4 ‘It’s that peasant mentality’
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Jonathan Mack
Abstract
Jason Statham does not generally rely on subcultural capital or niche appeal to support his celebrity status. Nevertheless, he has cultivated an image as a Hollywood outsider, and attained an uncommon level of perceived authenticity among audiences. It is possible to see Statham as one of the most successful cult film stars of recent years. From his streets-to-screen backstory to his reputation for performing his own stunts and his brutal honesty in interviews, Statham’s apparent detachment from Hollywood is critical to much of his mainstream success and makes him an ideal figure for the metareferential appeal of The Expendables and the Fast and Furious franchises.
Statham has transitioned from capable, comedic everyman to invincible action hero while maintaining enough self-awareness to play with his own public perception by taking roles like that of the incompetent Rick Ford in Spy. This is a journey that parallels the Fast and Furious series, which has transformed from low-key crime drama into excessive action spectacle bordering on self-parody, also appreciated as knowing and self-reflexive enough to be set apart from his contemporaries. This chapter will argue that such qualities allow Statham to enjoy both mainstream and cult stardom, which are not mutually exclusive.
Abstract
Jason Statham does not generally rely on subcultural capital or niche appeal to support his celebrity status. Nevertheless, he has cultivated an image as a Hollywood outsider, and attained an uncommon level of perceived authenticity among audiences. It is possible to see Statham as one of the most successful cult film stars of recent years. From his streets-to-screen backstory to his reputation for performing his own stunts and his brutal honesty in interviews, Statham’s apparent detachment from Hollywood is critical to much of his mainstream success and makes him an ideal figure for the metareferential appeal of The Expendables and the Fast and Furious franchises.
Statham has transitioned from capable, comedic everyman to invincible action hero while maintaining enough self-awareness to play with his own public perception by taking roles like that of the incompetent Rick Ford in Spy. This is a journey that parallels the Fast and Furious series, which has transformed from low-key crime drama into excessive action spectacle bordering on self-parody, also appreciated as knowing and self-reflexive enough to be set apart from his contemporaries. This chapter will argue that such qualities allow Statham to enjoy both mainstream and cult stardom, which are not mutually exclusive.
Chapters in this book
- Front matter i
- Contents v
- Figures vii
- Contributors ix
- Acknowledgements xiii
- Epigraph xiv
- Introduction 1
-
Part I Statham and (reframing) masculinity
- 1 Reframing the British tough guy 16
- 2 ‘I’m certainly not Tom Cruise or Brad Pitt’ 29
- 3 The power of Statham 45
- 4 ‘It’s that peasant mentality’ 56
- 5 A balancing act(or) 71
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Part II Statham and genre case studies
- 6 Blagging it both ways 99
- 7 Jason Statham in Spy 113
- 8 Arthouse Statham 127
-
Part III Rebranding Statham
- 9 Transporting Jason Statham 151
- 10 The avatar hero 169
- 11 Ageing Statham 185
- 12 Crank it up! 198
- 13 Clothes make the man 211
- Conclusion 227
- Select Bibliography 231
- Jason Statham filmography 236
- Index 249
Chapters in this book
- Front matter i
- Contents v
- Figures vii
- Contributors ix
- Acknowledgements xiii
- Epigraph xiv
- Introduction 1
-
Part I Statham and (reframing) masculinity
- 1 Reframing the British tough guy 16
- 2 ‘I’m certainly not Tom Cruise or Brad Pitt’ 29
- 3 The power of Statham 45
- 4 ‘It’s that peasant mentality’ 56
- 5 A balancing act(or) 71
-
Part II Statham and genre case studies
- 6 Blagging it both ways 99
- 7 Jason Statham in Spy 113
- 8 Arthouse Statham 127
-
Part III Rebranding Statham
- 9 Transporting Jason Statham 151
- 10 The avatar hero 169
- 11 Ageing Statham 185
- 12 Crank it up! 198
- 13 Clothes make the man 211
- Conclusion 227
- Select Bibliography 231
- Jason Statham filmography 236
- Index 249
