The former diver and street jewellery hustler is about to be seen in new high-energy movie Safe, in which his character is embroiled in a deathly battle between the Triads, Russian mobsters and crooked New York cops.

And following roles in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch and The Transporter films, Statham insists he is unlikely to stray from his hardman roles - and take on a romance, court thriller or period drama anytime soon.

He tells the BBC, ""I don't want to upset the apple cart. I don't want to try something for the sake of doing something different.

""Doing something different is for great character actors. I don't see myself as a great character actor that will play a lawyer and then something bizarrely different. That's not what my strength is.""

And the actor admits he is happy developing his career within one genre of film.

He adds, ""I enjoy what I'm doing. I'm making a career out of something that I'm enjoying.""