Hollywood star Jason Statham was steps away from being an Olympian but trashed it for becoming an action star.

The man who kept the fire burning in the action film sphere after the era of Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger dimmed, is Jason Statham. Starring in several action blockbusters like The Expendables, Transporter, and Homefront, Statham has etched his name in the industry. However, the actor’s original plan was different.

Otherwise a severely private person, the English actor once shared a candid glimpse into his past. Statham revealed in an interview that he always intended to be not an actor, but a stuntman. He even drifted towards the world of athletics, a few steps closer to the Olympics, but retraced his steps.

Jason Statham switched from an athlete to an actor

Vin Diesel and Jason Statham

Talking to The Guardian in 2013, after his then-latest film Hummingbird was released, the 56-year-old star appeared all cheerful and chatty, unlike his on-screen gritty characters. Jason Statham’s private life had been largely unknown by the world, more so, his people warned anyone willing to ask questions about his past life. Regardless, Stuart Heritage of The Guardian did it and the results were sunny.

Asking what’s the essence of Statham, the actor delightfully unraveled his past, his true ambition, and how he almost made it to the Olympics. Statham recalled,

“I wanted to throw myself off a f*****g cliff and parachute away like The Spy Who Loved Me.”

Speaking of his athletic stint, the actor shared that he was inspired to become a diver after he saw a man perform high dives in a hotel pool every day. Statham disclosed,

“I remember being on holiday in Florida and seeing a chap do a high dive in the hotel pool at noon every day. He’d done this sort of reverse layout and I was like, ‘F**k! I’d love to do that!’”

Eventually, the Death Race actor became the world’s 12th-best diver. Interestingly, he wasn’t willing to invest another 4 years in the sport and retired before he could represent the UK at the Olympics.

A chance encounter that changed Jason Statham’s life

Jason Statham

After Statham retired from diving, he was pretty much out of any profession. Among other things, he even tried hawking cheap jewelry on London streets. Nevertheless, the humble profession got him to the bigger one. A director Guy Richie spotted him and offered him a role in his debut feature Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels. Recollecting the memory, Statham said,

“It was just one of those chance things, I stopped diving, sat down, didn’t do much for a while, and then I got a part in a film. I was like, ‘F*****g how the hell did this happen?’”

The action star acknowledged that his luck was greatly in his favor, which turned him into a $90 million star. Although, it is worth noting that his talents got him where he is today, as he seized every possible opportunity to shine in the world of action. 2024 will see Statham’s upcoming film The Beekeeper early in January.