular mainstream character, evidenced by the spin-off Hobbs & Shaw releasing next year. While you can’t go wrong with either of these, I settled on my personal favorite, “Lee Christmas” from the Expendables Trilogy.

AWARDS:

Nominated for Best Villain (Teen Choice Awards) in 2017 for Furious Seven

Nominated for Best Actor in a Comedy (Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards) in 2016 for Spy

STREAMING OPTIONS:

Wanna catch up with a few Jason Statham flicks on your favorite streaming services?

Starz
• The Transporter
• Ghosts of Mars
• Snatch
• Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels

Amazon Prime
• Homefront
• Crank: High Voltage

HBO
• Redemption
• The Italian Job

ONE LAST THING:

It’s not often that the villain in a franchise gets to turn into one of the good guys, but that’s exactly what we saw happen with Statham’s character in the latest entry in the F&F Franchise, The Fate of the Furious. And, to demonstrate that “Deckard” was truly changing sides, he helped take down the real villain while also rescuing a baby; one of the best action scenes in the last 20 years right here!