The action hero has changed over the years - from the stolid masculinity of John Wayne to the grim realism of Charles Bronson and the over-inflated monosyllables of Sylvester Stallone. Other countries have brought us limber martial artists like Jet Li and Jackie Chan. In modern times, an action hero needs to blend the rugged musculature of the heroes of the past with the limber agility of the Far East, along with the wisecracking character of Spider-Man. One of the most dependable new action stars is British-born Jason Statham, who brings both muscle and talent to his roles.
Born in Sydenham, London, Jason Statham pursued street theater from a young age before discovering diving, a sport that would occupy him for many years. He placed in the World Diving Championships in 1992 and credits diving and swimming with developing his chiseled physique. While training, he was spotted by a model scout and began appearing in print ads for the French Connection brand. Doing this, he was introduced to up and coming filmmaker Guy Ritchie who cast Statham in his debut feature, Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels.
Ritchie was so impressed with Statham's performance that he cast him in his follow-up, Snatch, and that marked the actor's entree into Hollywood. More and more roles followed, in movies like Ghosts of Mars and The One, where he was put up against action legend Jet Li, a screen pairing that would prove very fruitful for both actors.
Statham's next big break came with 2002's The Transporter, directed by Louis Leterrier and Corey Yuen. Statham's role as driver Frank Martin was his first major leading man role, and he inhabited the role with dynamism and power. A sequel followed in 2005 and by that point Jason Statham had carved out a very comfortable niche for himself as a no-nonsense action hero who can stretch to inhabit many different facets of a character.
Statham returned to working with Guy Ritchie in 2005 for Revolver, a psychologically complex thriller that melds Kabbalah symbolism, identity politics and gambling addiction to a messy but unforgettable experience. The role of Jake Green is far from the staid, unflappable action hero Statham is known for, showing new sides of his growing acting ability.
In 2006's Crank, Statham took one of his most iconic roles, as gangster Chev Chelios, a poisoned gangster who must keep his adrenaline up or else he'll die. The awesome video-game influenced movie mashes up most of our favorite things into one high-octane cocktail, and Statham stands cool in the middle of the chaos like the eye of a hurricane. A sequel has been announced, and we can't wait to see where it goes.
Statham's unstoppable rampage continued in 2007's War, which paired him up with Jet Li once more, as well as the Uwe Boll video game adaptation In The Name Of The King: A Dungeon Siege Tale. 2008 was even stronger for the modern-age action hero, with lead roles in The Bank Job, Death Race and Transporter 3.
The field may be narrow, with Chuck Norris retired, Arnold governating and Sly revisiting his past glories, but even against all those men in their prime we'd put Statham in the pantheon of action legends. Find out for yourself when In The Name Of The King hits DVD in April - whether it be high fantasy, hard sci-fi, or street-level suspense, Jason Statham is on top of his game. Every film shows him growing as an actor and kicking ass as well, and we're psyched to see more.
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What you need to know
Filmography
The films of Jason Statham, with special focus on his most important roles.
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Best Action Sequences
We count down the Best Action Sequences in Jason Statham's life and films.
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