Jason Statham was born on 26 July 1967 in Shirebrook, Derbyshire, the son of Eileen (née Yates), a dancer, and Barry Statham, a street seller. His father also worked odd jobs as a house painter, coal miner, and singer in the Canary Islands. He moved to Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, where he initially chose not to follow his father’s career working the local market stalls, instead practising martial arts. He grew up with football player Vinnie Jones, alongside whom he would later act. Jones introduced him to football, and Statham went on to play for the local grammar school (1978–1983), which he had attended since the age of 11, a passion that he shared with diving.
He practiced daily in perfecting his diving techniques, and was a member of Britain’s National Swimming Squad for twelve years. Statham competed for England at the 1990 Commonwealth Games in the 10 meter, 3 meter, and 1 meter competitions. He said in a 2003 IGN interview that his time with the national squad was “a great experience” and one that “teaches you discipline, focus, and certainly keeps you out of trouble”.
