Jason Statham: the career so far - in pictures

Jason Statham was born in Sydenham, south London, in 1967. He was spotted by a modelling agency when competing for the British national diving team. During a gig modelling for French Connection, he was introduced to Guy Ritchie, who gave Statham an audition for the part of Bacon, a street-wise con artist in Ritchie's 1998 directorial debut Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. Statham had spent some time in his youth hawking slightly dodgy goods, so he was a natural and shone in the role Photograph: Handmade Films/Allstar

Statham worked for Ritchie again in 2000 in Snatch alongside Stephen Graham and Brad Pitt, his first brush with Hollywood royalty Photograph: Columbia/Allstar

Statham's first role for an established director was as Sgt Jericho Butler in the fab John Carpenter's 2001 b-flick Ghosts of Mars. Here, Ice Cube gets touchy-feely Photograph: Sony/Allstar

Statham has always held martial arts stars from the east in high regard. He has cited Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan as major heroes and his martial arts ability has seen him fit right in with that celebrated company. Here he is with another great exponent of chop-socky, Jet Li, in 2001's The One Photograph: Columbia/Allstar

Statham's first successful starring role was in 2002's The Transporter. A man of few words and fewer scruples until he meets Lai, played by Qi Shu Photograph: 20th Century Fox/Allstar

2003's well-received remake of the classic The Italian Job, saw Statham, playing Handsome Rob, hold his own alongside the more illustrious names Donald Sutherland, Charlize Theron, Edward Norton and Mark Wahlberg Photograph: Paramount/Allstar

Training as an athlete and in mixed martial arts and kickboxing means Statham is more than able to do all his own stunts, just like this from 2005's Transporter 2. 'I've spent all those years learning how to do certain skills, and then that competitive spirit kicks in and you want to do the stunts. Basically, it's the the male competitive ego at work' Photograph: 20th Century Fox/Allstar

A rare shot indeed. Statham once again worked with Guy Ritchie in 2005's Revolver, written by Ritchie and Luc Besson. The film was poorly received and the hair hasn't been seen since Photograph: Photos 12/Alamy

Now we're talking! In 2006's Crank, Statham plays professional assassin Chev Chelios, who learns his rival has injected him with a poison that will kill him if his heart rate drops. So, in this scene, he is forcing a doctor to zap him
Photograph: Lionsgate/Allstar

In 2008, Statham enjoyed critical success with The Bank Job, a film loosely based on an historic London bank caper from the 1970s. Statham, although still playing a streetwise cockney ducker and diver with stubble, proved what a good actor he can be and, what's more, his character's name is Terry Leather! Photograph: Lionsgate/Allstar

In 2008's Death Race, a remake of 1975 cult classic Death Race 2000, Statham revelled in the guise of David Carradine's driver Frankenstein Photograph: Universal/Allstar

Chev Chelios is back in 2009's Crank: High Voltage. The action becomes even more cartoonish as Statham has his organs harvested and for the rest of the film he tries to track down his heart while charging the battery he is using as a temporary replacement Photograph: Lionsgate/Allstar

In Crank: High Voltage, that battery needs recharging... regularly Photograph: Lionsgate/Allstar

In 2010's The Expendables, a CIA operative hires a team of mercenaries to eliminate a Latin dictator and a renegade CIA agent. Those mercenaries were a supergroup of action heroes. Statham, Sylvester Stallone, Dolph Lundgren, Jet Li et al Photograph: Lionsgate/Allstar

This gallery wouldn't be complete without a picture of Statham walking away from an explosion. He starred in 2011's The Mechanic, a remake of the classic Charles Bronson thriller from 1972 Photograph: CBS Films/Allstar

A bit of light relief came in 2011's Gnomeo & Juliet, where his trademark gravelly voice is perfect for the lawnmower-racing baddy Tybalt Photograph: PR

Statham was back on more familiar territory in Killer Elite. Starring alongside Robert De Niro and Clive Owen, Statham plays a retired member of Britain's elite Special Air Service who is forced into action when his mentor is taken captive Photograph: Sportsphoto Ltd/Allstar

2012 saw the release of The Expendables 2, with added Schwarzenegger. The next instalment of the hit franchise is out next year Photograph: Nu Image Films/Allstar

Donald E Westlake, under the name Richard Stark, wrote many novels featuring career criminal Parker. The most well known film adaptation is 1967's classic Point Blank directed by John Boorman and starring Lee Marvin. Westlake wouldn't allow the use of the name Parker, so Marvin's charachter was called Walker. Following Westlake's death his widow agreed to the use of the name as long as more of the books were adapted for film. This year Statham took the title role in the simply named Parker Photograph: Film District/Allstar

Statham's latest film is Hummingbird, in which he plays a homeless, damaged ex-special forces soldier on the run from a military court martial, navigating London's criminal underworld. See what Mark Kermode thinks about it here Photograph: Lionsgate/Allstar