Action star Jason Statham hails stunt doubles as ‘unsung heroes’ of films

Action star Jason Statham has praised stunt doubles, calling them the “unsung heroes” of the film industry.

Speaking to the Press Association at the UK premiere of the his new film Shelter, the 58-year-old spoke about the importance of the specialist performers who put themselves in danger.

Statham stars in the adventure film as a former assassin living on a remote island, who rescues a young girl in the middle of a storm.

The actor reflected on the importance of stunt performers and said it had once been a career ambition.

“My desire when I was a kid was to be a stuntman,” he said.

“My affection for the stunt world is never-ending and I think for anyone who wants to get into that, you’ll get treated well, hang out with the best people and make these movies very special.”

Statham added: “It’s a great thing. The most love and affection I have is for the stunt teams and the action they provide.

“A lot of the time they’re the unsung heroes.”

The action star is best known for his hard-man roles in films such as Snatch (2000), The Transporter (2002), and The Fast And Furious film series.

Statham has previously discussed wanting to perform as many of his own stunts on set as possible and called for stunt performers to have their own category at the Oscars.

In an interview with Far Out magazine in 2025, the star revealed he had injured himself many times while performing his own stunts, including tearing a bicep and “screwing up” his neck.

Statham also told PA he “really likes” the plot of Shelter, and described it as “a story that hasn’t been told before”.

He said: “For me, it’s about two lost souls coming together and finding purpose.

“He’s a man who was on the brink of almost suicide, he gets to find a way to put this girl’s welfare in front of his own. It’s a really good story.”

Statham also praised his young co-star, rising Irish actress Bodhi Rae Breathnach, saying: “She knows what she’s doing.

“She’s very talented, I think we’re going to see a lot of her.”

Statham, who wore a simple all-black suit paired with a black and grey striped tie and a white shirt, attended the premiere with his model wife Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.

The pair have been together since 2010 and have two children named Jack and Isabella.

Shelter will be in cinemas from January 30.