Jason Statham is back kicking some ass this week as Safe is released on DVD & Blu-Ray on Monday.
- How come you go for movies like this, like a British Clint Eastwood, where you seem to be shooting anybody with an accent?
Ha! Hey, I'm doin' what I'm doin'. And I'm chugging away. But you gotta be careful mentioning people as great as Clint Eastwood! You can't put me in the same sentence as that man.
- How come you're always a man of few words in these action movies?
It's what's on the page, you know? You can't say more than what they write!
- How do you get physically fit for action roles?
You have to be in shape, because injuries happen far too often. And be as resilient as your body can be to those oncoming injuries. Because they're gonna come.
And you know, the stronger you are, the less chance they have of affecting you. So yeah, you really have to concentrate. you know, throw a bit of dedication into the mix.
So get down to the gym. And do some training. Get ready. And don't go out. Stop boozing! And then you'll be okay.
- Do you have your own regimen?
It's not so much a regimen. We work with an action crew. And it varies so much, which makes it interesting. If you do the same thing all the time, it'll drive you to boredom.
- Do you add anything at all to your character, and to what is already there?
I have a sensitive feel for what feels right. And in the physical action, I definitely had a large input with that. Yeah...
- What was the big challenge with Safe?
If there's one punch you miss, you had to go back and do it again. So it can be very...tiring!
But I liked the subway fight, and all the nasty thugs that ensue. It was very inventive. And quite painful for a few stuntmen!
- How about working with that young girl?
Yeah. I love it when they have a very young girl who acts really grownup.
There's something quite odd about it - you talk to them like a grownup and they talk to you like a grownup. But that's when the chemistry comes. And it really works. Yep.
- Do you think of your character Luke as dark?
This guy? Yeah. But in the end he leaves the position he's in, because he doesn't like the corruption around him. He leaves for a wholesome reason.
And then he does things that he's not really proud of. But I don't think he's as dark as any of the people that he ends up straightening out.
I mean, he does go to a place where he's almost about to kill himself. But everything that meant anything to him was taken away. So for sure, he was in a very dark place.
- Do you relate to him personally at all?
I'm never gonna go there. I'm normally on the safe side of the fence. And you know, never to the point of throwing in the towel.
- How do you prep to play somebody like Luke Wright?
It's all about talking with the director about, you know, all the different points that you're going to get stuck into. And obviously there's the physical choreography that has to take place.
- Is there less pressure going solo in a movie like Safe, than when you're with a bunch of other guys like in The Expendables?
God, yeah. I suppose. With The Expendables, you've got such a massive, brilliant, you know, action stars. And who have made some of the greatest action movies of all time.
So you're in for the ride with those people. And in a movie like Safe, I'm on my own. Yeah. Screwed!
- How was it teaming up with Sly again for The Expendables 2?
He was very chilled out. Yeah. Sly had a great time on this one.
And actors just come in and go out. But for a director, it's a few years of their bloody lives. It's a real big gig.
- What was it like filming in Philly?
You know what? When you're on location, you never absorb any of it. I mean, one of the things about shooting in Philly, is you're there, you work and you go home.
It's work, work, work. And one of the things that people overlook about making movies, is that you're so exhausted that all you're doing is crawling into bed, and then crawling out of bed. And going to work all day. But working in Philly and NY, it's a great part of the world to be in.
Safe is released on DVD & Blu-Ray 10th September
Tagged in Jason Statham