Jason’s modelling work led to Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels audition

Jason Statham grew up in Derbyshire, England, where his mother was a dancer and his father was a street merchant who also dabbled in lounge singing. Originally their son was set on a career in sports. He was a member of the British National Diving Team, finishing 12th in the world championships in 1992. After 12 years on the team, however, he had to move on – and wasn’t sure where to. After a try at fashion modelling, he became a street salesman like his father.

“I sold fake perfume which didn’t smell that good,” he recalled, “so I guess I developed some early acting skills.”

Increasingly, though, he was eying what he calls “the crazy idea of pursuing a career in acting.”

It was his modeling work that led to an audition for Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. Director Guy Ritchie loved Statham’s burly, no-nonsense masculinity, and hired him for Snatch (2000).

Statham was off and running, nearly all his roles require running, to such films as Turn It Up (2000), Ghosts of Mars (2001), The One (2001) and Mean Machine (2001). The Transporter (2002) gave him his first lead role, and the next year he had his first taste of Hollywood’s A-list with The Italian Job (2003).

Since them he’s starred in Collateral (2004), Cellular (2004), Revolver (2005), Crank (2006), The Bank Job (2008), The Expendables (2010), The Mechanic (2011) and Spy (2015), not to mention sequels to Crank, The Expendables and The Mechanic, and two sequels to The Transporter.