Jason Statham (born 12 September 1972) is an
English actor, known for his hard man roles in the Guy Ritchie crime
films Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Revolver and Snatch. Statham
also appeared in supporting roles in several American films, such as The
Italian Job, as well as playing the lead role in The Transporter, Crank
and The One and War alongside with martial arts superstar Jet Li.
Statham is currently working on The Bank Job, and Death Race (a remake
of Paul Bartel's Death Race 2000).
Jason Statham has done quite a
lot in a short time. He has been an Olympic Diver on the British
National Diving Team and finished 12th in the World Championships in
1992. He has also been a fashion model, black market salesman and
finally of course, actor. He got the audition for his debut role as
Bacon in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) through French
Connection, for whom he was modeling. They became a major investor in
the film and introduced Jason to Guy Ritchie, who invited him to
audition for a part in the film by challenging him to impersonate an
illegal street vendor and convince him to purchase fake jewelery. Jason
must have been doing something right because after the success of Lock,
Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) he teamed up again with Guy Ritchie
for Snatch. (2000), with co-stars including Brad Pitt, Dennis Farina and
Benicio Del Toro. After Snatch. (2000) came Turn It Up (2000) with US
music star Ja Rule, followed by a supporting actor role in the Sci-Fi
film Ghosts of Mars (2001), Jet Li's The One (2001) and another screen
partnership with Vinnie Jones in Mean Machine (2001) under Guy Ritchie's
and Matthew Vaughn's SKA Films. Finally in 2002 he was cast as the lead
role of Frank Martin in The Transporter (2002). Jason is also in the
summer 2003 blockbuster remake of The Italian Job (1969), The Italian
Job (2003), playing Handsome Rob.
Trivia
Did nearly all of his own stunts in The
Transporter (2002), including car chase sequences, scuba diving
sequences and fight sequences.
His break into the entertainment business came when an agent put him on
an advertisement for the French Connection clothing company.
Prior to The Transporter (2002) he already had a background in martial
arts which enabled him to perform his own fight sequences.
Was originally set play Private Cooper in Dog Soldiers (2002), but
dropped out to star in Ghosts of Mars (2001).
Offered the role of Agent 47 in Hitman after Vin Diesel was dropped from
the project. Timothy Olyphant eventually took the role.
