•Jason Statham, who stars in films including Mutiny and The Beekeeper, has appeared in nearly 60 movies since his acting debut in 1998 — yet fans have long noted that he largely plays the same kind of character. Now, Statham has offered a detailed explanation for why his roles are so similar.
The London-born actor got into sports early on, focusing on diving and swimming, which led to work with a sports-modeling agency while he sold jewelry on the street, as his father had. During one modeling job he was spotted by director Guy Ritchie, who cast him in Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels — launching what has become a prolific action career.
A candid answer about typecasting
In 2017, Statham was a guest on the Jim and Sam Show, hosted by Jim Norton and Sam Roberts. When asked whether he had ever been offered roles playing a completely different kind of character — given that his typical parts involve little dialogue and fast-paced action — he joked about the possibility.
“A mathematician that’s going through a bitter divorce or something? No, I don’t get offered those [roles]!”
Jason Statham on the Jim and Sam Show
He said he doesn’t receive such offers, but added that he wouldn’t want to play them anyway.
“I’m not really an actor”
While some actors push themselves into new territory, Statham says he’s content with his signature tough-guy roles and a mysterious-past persona. He also doesn’t consider himself a trained performer.
“I only want to do things that I think I could do a good job at… I’m not really some thespian that can adopt and chameleon himself into different roles. I just got into this by being in the right place at the right time… I got plucked from obscurity into the movie industry.”
Jason Statham
He acknowledged lacking the years of training other actors have invested, but said he’s comfortable with that.
“A lot of the characters I play are pretty similar in some ways. I get a lot of the physical roles because I can do all that. So there’s an authenticity with that, so I tend to stick with that.”
Jason Statham
Statham said he has moved somewhat outside his comfort zone for certain projects — such as Hummingbird, where his character still possesses strong fighting skills and a military background — and in Paul Feig’s comedy-action film Spy. But he prefers accepting roles he feels confident about.
Upcoming roles
That approach appears to be paying off. Statham will reprise two well-known action characters in upcoming films, first as Adam Clay in The Beekeeper 2 and then as Deckard Shaw in Fast & Furious spinoff titles. He’ll also take on a meta role — playing Jason Statham himself — in David Leitch’s film.
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