22 Unusual Facts About Jason Statham

It's not every day that we're treated to a celebrity with such a diverse and interesting past, but Jason Statham is one of them. You know him from kicking all kinds of ass in all kinds of action movies, but Statham was up to all kinds of things before he hit the big screen.

For starters, here's the basics: He was born in Derbyshire, UK to a dancer and a street merchant. He was an athlete, a model, and even street seller before he got his big break, and yes, he has been arrested. Starring in films like Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch, Mean Machine, and The Transporter, Statham has made himself a burly, brawny, sometimes hard to understand (because of his accent) household name.

Yes, those are the basic, common bits of knowledge about this buff action star -- but as it turns out, there are some lesser-known facts about him that are just as entertaining. Find out more about Statham and his compelling past below.

#1. He once starred in a Kit-Kat commercial.

That's right: Jason Statham once told the masses to break HIM off a piece of that Kit-Kat bar.

#2. He's an amazing chess player.

According to rumors, he and Guy Ritchie would play routinely, and Statham states that Ritchie is the worst chess player he's ever met. In fact, they used to bet on the games, and Ritchie owes him a lot of money.

#3. He's also pretty good at soccer.

He wasn't just acting in Mean Machine – Statham is a floating member of the Hollywood United FC.

#4. Jason Statham worked as a model before he acted.

He didn't like his own smile, so he would pose with a scowl. It became his signature look, and it's eventually what got him noticed.

#5. He starred in a Lee Jeans commercial in 1997.

And yes, he even managed to make a nineties jeans cut look incredibly hot. Behold, the power of Statham.

#6. He was also the face of the LG G5 campaign.

Admittedly, he does not look like his usual foxy self in this one.

#7. And that's not all: He was a world-class diver.

He participated in the 10m Platform and the 3m Springboard events for the National British team. His intensive training is what gave him the physique for his modeling career.

#8. Few people know when he was really born.

His birth date is July 26, but not many people know the year. According to different sources, some say 1967 while others say 1972.

#9. Jason Statham began his career peddling things on the street.

He peddled knock-off goods in the streets of London with his father, describing it jokingly as product didn't fall off the truck -- it was pushed off and he caught it.

#10. His street seller skills came in handy when auditioning for his first movie role.

Guy Ritchie asked Jason to sell him a piece of fake jewelry for Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels. Apparently, Statham was so good, he actually left the audition with the part AND some of Guy Ritchie's money.

#11. Jason Statham was kicked out of the Playboy Mansion for not posing with the girls.

He showed up wearing only a bath robe and didn't want to appear in photos with the girls. Somehow, this led to him being led off the grounds of the mansion.

#12. Jason Statham voiced Sgt. Waters in Call of Duty.

Admit it: You knew you recognized that voice from somewhere, didn't you?

#13. Statham pulled a terrifying prank to scare Kim Basinger.

For one movie they did together, Kim Basinger decided that she needed a real scare to get her into the part of the kidnapped victim, so she asked Statham to surprise her with what he did for the scene. He attacked her throat with a belt. She certainly looks scared in the movie.

#14. Jason Statham does almost all of his own stunts.

Because of course he does. Not only that, but he's fighting for stunts to get their own category at the Oscars.

#15. And that means he actually performed the helicopter stunt from the end of Crank.

He was actually hanging 2,000 feet above L.A. from a helicopter with only a tiny cable and belt keeping him latched on. Talk about bravery!

#16. But not all stunts went off without a hitch.

The plane scene from The Expendables was almost his last. Here's how it all went down. Director Sylvester Stallone decided to have Statham be the one to fire the nose cone guns on the day of filming the scene. After it was over, he informed him that the engine had been leaking and he could have died.

#17. Then there were smaller "stunts" that were just as crazy.

The helicopter wasn't the only scene that was more real than you'd expect. The moment in Chinatown when he and Amy Smart get dirty in public was a complete surprise, orchestrated by Statham.

#18. His bedroom is actually pretty chill.

Not exactly as hardcore as you might expect, is it? Statham's bedroom inside of Beverly Hills mansion is sort of tranquil.

#19. He was once arrested for driving a golf cart.

Once, he was caught taking a joy ride on the freeway a girlfriend after a party at Coachella in 2010. He was arrested, but no charges were brought.

#20. Speaking of driving, he actually failed his driving test multiple times.

He apparently picked up many bad habits while driving for his father in his early days, and it took him awhile to actually pass the test.

#21. Statham went through incredibly brutal physical training for his role in Death Race.

All it took was a relentless fitness regime and a diet of almost exclusively raw veggies. It was intense as hell, but it worked: He managed to drop his body fat level from 20% to the incredible 6%, and lost roughly 17 pounds in 6 weeks.

#22. And finally, Statham once dated someone totally random and unexpected.

Who was it? It was star of Laguna Beach Kristin Cavallari. They make a cute couple, but who knew?