New images with Jason Statham, “from another life”. Before he was the tough guy in action movies, he fought for 10 years for another dream that remained unfulfilled

Published article 01 April 2024

Before he became an actor and one of the biggest action movie stars, Jason Statham had other desires and aspirations.

“Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels” is the movie that “threw” Jason Statham into the big world of Hollywood. “Crank”, “Transporter”, “Fast & Furious” series or “The Mechanic” followed, films that brought him not only millions of fans, but also millions of dollars in accounts.

Before he was on the red carpet and in the spotlight, Statham was one step away from becoming famous in a completely different field: sports. Eight years before he starred in his first film, “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels”, directed by Guy Ritchie, the then 23-year-old Jason’s dream was to make it to the Olympics.

Also read: Jason Statham, caught by the paparazzi on an ordinary day at the gas station, while filling up his car. The star of “The Mechanic”, discreet about his personal life

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According to the Daily Mail, who dug into the archives and found footage of Jason Statham from more than 30 years ago, in 1990, he participated in the Commonwealth Games in New Zealand. The athlete then represented England in three diving events, placing in the top 11.

Jason Statham has repeatedly said that sport was one of the reasons why he became successful in Hollywood. “I think what I didn’t achieve in sports helped me focus and take my film career more seriously,” he said in 2008.

Also read: Jason Statham and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, endless vacation in Europe. The discreet stars who have been in love for 12 years, photographed by the paparazzi with their five-year-old son

Statham liked not only water jumping. He practiced karate and kickboxing. As a teenager, while on vacation in Miami, he saw an athlete doing high jumps. He told his mother that he wanted to do the same, so back home in the UK she enrolled him in a sports club. In less than a year he was part of the national team and continued with this sport for 10 years. In 1985 he obtained the right to represent his country in international competitions. His great desire was to reach the Olympic Games, but the attempts in 1988 and 1992 ended in failure. “It’s a sensitive point that I didn’t make it to the Olympics”he used to say years ago.