Jason Statham facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jason Statham
Statham in August 2018
Born	(1967-07-26) 26 July 1967 (age 57) Shirebrook, England
Occupation	Actor producer
Years active	1993–present
Partner(s)	Rosie Huntington-Whiteley (2010–present; engaged)
Children	2

Jason Statham (/ˈsteɪθəm/ STAY-thəm; born 26 July 1967) is an English actor and producer. He is famous for playing tough and strong characters in many action thriller movies. He helped make action films popular again in the 2000s and 2010s. By 2017, his movies had earned over £1.1 billion (about $1.5 billion), making him one of the most successful actors in the film industry.

When he was young, Statham practiced Chinese martial arts, kickboxing, and karate. He also worked at market stalls. He loved football and diving. He was even part of Britain's national diving team and competed for England in the 1990 Commonwealth Games. After that, he became a model for brands like French Connection, Tommy Hilfiger, and Levi's.

His experience working at market stalls helped him get roles in Guy Ritchie's crime films Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) and Snatch (2000). These movies were very popular and helped Statham become a star. He then played important roles in American action films like The Transporter series (2002–2008), which made him a well-known action hero. He has also starred in big movie series like The Expendables and the Fast & Furious franchise.

Early Life and Sports

Jason Statham was born in Shirebrook, England, on 26 July 1967. His mother, Eileen, was a dancer, and his father, Barry, was a street seller. His dad also worked as a painter, coal miner, and singer. Jason later moved to Great Yarmouth.

Instead of working at market stalls like his father, Jason chose to focus on martial arts. He grew up with football player Vinnie Jones, who later became an actor too. Vinnie introduced Jason to football, and Jason played for his local grammar school.

Jason was also very passionate about diving. He practiced every day to improve his skills. He was a member of Britain's National Swimming Squad for 12 years! He even competed for England in the 1990 Commonwealth Games in 1990. He said that being on the national team was a "great experience." It taught him "discipline" and "focus," and it "kept him out of trouble."

Jason was discovered by a sports modeling agency while training in London. He signed modeling contracts with famous brands like Tommy Hilfiger, Griffin, and Levi's in 1996. In 1997, he became a model for French Connection. A spokesperson for the brand said they chose Jason because he looked like a "normal guy" and was "very masculine." Even with modeling, he still sold "fake perfume and jewellery on street corners" to earn money. He also appeared in a few music videos in the 1990s.

Becoming a Movie Star

First Big Roles (2000–2010)

Statham in 2007

While modeling for French Connection, Jason Statham met a new filmmaker named Guy Ritchie. Guy was making a movie and needed someone who seemed street-smart. When Guy learned about Jason's past as a market seller, he cast him in the crime comedy Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998). This movie was very popular and helped Jason become known to the public. He was paid £5,000 for his role.

Jason worked with Guy Ritchie again in Snatch (2000). This movie earned more than $80 million at the box office. Jason was paid £15,000 for his part in Snatch. After these successes, he started getting roles in Hollywood. In 2001, he appeared in two science fiction action films: Ghosts of Mars and The One.

In 2002, Jason narrated a documentary about martial arts called Thai Boxing: A Fighting Chance. This film followed three people training in Muay Thai.

Jason was offered more movie roles and got the main part of Frank Martin, a driver, in the action film The Transporter (2002). This movie was so popular that it led to two sequels: Transporter 2 (2005) and Transporter 3 (2008). These films made him a true action star. He also had supporting roles in Mean Machine (2002), The Italian Job (2003), and played the main bad guy in Cellular (2004).

In 2006, he played the main role in the action film Crank. In 2008, Jason starred in the British crime thriller The Bank Job and Death Race. Many film critics praised Jason Statham as a rising action movie star.

In 2010, Jason Statham joined other famous action stars like Sylvester Stallone and Jet Li in the movie The Expendables. Jason played Lee Christmas, a former soldier who is an expert with knives. The movie was a huge success, earning $274 million worldwide.

Growing Success (2011–2015)

Statham in 2012

In 2011, Jason starred in The Mechanic, a remake of an older film. Critics praised his performance, saying he was "sleek as a bullet." He also starred in the British police drama Blitz and the action film Killer Elite.

In 2012, a report estimated that his movies had earned over one billion dollars in total. This made him one of the most successful actors in the industry. He returned as Lee Christmas in The Expendables 2 in 2012.

Statham (centre) at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival

In 2013, Statham made a short appearance at the end of Fast & Furious 6. He played Deckard Shaw, the brother of the movie's villain. He then became the main villain in Furious 7, which came out in 2015. He also starred with James Franco in Homefront and in the British thriller Hummingbird. Critics liked Hummingbird because it showed Jason's acting skills in a new way. In 2014, he was back as Lee Christmas in The Expendables 3.

In 2015, he starred in the action comedy Spy with Melissa McCarthy. This movie was a big hit and showed off Jason's funny side. He was even nominated for an award for his comedic role in Spy.

Continued Success (2016–Present)

The sequel to The Mechanic was released in 2016 as Mechanic: Resurrection. This movie was very successful around the world, earning $109.4 million. It became one of Jason's highest-earning solo films.

In 2017, he appeared in a Super Bowl advertisement for Wix.com with Gal Gadot. He also rejoined the Fast & Furious series in The Fate of the Furious. This movie was a huge commercial success and became one of the highest-grossing films of 2017. People praised Jason for his funny timing and chemistry with other actors.

In 2018, Statham played the main character, Jonas Taylor, in the action-horror film The Meg. This movie earned $527.8 million worldwide, making it the highest-grossing U.S.-Chinese co-production ever.

In 2019, Jason played Deckard Shaw again in Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw. This was a spin-off movie focusing on his character and Dwayne Johnson's character. The film earned $758 million worldwide and was praised by critics.

In 2022, Jason Statham started his own movie production company called Punch Palace Productions.

In Popular Culture

In 2003, Jason Statham appeared in three British TV commercials for the Kit Kat chocolate bar. He played a "break philosopher" who talked about different things before reminding people to "take a break."

In the comic book series Ultimate Spider-Man, the bad guy Vulture was drawn to look like Jason Statham.

The band Twenty One Pilots mentions Jason Statham in their 2018 song "Pet Cheetah."

Personal Life

Jason Statham has been in a relationship with model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley since 2010. They announced their engagement in January 2016. Their son was born in June 2017, and their daughter was born in February 2022. They lived in California for several years before moving back to London in 2020.

Jason Statham has a black belt in karate.

He enjoys many water sports like wakeboarding, jet skiing, and windsurfing. He also likes rock climbing. He is known for doing many of his own stunts in movies. Once, while filming The Expendables 3 in Bulgaria, he drove a truck into the Black Sea because the brakes stopped working!

In 2013, Jason Statham said that stunt performers should get their own award at the Academy Awards. He called them "unsung heroes" who risk their lives.

In 2014, Jason Statham was added to the International Sports Hall of Fame.

Filmography

Film

Key

Denotes films that have not yet been released

Video Games

Music Videos

Commercials

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Jason Statham para niños