Jason Statham’s journey to becoming an action hero was interesting. Statham competed as a diver for many years while growing up in England. He spent 12 years as a member of the British National Swimming Squad and participated in the 1990 Commonwealth Games, a spoof Olympics for British nations and territories.

Let’s move on to the important part now: Continue reading to view our ranking of the top 10 Jason Statham films.

The Meg (2018)

In this high-gloss creature picture about a big shark that escapes from a deep-sea trench, Statham uses his aquatic expertise to good use. While battling the titular beast, Statham mixes up his typical gruff hero persona by displaying some remarkable diving skills. Furthermore, how can you dispute when our guy is facing off against a long-extinct great white?

After spending more than 20 years in production hell, Statham and a cast that appealed to audiences around the world—including Li Bingbing, Cliff Curtis, and Rainn Wilson—helped The Meg escape, earning more than $500 million at the box office and paving the way for the upcoming 2023 sequel.

The Fate of the Furious (2017)

Statham was asked back for the following film after stealing the show as the antagonist Deckard Shaw in Furious 7, bringing his trademark intensity and a hint of menace to the increasingly sterile franchise. Even while many fans found it difficult to accept Shaw into the family (justice for Han! ), he has been a welcome addition.

The finest moment in The Fate of the Furious, a Busby Berkeley-inspired set piece aboard an airplane in which Shaw must fend off bad guys while also protecting Dominic Toretto’s newborn baby from harm, put Statham’s deft hand on full display. Because of his enormous popularity, Statham and The Rock were immediately cast in the spin-off movie Hobbs & Shaw.

The Mechanic (2011)

We love the elite assassin subgenre, and this taut thriller (a remake of the 1972 movie) about a hired killer who makes his murders appear to be accidents is a fantastic showcase for Statham’s skills. When paired with hotshot trainee Ben Foster, Statham exudes the coolness that a role of this nature demands.

Even if most of the plot twists are predictable, Foster, Donald Sutherland, and Tony Goldwyn all contribute well to the film’s supporting cast. This was a surprising smash, but the 2016 follow-up, Mechanic: Resurrection, falls short.

Snatch (2000)

You realize how talented you must be to outperform a megastar like Brad Pitt who is performing with a strange accent, right? In Guy Ritchie’s ultra-British criminal caper Snatch, which features a colorful cast of gangsters and a general atmosphere reminiscent to Lock, Stock but with a bit more wattage, Statham does exactly that.

When a fight goes south, Statham’s character Turkish, a small-time boxing promoter, finds himself on the wrong side of a major underworld figure. Turkish then has to make his way through a world full of treacherous men, double crosses, and gems. Turkish utilizes his brains to survive rather than beating everyone senseless, and Statham’s droll narration takes us along for the wild trip.