Martial Arts Actors, Ringfighters and Stuntpeople
Listof actors who are trained in martial arts or at the least are stuntpeople.
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- Producer
- Stunts
Scott Edward Adkins was born on June 17, 1976 in Sutton Coldfield, England, into a family that for generations were butchers. Along with his elder brother Craig, he was raised by their parents, John and Janet (Sanders) Adkins, in a loving middle-class family. Scott attended Bishop Vesey's Grammar School in Sutton Coldfield. Probably not the best of students, he used to sneak downstairs after his parents had gone to bed and watch films all night then fall asleep during lessons. A natural athlete, Scott enjoyed a variety of sports as he grew up, but when he was 10 years old, he accompanied his father and brother to the local Judo club. The attraction was instantaneous. Idolising stars such as Bruce Lee and Jean-Claude Van Damme, Scott began to train everyday. He took over his Dad's garage and turned it into his own Dojo. He even had a shrine to Bruce Lee in there that he would bow to. He remembers being mugged on a bus when he was around 13 and that really kicked his training into overdrive. He wasn't ever going to let that happen again. At the age of 14, Scott went on to train in Tae Kwon Do under the instruction of Ron Sergiew with the T.A.G.B. After a few years, he moved on to Kickboxing under Anthony Jones. He is now a fully trained Kickboxing Instructor for the P. K. A. A self confessed "film junkie" Scott's attention was drawn to acting through the Hollywood Greats. He enrolled in a drama class at Sutton Coldfield College. Being a shy lad he initially found it difficult to be put on stage in front of an audience. Finally, at the age of 21, Scott was offered a place at the prestigious Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art. However, as an impoverished student, he found it hard to make ends meet without a grant and was forced to leave without completing the course. Very dejected he thought that was the end.
His first break came when he was offered a role in a Hong Kong martial arts film called Extreme Challenge (2001) (aka Extreme Challenge). Spotted by Head of The Hong Kong Stuntmen Association and director Wei Tung and English-born Hong Kong movie expert Bey Logan, Adkins found himself in the East for the first time. Scott got the chance to work with some of Hong Kong cinema's leading action directors including Woo-Ping Yuen, Corey Yuen, Sammo Kam-Bo Hung and the legendary Jackie Chan. Acting roles started to come in and he was offered a guest role in BBC's Doctors (2000) filmed at Birmingham's Pebble Mill. A few episodes in BBC's EastEnders (1985) and City Central (1998), and a lead role in Sky One comedy drama Mile High (2003) followed by a regular role in BBC's Holby City (1999) as Bradley Hume, the assistant General Manager of Holby General.
Starring roles in feature films soon followed with his portrayal of Talbot in Special Forces (2003) and Yuri Boyka" in Undisputed 2: Last Man Standing (2006). It was this film that broke him into the mainstream with his villainous portrayal of a Russian MMA underground fighter Boyka in what has been hailed as one of the best American made Martial Arts films of recent times. Along with lead actor Michael Jai White, fight coordinator J.J. Perry and the slick direction of Isaac Florentine this movie has some unbelievably heart stopping fight scenes. After this Scott has had guest starring roles in bigger budget films like The Bourne Ultimatum (2007) and The Tournament (2009), and played Jean-Claude Van Damme's main adversary in Sony Pictures The Shepherd (2008).- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Michael Jai White is an American actor and martial artist who has appeared in numerous films and television series. He is the first African American to portray a major comic book superhero in a major motion picture, having starred as Al Simmons, the protagonist in the 1997 film Spawn. White portrayed Jax Briggs in Mortal Kombat: Legacy (2011). White also portrayed boxer Mike Tyson in the 1995 HBO television movie Tyson.- Actor
- Stunts
- Additional Crew
Darren Shahlavi was seven years old when he started training in martial arts in an old drama theatre in Manchester, England. Inspired by Bruce Lees films and other action movies such as Star Wars, he dreamed of being a movie actor and would show up to his Judo class at the drama hall early to watch the actors rehearsing and performing plays.
When Darren was seventeen years old he attended a seminar for "Hong Kong style fight choreography", by Kung Fu star Donnie Yen, which gave him the confidence to pursue his dream of working in Hong Kong movies as a stepping stone to Hollywood. Then, in the early nineties, a young Shahlavi moved to Hong Kong where he began his career as a stuntman until Director Woo-Ping Yuen hired him as the lead villain in the Kung Fu classic Tai Chi Chuan. As a string of martial arts films followed, Darren also used his fighting skills as a stunt performer in studio blockbusters such as "Riddick", "Blade 3", "300", "Watchmen" and the "Night at the Museum" films, as well as supporting roles in Hollywood movies such as "I Spy" playing a boxer fighting Eddie Murphy, "The Final Cut" with Robin Williams, and guest star roles in TV shows such as "Sanctuary", "Human Target" and "Reaper."
