Jason Statham Shares Rare Career Distinction With Tom Cruise

Jason Statham is best known for action work in The Expendables and the Fast & Furious films, and has recently appeared in A Working Man and Shelter. He has shown range with comedy in Spy and voice work in Gnomeo & Juliet, yet his résumé is notable for one omission: television.

That absence is uncommon for an actor with such an extensive filmography. Tom Cruise is one of the only other major movie stars who similarly avoided TV, while other high-profile performers have crossed into the medium; Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon now have prominent TV careers, and action veterans like Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger have led streaming series.

There are arguments on both sides. Staying in movies can help original films find an audience—Statham’s The Beekeeper earned $75 million globally in just ten days—but the influx of movie names into television has also made it harder for less-established writers and actors to break through.

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