Before he was a handsome face that graced the big screen, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley’s dashing partner Jason Statham competed for England in the 1990 New Zealand Commonwealth Games as a diver.
Video footage has emerged showing that the Cockney action star, who is known for his bad-boy roles in blockbuster action movies such as The Transporter, Snatch and Mean Machine, had a former life as a champion diver.
The bald beau has previously opened up about his former career, telling Katie Couric that he felt inspired to give it a go after seeing a diver on his family holiday to Miami.
“There was this guy who used to do a high dive, at noon every day, from one of the hotels we stayed in. And I went, ‘You know what? When we get home, I’m gonna do that.'”
And he did just that! After putting his mind to the task, he made the British diving team less than a year.
Watch the incredible throwback in the video player below! Post continues…
The video from the BBC, shows that bad-boy Jason didn’t yet have quite the smooth moves that he does now, as he received a very lukewarm response from the judges and crowd before flopping a dive and face-planting his final one.
The commentators can be heard to say: “Really gone to pieces in this final, Jason”.
Then and now! A lot has changed about the actor, but his eight-pack remains the same.
Luckily, he escaped without any serious injury – besides a bruised ego – but as the star has gone on to date supermodel Rosie and is presumed to have a cool $60 million in the bank, we can’t exactly feel too bad for him.
It’s rather hilarious to see the fresh-faced then-23-year-old in such a different context to his usual roles – and still with a full head of hair!
Jason pictured earlier this year with partner Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.
