Hollywood star Jason Statham, celebrated for starring in action films like The Transporter and the Fast & Furious franchise, has taken a stand for stunt performers in the industry. While many Hollywood actors claim to do their own stunts, there are several incidents when the stunt-men and body doubles take their place for some critical sequences.
However, the 56-year-old actor expressed his disappointment with their lack of acknowledgment in the film industry and shared his concern about the same during an interview with Vanity Fair.
Jason Statham Advocates for Stunt Performers’ Recognition
Before he became an action star in Hollywood, Jason Statham spent 12 years on the British national diving team. Apart from competing on the 10-meter platform and the 3-meter springboard, the actor is also an expert in kickboxing, wing chun, and karate.
He even reportedly considered being a stuntman before pursuing an acting career and is known for doing his own stunts. During a 2013 interview with Vanity Fair, The Expendables actor shared his concern regarding the lack of recognition for stuntmen in the film industry.
Talking about the stunt coordinator Jack Gill’s effort to get an Oscar category for their craft, the actor said, “I think it is an overlooked category.” He explained that these stunt coordinators and stuntmen are behind some of the greatest films. However, they still don’t get recognition for the work they do. Statham also stated how “poncy actors” get all the credit, pretending that they’re doing the stunts.
“I mean, all of the stunt men—these are the unsung heroes,” he said before adding, “Nobody is giving them any credibility. They’re risking their necks.” The Homefront star called it a total injustice, saying that he has trained with these stunt coordinators and knows how much effort they put into their work.
Jason Statham Addressed the Fast & Furious 9 Stuntman Injury
Fast and Furious 9 stuntman Joe Watts suffered an unfortunate accident during its production. The stuntman reportedly fell from a height of over 20 feet on a concrete floor. He suffered a serious head injury.
When asked about it, Jason Statham called the accident “awful” and called the stuntmen the unsung heroes. “It’s awful for the families when someone gets really hurt,” he said during an interview with Extra before adding that they put themselves in danger to make “other people look good.”
Joe Watts later sued the producers of Fast and Furious 9 for more than $1.2 million in damage after suffering life-changing injuries while on the set. Due to his injuries, he was no longer able to work as a stuntman. Earlier this year, Variety reported that the producers of the film admitted liability over the accident.
“It is admitted that the sole cause of the accident was the negligence of [FF9 Pictures Limited] its servants or agents or those for whom it is vicariously liable,” the company said in their defense filing. Watts said that he is grateful that FF9 Pictures has admitted its liability and urged the industry to make movie sets safer.
