Hollywood action star Jason Statham has a long-standing family connection to Gran Canaria, with the British actor regularly visiting the island where his father spent years performing as a singer.

The star of The Transporter, The Expendables and Fast & Furious has been linked particularly closely to Mogán, one of Gran Canaria’s most popular tourist areas and home to resorts including Puerto Rico, Amadores and Puerto de Mogán.

Statham’s connection to the Canary Islands comes through his father, Barry Statham, who lived on Gran Canaria for several years and performed at tourist venues in the south of the island.

Barry had worked in several different jobs during his life, and also pursued a career as a singer. Performing under the stage name Barry Wild, he reportedly entertained holidaymakers at venues around Mogán during the 2000s and 2010s.

References from visitors at the time recall him performing in Puerto de Mogán and Playa del Cura during the winter months. Jason Statham is understood to have made regular trips to the Canary Islands to visit his father, making Gran Canaria a familiar destination for the Hollywood star.

The area at the centre of the family connection is now one of Gran Canaria’s biggest tourist destinations. Mogán, in the south-west of the island, has 21,337 residents and covers an area of more than 172 square kilometres.

Its coastline includes some of the island’s best-known holiday resorts, including Puerto Rico, Amadores, Anfi del Mar, Patalavaca, Taurito, Tauro, Playa del Cura and Puerto de Mogán.

Despite descriptions of Mogán being Statham’s Canary Islands “refuge”, there is no reliable public evidence that the actor currently owns a home on the island.

His documented connection to Gran Canaria is primarily through his family, particularly the years his father spent living and performing on the island and Statham’s visits to see him.