Sorry, Statham. I'm no fanboy, but ...

It’s rare that I'm starstruck. Now it is cool having worked alongside some of Hollywood’s biggest stars as the usual silent face, stand-in, and even a film double for Hugh Jackman. But true fanboydom? Nah. Not me. I'm a serious movie ... extra. Usually cast as the older guy with the good hair. Just don't blink, though; you'll miss me.

Don't get me wrong. I do respect what big-time actors do and the the ofttimes arduous journey they've taken to reach their level. And I find it instructive to work beside them in my own slow crawl beyond American cinema's most prolific, silent face, to become less silent.

Stop! Hold on. You said something about Jason Statham? Wait a gosh darn minute. Wish you hadn't brought his name into the mix.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh. He's my fave!! Where is he? Need. Want. Need his autograph!

Nope. No fanboydom here.

Seriously, I'm an action genre enthusiast. I've seen the 'The Transporter' more times than I'll admit. He's as cool as cool can be. And that British accent;  da bomb. Been working on my own version of British and Irish accents recently. Never know when the agent will call for them.

But you can't use the word fanboy around me. That denotes zombie-like, dead-eyed, salivating followership. Just because Statham can't make a bad movie, and if he did, I wouldn't recognize it ... Okay, well. I see your point. But technically speaking, I'm too old to be a fanboy. Closer to being a fanpappy. Like your grandpappy.

Now if you haven't seen 'The Transporter,'  you'd have a difficult time understanding from whence I get fanpappy goosebumps. Statham is the antihero. You don't want to like the guy, but you kinda like him as he isn't as bad as the other guys. Give him props, too. Frank Martin is ex-special forces. Probably suffering from PTSD.

We should celebrate a GI, government-issued guy, who has learned to create personal wealth after having received a regular government paycheck for years. He went full-blown capitalist. Not always easy to do.

He did this by building a small transportation company. He makes deliveries for whomever can pay his high rate, regardless of "what's in the package." With his high-octane driving skills in souped-up luxury sedans, like the 1999 BMW 7 Series E38 and Mercedes-Benz W140, he has garnered the right tools for the right occasions. “Take care of the car, and the car will take care of you,” he explains.

If you're building a business, you may find inspiration from Frank Martin's entrepreneurship. His stellar skills have built him a reputation. (Not necessarily in polite society.) So, he has, in fact, become the brand. He was an influencer before that was a thing.

I don't need to point out the obvious. He’s ripped (like I may be one day, in my dreams), did I mention that cool British accent, and sports a James Bond aloofness with tough-guy snark. But that’s only half the appeal. He’s all business in a razor sharp, two-piece, plain black suit and tie as he delivers confidential packages for some shady characters.

He's a good closer, too. He inks the deals with these few stipulations, or rules:

1. The deal is the deal

2. No names

3. Never open the package

4. Never make a promise you can't keep

That Rule 3 is rather a tricky one, but necessary in his kind of business. Imagine the temptation, though, of not looking into a package you're responsible for transporting in your own vehicle.

Unlike most of us small business owners, he's constantly forced into karate kicking matches with bad dudes. I don't think John Wick has anything on Statham in regards to how often he has to fight multiple bad guys and not die.

As an aside. He took his 2002 transporter driving finesse off the street and into the ocean in a 2018 movie, “The Meg.” Meg, short for megalodon, is that prehistoric shark the size of three 18-wheel truck rigs with jaws big enough to swallow a school bus. Like Mr. Martin from “The Transporter," he crashes and dashes around in souped-up submersibles running from and at this once-thought, extinct monster of the deep.

But, I digress. Part of my living a more madly passionate life as part of Liles Daily Madness is being more transparent and sharing my feelings to a deeper level. Basically, exuding authenticity and being more relatable. Tony Robbins and Carrot Top come to my mind.

Mr. Martin wasn't necessarily the transparent type, but his character's actions couldn't hide his flaws or humanity. Some awful, life-altering decisions just can't go unnoticed.

Back to the real Statham, as a businessman. It's of interest to note how stars, such as 'The Rock' Duane Johnson and 'The Transporter' are highly-focused on, first, knowing who they are and what strengths they bring to the table, their personal brand. And that brand attracts fanboys and fangirls ... and fanpappys. And then how that brand translates into "meg" millions.

I'm still honing my personal brand. Liles Daily Madness is progressing. Madness is not about anger, but highly focused, grateful and passionate living. Throw in some humor, too. Living the mad life is not something I thought about much until I was so mad about where life had brought me. I decided to turn that anger into a positive force, especially, after being on death's doorsteps so many times and nearly losing some precious privileges, like the ability to walk and talk. This sparked my development of Mad Mad News, what I consider the nation's best, curated real news and motivational website.

Mad about where you're at in life? Get mad focus to change it!

Now I must take leave. Gotta be true to my brand. There's an icy, rushing river waiting for me to swim 50 miles before my daily triathlon practice.

Anyone seen my floaties?