Meet Guy Ritchie
Statham was introduced to big-time British director Guy Ritchie while working as a model/music video actor. At the time, he was working on a film and needed to cast someone as a street-wise con artist. After learning about Statham's past in black market street sales, Ritchie thought he was the man for the job and cast him as “Bacon” in his 1998 comedy-crime film Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.
Help from Ritchie
Ritchie's film was a huge success and helped put Statham in the public eye. Ritchie was impressed with Statham's talent and opted to work with him again two years later in the film Snatch. Statham will appear in his second film alongside well-known and renowned performers such as Brad Pitt, Dennis Farina, and Benicio del Toro. Snatch was also a great success in theaters, grossing more than $80 million.