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Jason StathamΒ (/ΛsteΙͺΞΈΙm/Β STAY-thΙm; born 26 July 1967) is an English actor and producer. He is known for portraying tough, gritty, or violent characters in variousΒ action thrillerΒ films and has been credited for leading the resurgence of action films during the 2000s and 2010s. By 2017, his films had grossed overΒ Β£1.1 billion ($1.5 billion), making him one of the industry's mostΒ bankable stars.
While working at local market stalls, Statham began practisingΒ Chinese martial arts,Β kickboxing, andΒ karateΒ recreationally in his youth. An avidΒ footballerΒ andΒ diver, he was a member ofΒ Britain's national diving teamΒ and competed forΒ EnglandΒ in theΒ 1990 Commonwealth Games. Shortly after, he was asked to model forΒ French Connection,Β Tommy Hilfiger, andΒ Levi'sΒ in various advertising campaigns.
Statham's history of working at market stalls inspired his casting in theΒ Guy RitchieΒ crime filmsΒ Lock, Stock and Two Smoking BarrelsΒ (1998) andΒ SnatchΒ (2000). Both films were commercial hits, and they helped catapult Statham to stardom.Β He played supporting roles in the American action filmsΒ Turn It UpΒ (2000),Β Ghosts of MarsΒ andΒ The OneΒ (2001). From 2002 to 2008, he played the title role in the first three films in theΒ TransporterΒ film seriesΒ (2002β2008), which solidified his status as an action star. In 2003, he appeared in the ensemble heist action filmΒ The Italian Job. He went on to play leading roles in the commercially successful filmsΒ Crank (2006),Β The Bank JobΒ (2008),Β The MechanicΒ (2011),Β HomefrontΒ (2013),Β Mechanic: Resurrection (2016),Β The MegΒ (2018),Β Wrath of ManΒ (2021),Β Meg 2: The TrenchΒ (2023), andΒ The Beekeeper (2024).
Statham has also starred as Lee Christmas in the ensemble action film seriesΒ The Expendables (2010β2023) and asΒ Deckard ShawΒ in theΒ Fast & FuriousΒ franchiseΒ (2013β2023), including the spin-offΒ Hobbs & ShawΒ (2019), which he co-produced. His voice acting work includes the documentariesΒ Thai Boxing: A Fighting ChanceΒ (2002),Β Truth in 24Β (2008) and itsΒ 2012 sequel, and the animated filmΒ Gnomeo & JulietΒ (2011).
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