Birthday's to share this week : 26th July - 1st August 2015.

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week?

Jason Statham does on 26th July - check out the tribute to this Birthday Boy turning 48, at the end of this feature.

Do you also share your birthday with a well known, highly regarded & famous Actor or Actress; share your special day with a Director, Producer, Writer, Cinematographer, Singer/Songwriter or Composer of repute; or share an interest in whoever might notch up another year in the coming seven days? Then, look no further! Whilst there will be too many to mention in this small but not insignificant and beautifully written and presented Blog, here are the more notable and noteworthy icons of the big screen, and the small screen, that you will recognise, and that you might just share your birthday with in the week ahead. If so, Happy Birthday to you from Odeon Online!

Sunday 26th July

• Jason Statham - Born 1967, turns 48 - Actor | Producer
• Kevin Spacey - Born 1959, turns56 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer
• Jeremy Piven - Born 1965, turns 50 - Actor | Producer
• Mick Jagger - Born 1943, turns 72 - Singer | Songwriter | Composer | Writer | Producer | Actor
• Olivia Williams - Born 1968, turns 47 - Actress
• Kate Beckinsale - Born 1973, turns 42 - Actress
• Sandra Bullock - Born 1964, turns 51 - Actress | Producer
• Helen Mirren - Born 1945, turns 70 - Actress | Producer | Director

Monday 27th July

•  Julian McMahon - Born 1968, turns 47 - Actor | Producer
•  Jonathan Rhys Meyers - Born 1977, turns 38 - Actor | Producer

Tuesday 28th July

•  Randall Wallace - Born 1949, turns 66 - Director | Producer | Writer
•  Alexis Arquette - Born 1969, turns 46 - Actress

Wednesday 29th July

•  Stephen Dorff - Born 1973, turns 42 - Actress | Producer
•  David Warner - Born 1941, turns 74 - Actor

Thursday 30th July

• Arnold Schwarzenegger - Born 1947, turns 68 - Actor | Producer | Bodybuilder | Politician
• Christopher Nolan - Born 1970, turns 45 - Director | Producer | Writer 
• Simon Baker - Born 1969, turns 46 - Actor | Producer | Director
• Laurence Fishburne - Born 1961, turns 54 - Actor | Producer
• Jean Reno - Born 1948, turns 67 - Actor
• Richard Linklater - Born 1960, turns 55 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Frances de la Tour - Born 1944, turns 71 - Actress
• Hilary Swank - Born 1974, turns 41 - Actress | Producer
• Vivica A. Fox - Born 1964, turns 51 - Actress | Producer

Friday 31st July

•  J.K.Rowling - Born 1965, turns 50 - Writer | Producer
• Michael Biehn - Born 1956, turns 59 - Actor | Director | Producer | Writer
• Wesley Snipes - Born 1962, turns 53 - Actor | Producer
• Dean Cain - Born 1966, turns 49 - Actor | Producer | Writer

Saturday 1st August 

•  Sam Mendes - Born 1965, turns 50 - Actor | Producer
•  Jason Momoa - Born 1979, turns 36 - Actor | Director | Producer | Writer

Jason Statham was born in Shirebrook, Derbyshire, England to mother Eileen Yates, a dancer, and father Barry Statham, a street vendor and lounge singer. The family moved to Great Yarmouth in Norfolk where growing up and influenced by the singing and dancing background in the family the young Jason and older brother Lee would play the drums and guitar respectively, with the former bashing away at his drum kit as he does now at crims, low-lifes and undesireables in his movies. Electing not to follow in his fathers footsteps Jason chose to learn martial arts, and then became interested in soccer - influenced here by Vinnie Jones whom he grew up with too - and he payed for his grammar school in the late 70's/early 80's. At the same time he also developed an interest in diving and perfected his skill off the ten metre platform. For 12 years he was a member of Britain's National Diving Squad having represented England at the Commonwealth Games in Auckland, New Zealand in 1990 and ultimately gaining a world ranking of #12.

