“They’re Risking Their Heads”: Jason Statham Calls for a New Oscar Category for the “Unsung Movie Heroes”

The series “Transporter”, “The Expendables”, “Fast & Furious”: the list of franchises with Jason Statham is long. The 56-year-old has become one of the most reliable sources for strong action cinema, and with ‘Fast & Furious 10’ and ‘Meg 2’ he has two hits to his name this year alone. But Statham originally didn’t want to be an actor, he wanted to be a stuntman.

Now he’s become a bit of both: Although Statham – who was a member of the British national diving team for 12 years and is skilled in both kickboxing and karate – doesn’t perform in the background but is a star in front of the camera, he is known for performing of most of his own stunts. Yet he has not forgotten what an enormous achievement lies behind the work of stunt doubles: after all, they sometimes risk their lives so that the real star can shine on the screen. In an interview with Statham has complained about what he believes is a lack of recognition for stunt people – and he already has an idea of ​​how that could change…

Jason Statham: Oscars for stunt people instead of “show-off actors”!

Stunt coordinator Jack Gill (“Bad Boys 2,” “The Gray Man”) was the first to publicly advocate for stunt people to get their own Oscar category — finally bringing them out of the shadows and into the spotlight. A demand Statham agrees with. “It’s an overlooked area,” the “Crank” star said. “I mean, all the stunt people – they’re the unsung heroes. No one really gives them credit. They risk their heads.” Ultimately, some “showy actors” would get all the credit for making the audience believe that they had ventured into dangerous situations.

An accident on the set of ‘Fast & Furious 9’ illustrates how dangerous the work of a stunt double actually is: Stuntman Joe Watts fell from a height of more than six meters onto a concrete floor and suffered serious head injuries. It is pure luck that the incident was not fatal; the consequences will stay with Watts for the rest of his life. He sued the film’s producers for more than $1.2 million in damages after it became clear he would no longer be able to practice his profession in the future due to “life-changing injuries.”