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There were action stars, and then there were action heroes. Such heroes were forever linked not only to the role they originated, but also become a part of popular culture – Sylvester Stallone as “Rocky” (1976) and Arnold Schwarzenegger as “Terminator” (1984) to name a few. Though not quite as iconic as the big screen heroes who had come before him, there was no doubt British bad-ass Jason Statham, in his own way, owned a role that became uniquely his – that of “The Transporter” (2002).Born on Sept. 12, 1972, in Sydenham, England, Statham grew up in the borough of Lewisham, located southeast of London. As the second son of a lounge singer and a dressmaker-turned-dancer, it seemed as if Statham was destined for a career in entertainment. Growing up, he even learned and eventually mastered the art of “street theater,” more commonly known as hustling tourists in London’s Oxford Street district.Statham turned a different leaf during his teens, as a high diver. He was a member of Britain’s National Diving Squad for 10 years. During this time, Statham joined the British Olympic Diving Team for the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, Korea and finished in 12th place for the 1992 World Championships.Because of his athletic build and leading man good looks, a talent agent discovered Statham in the late nineties. He was training at London’s Crystal Palace National Sports Centre at the time. Soon after, he landed a modeling gig in an advertising campaign for the clothing retail brand French Connection. He also appeared in a commercial for denim brand giant, Levi’s. As luck would have it, French Connection was an investor in an independent movie titled “Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels” (1998), directed by a pre-Madonna Guy Ritchie. The owner of French Connection introduced Statham to Ritchie, who immediately recognized the role of con artist Bacon seemed a perfect fit for the athlete-turned-actor.Statham’s audition for “Lock, Stock” was far from traditional. Ritchie asked his actor to impersonate an illegal street vendor and to convince him to buy imitation jewelry. Ritchie was so impressed with Statham’s selling skills, that he bought four sets of the jewelry. When Ritchie tried to return the wares to Statham, the actor would not budge, making him keep his purchases like any good street vendor. Ritchie had no choice but to cast him in the crime film immediately.Instant friends, Statham and Ritchie worked together again in 2000 for another crime movie set in England, “Snatch.” A follow up film for both Statham and Ritchie, the cult classic also cast American superstar Brad Pitt and Academy Award-winner Benicio Del Toro. This time, Statham took on the role of Turkish, the film’s narrator. “Snatch” eventually earned more than $80 million in the box office, and made Statham a familiar face in the big screen. Hot off of his “Snatch” success, he co-starred in the movie “Turn It Up” (2000) alongside hip-hop stars Pras and JaRule. He was equally busy in 2001, appearing in smaller roles in two movies – as a futuristic policeman in “John Carpenter’s Ghosts of Mars” and “The One” with martial arts legend Jet Li.In 2002, Statham was cast as driver and tough guy Frank Martin in “The Transporter.” The action and crime feature became Statham’s breakthrough role, making him an audience favorite for his action-packed fight scenes, as well as his good looks and everyday-guy charm. Fans wanted a working class James Bond – someone with street smarts and bigger muscles than Agent 007. Statham was just the package moviegoers longed for at that time, with another extraordinary skill. He did his own stunts for “The Transporter,” including car chases, scuba diving, and bare-knuckle fighting sequences.The successful remake of “The Italian Job” (2003) further solidified Statham as the millennium-tough go-to-guy. Playing Handsome Rob in the thrilling heist film that also starred box office favorites Mark Wahlberg and Charlize Theron, Statham’s role again called for a lot of stunt driving in the film. After his tough-to-beat training for “Transporter,” “Italian Job” stunts were a piece of cake for the actor.In 2004, Statham went more mainstream, taking on a bad guy role for “Cellular,” starring teen heartthrob Chris Evans and Academy Award winner Kim Basinger. Statham played the lead kidnapper in the movie, and proved he could play the villain and still look good doing it. However, the film fizzled at the box office.During his hot streak onscreen, off-screen women could not get enough of Statham, as well. He dated British model-actress Kelly Brook for seven years. The couple eventually split, and Statham briefly dated singer and actress Sophie Monk in 2005 – both relationships examined intensely by the brutal British tabloids.Movie fans wanted more Statham in 2005, so he returned with a vengeance in “The Transporter 2.” The sequel once again showed Statham could deliver an action movie with heart, as this time, his character Frank Martin had to protect a young boy and his family from kidnappers. Statham re-teamed with “Cellular” costar Evans in the drama “London” (2005), and also – for the third time with mentor Ritchie in “Revolver” (2005), but the film was not released in American theaters.In 2006, Statham starred in yet another remake, “The Pink Panther.” Although his scene was very short, audiences recognized him immediately amongst bigger stars Steve Martin, Kevin Kline and Beyoncé Knowles. Thankfully, Statham returned as a leading man-in-jeopardy for the film “Crank,” where his character Chev Chelios must keep his heart rate up to prevent a poison injected in his body from killing him.Much like his role in “Crank,” Statham showed no signs of slowing down in 2007, with various movies lined up, including the period adventure film “In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale” – a costumed picture which would temporarily relieve Statham of his omnipresent tailored Italian suits. He then went head to head with Li in the martial arts movie “Rogue,” and back to robbing banks in “Baker Street.” The latter movie was based on a real life London heist that inspired the various incarnations of “Ocean’s Eleven” movies – both the 1960 and 2001 versions