Actor Jason Statham has called on the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognise the work of Hollywood's stunt actors at the Oscars.
The British actor, who does most of his own stunts, told Vanity Fair this week that the work of stuntmen and women needs to be recognised, as they so regularly put their lives on the line for the sake of movies.
"All of the stunt men - these are the unsung heroes. Nobody is giving them any credibility. They're risking their necks. And then you've got poncy actors pretending like they're doing the stunts," he said.
Statham can hardly be cast into this group of "poncy" actors, as he regularly carries out his own stunts in his films.
The "Homefront" actor also began his career as a martial artist and diver before landing his big film break in "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels".
He went on to say that stunt actors are "incredibly talented" and, having worked alongside so many in his time, insisted that their profession is long overdue some recognition.
"For me, it's a total injustice. Stunt actors are the ones getting busy. Then you have some guy standing in front of a fucking green screen screwing his face up pretending like he's doing the stunt. To me, it's like a farce. I have a real frustration with that because I know these coordinators. I train with them all the time and they are incredibly talented.
