Jason Statham loved filming 'Parker' in South Florida

Action star

We talked to Jason Statham, who stars in Parker, out Friday, from the Mandarin Oriental.Sorry, he's taken -- galpal is fellow Brit Rosie Hungtington Whitely. That's OK we can look:

It seems like you may actually have gotten hurt doing this movie. Are we wrong?

At the end of the day, we’re just foolin’ around. It’s actually a comical sort of feeling filming the violent bits. We have to give you all something exciting to see but keep ourselves safe. We had to make it look like I was going to go over that balcony. I really enjoy the big stunts. They give you a feeling of accomplishment, like you’ve lived to tell the tale. Me and [Michael] Chiklis did bang our heads together pretty good a few times, though! We had a few bruises to take home.

How would you describe your character? As a thief with a heart of gold?

There’s a reference to Parker in the movie to him being a “rock” in that he’s unstoppable. I say he’s a regular guy who’s got a fixation on puttin’ things right. He is tough and intense and won’t stop at anything to make happen what needs to happen. There’s something interesting about playing a man who is so loyal and true to his word.

How was it working alongside director Taylor Hackford and co-stars Jennifer Lopez, Nick Nolte, and Patti Lupone?

Nick Nolte was really something special. I was like, “Oh my God, I’m going to do a scene with a cinema legend.” A moment you’ll never forget. You don’t get to work with people like that all the time. And Taylor Hackford is such a respected director that he’s able to put such a strong cast together like that. The pairing of Patti and Jennifer as mother and daughter was absolutely brilliant, perfect.