It’s easy to forget that Jason Statham has been one of the most consistent movie stars of the 21st century, as he has been a staple of the action genre since his breakout roles in the Guy Ritchie films Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch. Although he has occasionally tried his hand at both comedy and more traditional drama, Statham is best known as an action star, which often draws comparisons between him and actors such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, and Kurt Russell. However, Statham says that Paul Newman is his favorite actor and inspiration for being in movies, which isn’t surprising when noting the similarities between their careers.
What Are Jason Statham’s Favorite Paul Newman Movies?
Statham remembers that his parents made him watch Cool Hand Luke, which he described as a film that he could “watch time and time again” because Newman “is just the coolest dude ever.” Statham’s experience mirrors that of many film fans, as while Newman had been an acclaimed star years prior with Hud and Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, Cool Hand Luke was a groundbreaking film that changed perceptions about the prison genre. Despite being set in harrowing circumstances and raising some uncomfortable points about the inherently competitive nature of masculinity, Cool Hand Luke is a highly enjoyable film that shows the strength of Newman’s charisma, physicality, and good sense of humor. Unsurprisingly, Statham said that he had “been hooked on most of his movies ever since,” as he shares Newman’s same sense of effortless cool.
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Give thanks and give Newman.
Newman also stated that he loved Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and The Sting, two crime films that Newman starred in alongside Robert Redford. Cited as two of the greatest “crowd pleasers” of this era in Hollywood history, both films featured intelligent, suspenseful robbery sequences, but benefited from the terrific chemistry between Newman and Redford. Statham was clearly attached to these types of heist films, as he would go on to star in The Bank Job, Safe, Parker, and the remake of The Italian Job. Like Newman, Statham’s characters in these films are proficient in their technical skills, but also benefit from a team environment in which they get to interact with other characters. Newman was forced to raise his game whenever he had to share the screen with Redford, and Statham got to be even more sardonic and cool when he appeared alongside frequent co-stars like Stephen Graham.
Statham Often Channels Newman’s Star Persona
Newman created a persona that reflected his anti-authoritarian views, as he often played heroes who resisted authority, corruption, and the law. Statham has honored this tradition with films like The Beekeeper and Wrath of Man, in which he plays vigilantes who work outside traditional means to find justice. Newman certainly wasn’t afraid to play villains, and neither is Staham; Newman earned an Academy Award nomination for playing a gangster in Road to Perdition, and Statham had a memorable role as the villain Shaw in Furious 7. Nonetheless, both actors were willing to make fun of themselves by doing more goofy parts. Newman appeared in an all-time great sports comedy when he starred in Slap Shot, and Statham lampooned his image as a “tough guy” by appearing as a hyper-masculine secret agent in Spy.
Both Statham and Newman embody a sense of stoicism, selflessness, and an unwillingness to tolerate evil, which makes them a draw. In the same way that Newman’s name carried a sense of prestige, Statham has proven to be one of the few modern movie stars who can sell a film based solely on his involvement. As easy as it is to define Statham as someone who only appears in “shoot ‘em ups,” many of the films he’s appeared in are the type of “elevated” genre cinema that Newman may have been interested in, such as Hummingbird or Homefront. Among the reasons that Newman is so fondly remembered is that he continued acting until the twilight days of his career, as he died only two years after recording his final role in Cars. Given that Statham has shown no signs of slowing down anytime soon, it’s possible that his career could have the same longevity.
