Jason Statham

British director "Guy Ritchie" frequently attributes the success of his unorthodox crime films -- 1998's "Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels", 2000's "Snatch" -- to the fact that his offbeat miscreants are more than believable, they are real. Preferring to cast for authenticity rather than resumé, "Ritchie" handpicks many of his actors from the true-life cult figures and rascals of London's underbelly. Actor "Jason Statham" is among the best of them.

A one-time Olympic diver, fashion model, and black-market salesman, Statham came to acting by way of commercials and "street theater" -- a euphemism for hustling tourists on London's Oxford Street. Raised in Syndenham, London, he was the second son of a lounge singer and a dressmaker turned dancer. Although Statham had the familial background to go immediately into entertainment, he excelled first on the high dive. He was a member of the 1988... Full Biography