Jason Statham (born July 26, 1967) is an English actor best known for starring in blockbuster action movies. Throughout his 25-year career, Statham has brought in nearly $1.8 billion in worldwide ticket sales. Born in Shirebrook, Derbyshire, Statham was a member of Britain’s National Diving Squad for 12 years before pivoting to modeling. His career changed once again when Guy Ritchie hired him for the 1998 crime comedy “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.” Statham was initially set to train the actors in diving, but Ritchie saw potential in him and offered him a main role. Statham reunited with Ritchie a couple of years later for “Snatch,” also starring Brad Pitt and Alan Ford, and then got his big break in 2002 with the “Transporter” action series, which showcased Statham’s stunt and martial arts capabilities, as well as his magnetic screen presence. Statham went on to book more blockbuster franchises, starring in “The Expendables” opposite Dolph Lundgren, Bruce Willis, Mickey Rourke, Terry Crews and eventually Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone. He also boarded the “Fast & Furious” series as Deckard Shaw, earning his own spinoff movie with Dwayne Johnson. Continuing his run as one of the most prolific movie stars of the 21st century, Statham plastered his face on action movie posters like “The Bank Job,” “13,” “Blitz,” “Hummingbird,” “Homefront,” “Wild Card” and a dozen more. He lent his voice to the animated “Gnomeo & Juliet” and played against type in the Melissa McCarthy comedy “Spy.” In recent years, Statham battled a giant shark in “The Meg” and “Meg 2: The Trench,” and he kicked off 2024 with the action-thriller “The Beekeeper.”