Jason Statham says that he owes director Guy Ritchie for giving him his first big break.

The British actor’s debut film was Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, which was immediately followed by another Ritchie effort, Snatch.

Since then, Statham has established himself as one of Hollywood’s top action stars, appearing in films such as Crank, Death Race, and War.

Statham told BBC News, “I’ve been extremely lucky. I’ve been in the right place at the right time.

“However, I will always be grateful to Guy Ritchie, because I was selling perfume and jewellery on the street, and he offered me that part and changed my life.”

The actor’s first film of 2012 is Safe, but he’ll be returning later this summer in Expendables 2, in which he’ll reprise his role as Lee Christmas.

Jason Statham eager to return for Fast & Furious 10 And 11

Jason Statham tells Collider that he’d return to the original Fast & Furious series “if they want me,” after taking a break from the so-called “saga” to act with Dwayne Johnson in the blockbuster spin-off Hobbs & Shaw.

While he won’t be participating in “F9,” the 53-year-old actor has portrayed Deckard Shaw in three films in the series, as well as the spin-off “Hobbs & Shaw,” and he is eager to reunite with filmmaker Justin Lin before the saga comes to an end after 11 films.

In a new interview with Collider, the actor said, “I’d love to come back for those couple of movies. It’s thin ice that I’m skating on if I talk about what’s going to happen in the next movies. But I know [F9 director] Justin Lin, I know him really well, and it was funny, when I came on to do the cameo in 6, he never turned up to 7 and 8, and they’re the ones that I did, so we’re destined to do something bigger.”

“It’s great to work with Vin [Diesel],” Statham says. “I’ve made some great friends on that movie, and I really love the film franchise itself. I think it’s a global success for all the right reasons. To be a part of it is just a great privilege. So if they want me in the next ones, I’ll be there.”

Following the revelation that Sung Kang’s Han will be returning to the franchise — from the dead — in F9, Statham hinted his possible comeback as Shaw.

“They better bring me back,” the actor stated at the time, “because I need to put out that fire. If he’s got any score to settle, it’s with me .” Fans will recall that in Furious 7, Statham’s character supposedly murdered Han as part of his vengeance on the gang for hurting his brother, Owen, played by Luke Evans.

However, due to scheduling difficulties, Statham and Dwayne Johnson opted out of the forthcoming F9 in favor of their spinoff Hobbs & Shaw, which grossed more than $750 million at the box office, proving that the series can not only survive but thrive without Vin Diesel’s Dominic Toretto.

Meanwhile, Jason has confirmed that production on the sequel to the shark horror ‘The Meg’ will begin next year, and that he will reprise his role as rescue diver Jonas Taylor.

He said: “We’re gonna start shooting in January, if I get my dates right. Ben Wheatley is the director, I’m very excited to work with him. I’m thrilled to get going, it’s been a while.

“We’ve been waiting around for the right scripts to come in and the right director to turn up, and we’ve got all those things and they’re all stacked up now.”