In 2010, Darren made a triumphant return to Hong Kong action films, co-starring opposite his childhood heroes Donnie Yen and Sammo Kam-Bo Hung in the Wilson Yip directed Ip Man 2 (2010). Shahlavi plays the evil British boxing champion "The Twister" in the semi-biographical story of Bruce Lee's real life kung fu master, Ip Man. The film opened to huge critical and commercial acclaim, becoming the most successful Asian film at the box office in 2010 and widely recognized as the biggest and best martial arts film of the past decade. Following Ip Man 2's successful theatrical run in the United States, Darren has a renewed following amongst action film fans with new films set for release in 2011 including "Born to Raise Hell" opposite Steven Seagal, "Hangar 14" with Steve Austin as well as starring roles in "Aladdin and the Curse of the Djinn" and Mortal Kombat for Warner Brothers.- Actor
- Producer
- Stunts
Gary Edward Daniels (born 9 May 1963) is an English actor, a martial arts artist, a martial arts action film star, a producer, and a fight coordinator. . Daniels who was also interested in films, starred in two motion pictures in 1988 made in the Philippines. These were Teddy Page's action martial arts film Final Reprisal (1988), and the jungle adventure, The Secret of King Mahi's Island (1988). Daniels returned to the US, and continued competing. From 1991 to 1994, Daniels was seen acting in several action and martial arts films, within those he had a supporting role in Albert Pyun's Knights (1993), and played an adversary who had showdowns with Jackie Chan in City Hunter (1993) and Don Wilson in Ring of Fire (1991), and Bloodfist IV: Die Trying (1992). On his own, Daniels was the star of the action films Capital Punishment (1991), American Streetfighter (1992), Firepower (1993), Full Impact (1993), and Deadly Target (1994).
In 1995, Daniels played the lead role of Kenshiro in Tony Randel's American live-action version of Japanese manga Fist of the North Star. The film had a notable cast that included Costas Mandylor, Isako Washio Malcolm McDowell, etc. From its release on, the film was widely seen on television and on home video. From that point up until 2001, Daniels, now an established action film actor, acted in many films mixed between action, martial arts, and science fiction. Some of these efforts included Albert Pyun's Heatseeker, Joseph Merhi's Rage, Art Camacho's Recoil, Jeff Burr's Spoiler, Master P's No Tomorrow, Isaac Florentine's Cold Harvest, Joseph Zito's Delta Force One: The Lost Patrol, Bloodmoon, White Tiger, Hawk's Vengeance, Riot, Epicenter, Fatal Blade, City of Fear, Black Friday, Queen's Messenger, and Witness to a Kill.
From 2004 on, Daniels took on more supporting roles, this includes the role of Ed Parker in the Bruce Lee biographical mini-series The Legend of Bruce Lee, with contemporary martial artists Mark Dacascos, Ray Park, Ernest Miller, and Michael Jai White. He is also known for his supporting role as Bryan Fury in the 2009 live-action film Tekken, and its 2014 prequel, based upon the popular fighting game series. Daniels acted alongside Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Steve Austin, and Randy Couture in the Sylvester Stallone film The Expendables as Lawrence "The Brit" Sparks, an ally of the villain. Daniels appeared in La Linea, an action-crime film with an ensemble cast that includes Ray Liotta, Andy García, Armand Assante, etc. Next was Across the Line: The Exodus of Charlie Wright alongside Aidan Quinn, Andy García for the second time, Mario Van Peebles, etc. Other efforts among many include David DeCocteau's The Wrong Child with Vivica A. Fox, the Wesley Snipes action vehicle Game of Death, Steve Austin's action vehicle Hunt to Kill, Stu Bennett's thriller I am Vengeance, etc. Some of the lead roles Daniels took are the martial arts fighting films Forced to Fight with Peter Weller, and Rumble. He was also the lead actor in the thriller Misfire, where he plays seasoned DEA agent, who descends into the underworld of Tijuana, and the jaded former hitman in Skin Traffik going against a gangster played by Mickey Rourke, with an ensemble cast including Daryl Hannah, Eric Roberts, Michael Madsen, Jeff Fahey, Dominique Swain, and Alan Ford.- Actor
- Producer
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Marko Zaror is a Chilean martial arts action star and fight choreographer, currently residing in Los Angeles, California. His career began as a young boy with a passion for martial arts and fighting, his mother, a Black belt in Karate took him to the gym when he was just a baby. Inspired by Bruce Lee, at the age of six he started training himself, and by the age of 18 Marko had become an exceptional martial artist. Marko moved to Mexico and quickly found success in modeling by doing fashion shows until he receive a study grant in Televisa. After acting on local movies, Despite this success, he never lost his passion for martial arts and decided to move to Los Angeles. Zaror's first break into the Hollywood industry was by doing Dawne " The Rock " Johnson stunt double on the movie "The Rundown" where he won a World Stunt award.
