Everyone knows him as the Transporter after having starred in the movie series of the same name. This British action heart throb is all set to transport his audience to another level of high octane action sequences with his latest movie – The Expendables 3. Starring alongside some of Hollywood’s biggest action heroes such as Harrison Ford, Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Mel Gibson, Jason is all set to rock the big screen with some explosive punches and some really big bangs! Here are some excerpts from an exclusive interview.
1) You were in Expendables 1, Expendables 2, and now this is a hat-trick of sorts for you with Sylvester Stallone and his third in the same franchise. What sets apart this installment of Expendables from the previous 2?
It’s probably the biggest action movie to ever be made. I’ll say this for all the right reasons, you know, the people in it we know, Sly and all of them, everybody’s back, but this time around you know you have got Mel Gibson, Wesley Snipes, Harrison Ford and I mean the list goes on. It’s never been seen to have that assemblage of so many significant faces of heroes.
2) Your co-star Terry Crews said in an interview that you had a near fatal accident on the sets while performing a stunt where your truck fell into the Black Sea with you behind the wheel. Tell s something more about it.
I’ll not answer coz there are a few things going on around at the moment regarding that incident. So, I won’t be spilling the beans, not on this occasion.
3) Most of the old crew is back with this installment of the Expendables. Arnie, you even Jet Li. Tell us about the experience of working with these heroes and what the atmosphere is like on the set.
(mimicking Arnold’s voice) I’m back! (normal voice) Yeah, I’m back regardless. There’s no question. I mean, we have such a laughter in those films and the action is just…you can get away with anything. It’s so over the top. What we sometimes lack for in story comes back in something else. And people are just lining up to be a part of it. It’s great.
4) This is already a dream cast that Sly has got together. There were rumours that even Jackie Chan would be on board this one. Are there specific action heroes that you would like to work with?
There’s a ton. But the thing is, the magic wand comes from Sly. He will either “yes” you or “no” you. So yeah, Expendables 3. Here we go. Strap yourselves in!
5) Who do you feel the audience connects with better when it comes to movies? The character or the actor? It’s the characters people really care about in stories. You know sly likes to write about heroes. He’s been a hero for his whole career. So no one knows right about heroes better than Sly.
6) How would you describe the relationship between your character lee and Sylvester Stallone’s Barney? Has it changed from the previous installments of the movie?
You know it’s obviously an interview that has stood the test of time. You know they obviously have a different feeling about women in particular and relationships. I’m trying to get one and he is so jaded that he can’t try and get himself into this non-sense. SO you know in between the two there’s sort of a place that they are in you know we’ve got this thing going on and it’s quite really funny.
7) With such magnanimous personalities around on set, it must have been difficult to not get influenced by them. Who were you most influenced by while filming the movie?
You know it’s that you have enough respect just coz Sly’s been a movie star for all these years, but when you look underneath that, you know he’s a film maker, a director, he’s a writer you know that’s received awards you know, for what he does with a pen, so nobody knows how to make thses kind of movies better than him. So it’s great to be around that kind of influence.
8) Jason Statham is all action and guns and explosions. What would you think about playing a romantic role? I never get a chance to be romantic. I’m just hitting people in the head and saying ‘I’m the police, gimme the car keys!” so yeah, I guess it would be an interesting prospect to consider.
9) It must be a grueling task to maintain the kind of physique required to pull off the stunts that you do, but you seem to have done that well. Tell us your secrets on maintain that killer body!
Its uh, sort of you know I have been involved in training and sports activities, for years and years and you know I come from that sort of background do it’s all so specific you know a dozen weeks or 8 weeks. it just depends on what the role is, or if u have to learn a skill.
10) There’s been a trend in action movies more recently for ensemble casts, like your Expendables in movies and the one you’ve recently joined, The Fast And The Furious. How does it differ for you from movies like Parker or Hummingbird, where you’re the lone central role?
I mean, it’s a walk in the park in terms of what kind of pressure you have, because you’re in something that’s already a juggernaut of success. It’s great, you can turn up, fart around and it’s no pressure. But, at the same time, you lose an element. Something like Hummingbird, you know, you do eight, nine weeks in the heart of London. You’re working with a small crew. It’s great. For me it’s the best kind of work, I love it. But, at the end of the day, the insurance of working with a big, already successful franchise just gives you the chance to do other things, on a more personal level. You know, we just acquired the rights to JJ Connolly’s new book, Viva La Madness. So, without doing the big blockbusters I wouldn’t be able to find the money to go after little projects that I want to do.
11) Actually, I’ve read about this. This is part of your new production company that you’ve started. Yeah. Instead of sitting around waiting for decent stuff to come your way, sometimes you have to go after it. That’s the situation we’re in; we’re trying to find things in case shit don’t land on your lap.