Whilst training at the National Sports Centre in London he was seen by the Sports Promoter Agency who signed him up as a sports model. He then went on to model for fashion label 'French Connection', but had to eventually finally follow in his fathers footsteps by selling fake perfumes and jewellery on street corners just to make ends meet. During this time he appeared in several music videos too including the likes of Brit Bands - 'The Shamen', 'The Beautiful South' and 'Erasure'.




While at 'French Connection' he was introduced to an aspiring Director, Guy Ritchie, who was searching for a fast talking, wise cracking, street smart vendor of dodgy goods for his planned robbery movie 'Lock, Stock and two Smoking Barrels' in 1998. Critically and commercially acclaimed the film put both Ritchie and Statham on the map, followed up in 2000 with 'Snatch' with Ritchie Directing again and starring his old mate Vinnie Jones with Brad Pitt and Benecio del Toro too. This film was also a critical and commercial success, unlike Statham's next offering 'Turn It Up' which was released that same year and cost US$13M to make but barely recouped 10% of that sum.

In 2001 he starred in John Carpenter's last Directorial outing to date 'The Ghosts of Mars' with Ice Cube, Pam Grier and Natasha Henstridge. That same year came 'The One' with Jet Li and then a remake of 1974's 'The Longest Yard' with 'Mean Machine' with Vinnie Jones once more. As Statham rose to action movie star status he was cast in the first of what would become a successful franchise with 'Transporter' spawning two sequels in 2005 and then 2008. Taking full ownership of his own stunts (as he has done in all films subsequently) he studied kung-fu, karate, jujitsu and kickboxing for this 2002 film, which has served him in good stead ever since.

Another remake came along in the meantime in 2003 with 'The Italian Job' with Mark Wahlberg, Edward Norton and Charlize Theron. After a cameo appearance in Michael Mann's 'Collateral' with Tom Cruise there was 'Cellular' with Kim Bassinger and Chris Evans before 'Transporter 2', and 'Revolver' for Guy Ritchie again, 'London' and 'Chaos' in 2005. The next years saw another two movie outing with 'Crank' followed up with it's sequel in 2009 'Crank : High Voltage'. Meanwhile there was 'War' (aka 'Rogue Assassin') with Jet Li and the Uwe Boll Directed 'In the Name of the King', 'The Bank Job', the remake of Charles Bronson's 'The Mechanic' and then 'Transporter 3'.

Liking a franchise, 2010 saw Statham sign up for the first time with Sylvester Stallone and the action movie heroes of the 80's with the first instalment of 'The Expendables'. 2011 saw his lead role in 'The Mechanic', then 'Blitz' and 'Killer Elite' with Clive Owen and Robert De Niro. The follow up with Stallone came in 2012 with 'The Expendables 2' and then once more in 2014 with 'The Expendables 3', with 'Parker', 'Safe', 'Hummingbird', 'Homefront', 'Wild Card' and most recently 'Spy'. In 2013 Statham took a cameo appearance in 'Fast & Furious 6' setting the scene for a far more meatier role in 'Furious 7' released earlier this year and grossing a staggering US$1.51B.

Next up for Statham is a reprisal of his role with the sequel 'Mechanic : Resurrection' now in post-production for 2016, and 'Furious 8' due in 2017. The Actor has 43 credits to his name and just one award win for the 'Most Offensive Male Character' in his film 'Crank'. He was romantically linked to Model and Actress Kelly Brook from 1997 to 2004, and since 2010 has been dating Model and Actress Rosie Huntington-Whitley who most recently starred in George Miller's 'Mad Max : Fury Road'.

'The Stath' - Jason Statham - seemingly the King of the remake and franchise aficionado; kick ass action hero of a new generation; keeping it real old school style; keeping us entertained with relentless action, violence and bloodshed delivered with dead pan sardonic gravel voiced lines; and the owner of trademark two day stubble - Happy Birthday to you from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-