Jason Statham fearless at swimming with sharks in 'The Meg'

(WENN) — Jason Statham had no fear when he had to swim with sharks to prepare for his latest movie, "The Meg."

The actor plays diver Jonas Taylor, who is called upon to rescue a team of scientists and the local population from a 75-foot-long prehistoric shark called a megalodon. In a bid to prepare for his upcoming interactions with the sea monster, Statham flew to Fiji for a diving trip alongside a group of bull sharks. And the renowned tough-guy insisted he felt quite at home under the sea alongside the predators.

“To swim in close proximity to a big, 3-meter shark is to be recommended to all and everyone,” the 50-year-old said in an interview with the Daily Star. "You get very relaxed. When you’re in their environment, it’s quite a tranquil sort of thing. It’s remarkable to experience. All of the fear or the perceived fear is done in your own head before you get down there with them. Once you’re swimming down there with all the other divers, it’s phenomenal. It’s one of the greatest experiences you could have.”

"The Expendables" star swam with "20 or 30" of the sharks which were 3 meters in length, and believes the gargantuan scale of the creature at the heart of "The Meg" will go down a storm with cinema audiences.

“Who doesn’t want to watch a movie about the biggest shark that’s ever existed? And I get to be in it? This is as good as it gets," he smiled, adding that viewers can expect a scuffle with the beast. "Fisticuffs with the megalodon? I’m not saying it doesn’t happen.”

Statham stars alongside Ruby Rose, Li Bingbing and Rainn Wilson in the flick, which is helmed by "National Treasure: Book of Secrets" director Jon Turteltaub.

"The Meg" hits cinemas on Aug. 10.