Jason Statham stars in new Amazon Prime film, Wrath of Man – the typically testosterone-fuelled title from director Guy Ritchie’s new action thriller which arrives on Amazon Prime Video in the UK on December 10.
Hollywood hunk Statham plays undercover crime boss Patrick Hill – aka H – in the revenge thriller, and the stellar cast also includes Josh Hartnett, Niamh Algar, Scott Eastwood and Jason’s fellow Brit, Eddie Marsan.
Wrath of Man sees Statham reunite with Ritchie, who gave him his first acting break over two decades ago, casting him in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) and Snatch (2000).
Daily Star takes a look at Jason Statham’s life.
Life before film
Born on July 26, 1967 in Derbyshire, Jason was a fan of martial arts, particularly kickboxing and karate, in his youth.
He went on to become a diver and actually competed in the 1990 Commonwealth Games, representing England.
Jason then had a career as a catalogue and fashion model and was working on a market stall when the up and coming film director Guy Ritchie spotted him.
Action man
As well as Ritchie’s Brit crime capers, Statham has starred in a number of big Hollywood films.
He’s made bad guys wish they’d never been born in high-stakes movies including the Transporter trilogy, Crank, The Expendables series and The Fast and the Furious franchise.
In 2018 the dependable action antihero was described by the BBC as a “billion dollar box office success” and :one of the most bankable stars in the world”.
Near-death crash
Statham almost drowned in 2013 while preparing a stunt scene for The Expendables 3.
The action man was driving a truck towards the sea when the brakes failed and he crashed over the wall.
He tried to get out of the vehicle — which was in five to 10 metres of water — through an open window, but panicked when his gun holster got stuck.
The former diver described it as “a nasty, nasty experience” and said: “From that day on, I’ve been so appreciative of life and being able to walk on the ground. I think we all need [an experience] like that; one that puts things in perspective.”
Read the fine print
Statham reportedly had a clause in his Fast & Furious contracts prohibiting him from being beaten up too badly.
The Rock apparently had the script tweaked to have his character sit down on the floor – instead of lying – after taking a beating during one fight.
Meanwhile, Vin Diesel reportedly devised a complicated rating system tallying how many times each actor was kicked, punched or head butted.
Michael Fottrell, a producer on five of the Fast & Furious movies, confirmed to the Wall Street Journal that the system ensured that nobody came out on top overall.
Personal life
Statham famously dated model Kelly Brook from 1998 until 2004 and they even got engaged before calling it quits.
He has been in a relationship with the model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley since 2010.
The couple met and feel for each other while filming Transformers: Dark of the Moon in 2010. They have been engaged for five years.
Jason and Rosie have a son, Jack Oscar, born in 2017. They are currently expecting another child.
The couple recently returned to the UK after years of living in LA. They are now in a £7.5million home in London’s Chelsea.
And it’s estimated that Jason is worth $90million (£68m).
Wrath of Man is available from December 10 on Amazon Prime Video
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
