Jason Statham is pissin’ mad, you tossers. In a new interview with Vanity Fair, our favorite British action star takes on his critics and the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, as he claims that the men and women behind some of Hollywood’s biggest action films and their stars aren’t getting a fair shake when it comes to reviews and awards. For starters, he thinks that critics should individually stick to genres that they’re familiar with, because some of them don’t always get the purpose and point of the over-the-top action films like The Expendables (preach it, Statham).
But far more importantly, he’s pissed that stunt men and women aren’t getting the proper recognition when Oscar season arrives, as he’s echoing statements made by longtime industry stunt icons that their work deserves its own Academy Award.
“I think it is an overlooked category,” Statham told us, especially considering “how much responsibility these coordinators have for some of the greatest entertainment in action movies. I mean, all of the stunt men—these are the unsung heroes. They really are. Nobody is giving them any credibility. They’re risking their necks. And then you’ve got poncy actors pretending like they’re doing [the stunts].”
“For me,” he continued, “it’s a total injustice. They’re the ones getting busy. Then you have some guy standing in front of a fucking green screen screwing his face up pretending like he’s doing the stunt. To me, it’s like a farce. I have a real frustration with that because I know these coordinators. I train with them all the time and they are incredibly talented.” (Via Vanity Fair)
The most important thing to take away from this is the word “poncy,” which I am now going to cram into every conversation that I have. But I’m totally on board for the new Oscar category if the Academy agrees to retroactively name this the best fight scene in the history of everything.
(Banner via Getty)