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He has built a career on high-speed chases, bruising fight scenes and gravity-defying stunts, but Jason Statham says that even after decades in action cinema, he is still determined to push himself “a little bit further than the last time”.
Speaking to BBC News at the premiere of his latest film Shelter, Statham admitted that his commitment to doing his own stunts has sometimes comes at a cost.
“There have been a lot of stunts where I went too far,” he says.
“When you get hurt, a lot of the time you think, ‘why did I do that, why didn’t I get a stunt man to do that?’
“I’ve hurt my neck a few times, I’ve hurt a lot of things a few times and that reminds you of your mistakes.”
Even so, the 58-year-old, who has two young children with model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, shows little inclination to step back from the physical demands of his work and has an “in for a penny, in for a pound” mentality.
“I like to get in front of the camera and do as much as I can,” he explains. “I’ve spent many years learning different disciplines and given I have the technical skills to take on these complex action sequences, I like to get stuck in.”
Reflecting on age and longevity, he adds that he’s “not that old”.
“As you get into your later years you’re less bouncy than when you were 25, but I’m still going,” he laughs, adding that his secret to longevity is “lots of physio.”
Shelter sees Statham play a reclusive former assassin whose isolated life is shattered when rescuing a young girl forces him to confront violent enemies and the past he tried to escape.
He says what makes this film different is that it has more of a “thriller element” to it compared to straight action films.
Director Ric Waugh agrees and says the film “punches you in the gut”.
“I don’t like using visual effects where nothing feels real anymore – I make films where everything is real, authentic and grounded because that’s what gets people emotionally gripped,” he explains.
One of the film’s most challenging moments involved an open-sea rescue sequence, which Statham described as particularly punishing.
“That pushed me really physically,” he says.
“It’s hard to make under water work look good and anyone will know that swimming with a jacket and size 10 boots on isn’t easy.”
Despite the intensity of the stunts, Statham says nerves are no longer something he struggles with.
“There’s nothing to be nervous about anymore, I’ve done it for a few too many years now.”
He describes the few nerves he does feel as good ones which comes from a “desire to do something good and get it right”.
Statham also jokes that audiences “will be sick of me by the end of the year” as he stars in several films being released in 2026 including Mutiny and a sequel to The Beekeeper.
He will also star in Viva La Madness, which reunites him with director Guy Ritchie.
“I own Ritchie a lot as he started my career so I’m excited to be back with him,” he says, though he wouldn’t give anything else away about the project other than that filming will start next week.
