What Gets Jason Statham’s Adrenaline Pumping?: Aside from starring in action movies, Statham says it was an experience underwater that stands out as a particular rush. “I did a bit of scuba diving over the last few years and when you see a shark for the first time, there are a few extra bubbles that escape from your body. I suppose that is a real moment of a rush of adrenaline.”
Despite the type of characters he chooses to play, Statham’s not an adrenaline junkie. “I don't know if I need it, but it is certainly good when it comes. I don't go searching for it, it's not like I am a junkie that wants to throw himself from very tall buildings, but some people are. I love [that] kind of people. I don't think it is conducive to making films… If it goes wrong, that is the end of you. It's high risk. High risk is high adrenaline.”
Jason Statham on the Dangerous-Looking Helicopter Scene: “I did think twice about doing that,” confessed Statham. But Statham’s quick to add that he never wanted it to be done using CGI. “Firstly, we didn't have the luxury of millions and millions of dollars to shoot a worthy green screen sequence, and I have never thought it would look good shot that way anyway. …You can always tell that it is a fake attempt.
The enthusiasm that Mark [Neveldine] and Brian [Taylor] had…and Mark would sort of be up there and Jose [Pablo Cantillo] the other actor and we had a great stunt coordinator, and I just thought we were going to get something really, really, good. We had already shot like three or four weeks of great stuff and you just know that it felt right to do that. We just thought, ‘We are going to shoot everything through the camera and we are going to do something that most movie makers don't do.”
Jason Statham’s Initial Reaction to the Crank Script: “I just said, ‘There is no way they are going to shoot this. It's too crazy,’” recalls Statham. “On the initial read I just thought, ‘No one is going to do this. Who are these guys? First time directors? You need someone with experience to be able to handle something as silly and wacky as this is.’
They came up to Canada to see me. I was up there working and they explained their crazy approach. They told me about Mark's technique on roller blades and they have got these fancy cameras that he wants to strap. I mean, I was sold, you know? I wanted to try and do justice to their little vision and it was a good risk, I think. There is always a risk. You don't know how it's going to turn out. You’ve got to be careful.”
Violence and Shooting for an R-Rating: “This to me was a great chance to do stuff that we are going to be able to see on the screen. It is a bit of fun; it's not like this is a horrible guy running around killing people gratuitously. It's kind of a comedy in a way, and I like the fact that the violence is undiluted. It is quite an aggressive film and it might be a bit squeamish for some people, but you can't please everybody all of the time. It might not be everybody's flavor but I know that there are some people that will get a kick out of it. That is the good thing about making movies. Brian and Mark had a vision, they kept to it, and they knew this was not going to be for everybody. But there will be a lot of people that get a bit of fun out of it.”
Maintaining a High Level of Energy Throughout Filming: What is Statham’s ‘crank’? “Red Bull! (Laughing) Oh my God, I drank so much of it… Stupid old me decided to slurp out of the can and after about 4 cans of it I said, 'Have you got any water?' And by then it was too late, I had already consumed about 4 cans straight. It's not a good feeling.”
On Working with Amy Smart: Smart (Just Friends) plays Statham's love interest in Crank. “She was great. She has very similar attributes to the character. I mean she is very laidback sort of peaceful sort of girl. She is the most game person I have ever met. To do that sort of crazy little sex scene that we did out in the street is not where an uptight actress needs to be. It is hard to try and get a girl to relax and have some fun and do that the way we did it because it can be quite embarrassing, you know? It can be a little hard… It's hard to rehearse those kinds of scenes.”
