Jason Statham facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jason Statham
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Statham in August 2018
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| Born | 26 July 1967 Shirebrook, England
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| Years active | 1993–present |
| Partner(s) | Rosie Huntington-Whiteley (2010–present; engaged) |
| Children | 2 |
Jason Statham (pronounced STAY-thum; born July 26, 1967) is a famous English actor. He is well-known for playing tough and strong characters in many action movies. People often say he helped bring action films back into popularity 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. His films have made over $8.4 billion worldwide.
When he was younger, Jason Statham enjoyed practicing Chinese martial arts, kickboxing, and karate. He also worked at local market stalls. He was a very good diver and footballer. He was even part of Britain's national diving team. He competed for England in the 1990 Commonwealth Games. Soon after, he started modeling for big brands like French Connection and Tommy Hilfiger.
His experience working at market stalls helped him get roles in Guy Ritchie's crime films. These included Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) and Snatch (2000). Both movies were very popular and helped Jason become a star. He then appeared in American action films like Ghosts of Mars and The One (both 2001). From 2002 to 2008, he played the main character, Frank Martin, in the Transporter film series. This made him a true action movie star. He also starred in other successful films such as The Italian Job (2003), Crank (2006), The Bank Job (2008), The Meg (2018), and The Beekeeper (2024).
Jason Statham has also played Lee Christmas in The Expendables film series (2010–2023). He also played Deckard Shaw in the Fast & Furious movies (2013–2023). This included the spin-off movie Hobbs & Shaw (2019), which he also helped produce. He has also lent his voice to documentaries and the animated film Gnomeo & Juliet (2011).
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Early Life and Sports
Jason Statham was born in Shirebrook, England, on July 26, 1967. His mother, Eileen, was a dancer, and his father, Barry, was a street seller. His father also worked as a painter, coal miner, and singer. Jason later moved to Great Yarmouth. Instead of working at market stalls like his father, he chose to focus on martial arts.
He grew up with Vinnie Jones, who later became a football player and actor. Vinnie introduced Jason to football. Jason played for his local grammar school from 1978 to 1983. He 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 competed for England in the 1990 Commonwealth Games. He said this experience taught him "discipline, focus, and certainly [kept him] out of trouble."
From Sports to Modeling
While training in London, Jason was noticed by a sports modeling agency. He signed contracts with Tommy Hilfiger, Griffin, and Levi's for their 1996 clothing collections. 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 while 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.
Acting Career
Becoming an Action Star
While modeling, Jason Statham met filmmaker Guy Ritchie. Guy was looking for someone to play a street-smart character in his new film. After learning about Jason's past as a market salesman, Ritchie cast him in the crime comedy Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998). The movie was very popular and helped Jason become known. He was paid £5,000 for his role.
Jason worked with Guy Ritchie again on Snatch (2000), which earned over $80 million. For this role, he was paid £15,000. These films helped him get into Hollywood. In 2001, he appeared in the science fiction action films Ghosts of Mars and The One.
In 2002, Jason narrated a documentary called Thai Boxing: A Fighting Chance. This film followed three people training in Muay Thai (Thai boxing).
Leading Roles and Success
Jason Statham was offered more film roles and became the main character, Frank Martin, in the action film The Transporter (2002). This movie was written by Luc Besson. The film was so popular that it led to two sequels: Transporter 2 (2005) and Transporter 3 (2008). He also had supporting roles in Mean Machine (2002) and The Italian Job (2003). He played the main villain in Cellular (2004).
In 2005, Jason worked with Guy Ritchie again on Revolver, but this movie was not as successful. In 2006, he played a dramatic role in the film London. That same year, he starred in the action film Crank. In 2008, Jason starred in the British crime thriller The Bank Job and Death Race. Film critics praised Jason Statham for becoming a major action film star.
In 2010, Jason Statham joined other action stars like Sylvester Stallone and Jet Li in The Expendables. He played Lee Christmas, a former soldier who is an expert with knives. This movie was a huge success, earning $274 million worldwide.
Expanding His Film Roles
In 2011, Jason starred in The Mechanic, a remake of an older film. Critics praised his performance, calling it "efficient" and "entertaining." The New York Times said he was "sleek as a bullet." He also starred in the British police drama Blitz and the action film Killer Elite.
By 2012, his films had earned over a billion dollars, showing how successful he had become. He returned as Lee Christmas in The Expendables 2 in 2012.
In 2013, Jason Statham made a short appearance at the end of Fast & Furious 6. He played Deckard Shaw, the brother of the villain. He returned as Deckard Shaw, this time as the main bad guy, in Furious 7, released in April 2015. He also starred with James Franco in Homefront and in the British thriller Hummingbird. Critics praised Hummingbird for showing a different side of his acting. He also appeared in the music video for Calvin Harris's song Summer in 2014. He returned as Lee Christmas in The Expendables 3 in 2014.
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 Best Actor in a Comedy for his role in Spy.
Jason was offered a contract for three more Transporter films in late 2015. However, he turned it down because he didn't get to see the scripts beforehand and wasn't happy with the pay. He also expressed interest in playing James Bond in a future film.
Continued Success in Recent Years
The sequel to his 2011 film The Mechanic was released in 2016 as Mechanic: Resurrection. This film was very successful around the world, earning $109.4 million. Forbes magazine called it his most successful solo film.
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, released in April 2017. The film was a huge commercial success, becoming one of the highest-grossing films of 2017. Jason was praised for his comedic timing in the movie.
Jason played the main character, Jonas Taylor, in the 2018 action-horror film The Meg. This movie was released on August 10 and earned $527.8 million worldwide. It became the highest-grossing U.S.-Chinese co-production ever.
In 2019, Jason Statham 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 one of the top-grossing films of 2019. Critics generally liked the movie and praised Jason's performance.
In 2022, Jason Statham started his own film 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 topics before reminding people to "take a break."
In the comic book series Ultimate Spider-Man, the villain Vulture was drawn to look like Jason Statham. This was done because the writer, Brian Michael Bendis, wanted him to resemble the actor.
The song "Pet Cheetah" by Twenty One Pilots, released in 2018, mentions Jason Statham in its lyrics.
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 Beverly Hills for several years before moving back to London in 2020.
Jason Statham holds a black belt in karate.
He enjoys sports like wakeboarding, jet skiing, wind surfing, and rock climbing. He is also known for doing many of his own stunts in movies. While filming The Expendables 3 in Bulgaria, he drove a truck into the Black Sea because the brakes stopped working.
In a 2013 interview, Jason Statham said that stunt performers should have their own award category 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.
Images for kids
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Statham in August 2018
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Statham in 2007
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Statham in 2012
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Statham (centre) at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival
See also
In Spanish: Jason Statham para niños