Zaror then gained international notoriety as lead and producer of indie action cult Kitro, Mirageman, Mandrill and Redeemer, all premiered at Fantastic Fest in Austin Texas where they achieved international and domestic distribution. In his first American film, he was nominated for best villain with his performance of "Dolor" in Isaac Florentine's "Undisputed 3", where he earned worldwide fans for his physical skills and acting.
His big break was when Robert Rodriguez discovered and wrote him a role in Machete Kills. Since then, Marko has developed a promising career with several performances in series and movies that include the series From Dusk Till Dawn with the epic character of "Zolo" and now Hollywood most anticipated Action saga of 2023 John Wick 4 as "Chidi" one of Wick's main pursuers in the film.
Zaror latest film Fist of The Condor, which recently had its world premiere at the 2023 Rotterdam Film Festival in Germany, has been selected for the Alamo Drafthouse Fantastic Fest Presents series.- Actor
- Stunts
- Producer
After graduating from Beverly Hills High School in 1980, while attending college Loren Avedon signed up at the Jun Chong Tae Kwon Do Karate school in Los Angeles. He received his first "break" while training late one night at the Karate school. Producer Roy Horan was looking for an actor/martial artist to be the star of No Retreat, No Surrender 2 (1987). He gave Loren an audition and a week later he was signed as the star in the film with a three-picture deal. He then starred in No Retreat, No Surrender 3: Blood Brothers (1990), helping him develop his acting talents and making him a cult hero in Europe and around the world. Loren spent four months shooting The King of the Kickboxers (1990), playing an undercover cop, with Billy Blanks. Experts agreed that "King of the Kickboxers" contained some of the most brilliant martial arts fight scenes ever captured on film.- Actor
- Stunts
- Producer
Japanom Yeerum was born on February 5, 1976, in the northeastern province of Surin, Thailand. His parents were elephant herders. Jaa watched martial arts films as a young kid and began to emulate some of his idols, from Bruce Lee to Jackie Chan to Jet Li. Jaa studied martial arts at the local temple school and later under a scholarship at the Physical Education College in Khon Kaen, Thailand where he continued to study Muay Boran, Muay Thai, Wushu, Judo and Tae-Kwan-Do. Jaa later did some stunt for in a film for 'Panna Rittikrai', This resulted in Jaa being seen and getting work, doubling for Robin Shou and James Remar in Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (1997), and when his demo reel was seen by director Prachya Pinkaew, the film Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior (2003) was created for Jaa. He adopted the English name Tony Jaa. In 2013, after ending his association with Sahamongkol Film, Jaa was contracted by Universal Studio's for a role in Fast and Furious 7. Jaa now has starring roles in several international films being filmed in 2014 and is concentrating his efforts more towards international audiences.- Actor
- Producer
- Stunts
Iko Uwais was born in Jakarta, Indonesia, to Maisyaroh and Mustapha Kamaluddin. His grandfather, H. Achmad Bunawar, was a master of silat, an Indonesian traditional martial art, and founded a silat school. Iko himself has been learning silat since he was 10 years old. He became National Champion in 2005 in Silat Demonstration category. Iko's talent as a martial arts actor was discovered by Welsh film Director, Gareth Evans, who visited Iko's Silat school for a documentary in 2007. Evans then asked Iko to quit his daytime job as a driver in a telecommunications company and join Evans' movie production company as the leading actor in his movies.- Johannes Taslim or Joe Taslim (born 23 June 1981) is an Indonesian actor and former Judo athlete of Chinese descent. He became well known in the 2012 action film The Raid: Redemption.
Taslim was born in South Sumatera, Indonesia. He was exposed to martial arts at an early age. His martial arts training includes Wushu, Judo, Taekwondo. However, he found his passion in Judo and this led to his career as a professional Judo athlete. He won several gold medals from 1997 -2009 in Asian and National championships. - Actor
- Stunts
- Additional Crew
Tiger Hu Chen was born on 3 March 1975 in Chengdu, Sichuan, China. He is an actor, known for The Matrix Reloaded (2003), Man of Tai Chi (2013) and The Matrix Resurrections (2021).- Actor
- Producer
- Music Department
Hiroyuki Sanada was born on October 12, 1960 in Tokyo. He made his film debut when he was 5 in Rokyoku komori-uta (1965) (Shin'ichi Chiba played the lead role.) His father died when he was 11. He joined Japan Action Club, organized & run by Sonny Chiba, when he was 12. He 1st became famous as an action star for his role in Yagyu Clan Conspiracy (1978) but is now known as one of the most talented actors in Japan. From 1999-2000, he played the fool in an English-language production of "King Lear" w/ members of the Royal Shakespeare Co as the 1st Japanese actor to act w/ the RSC. He received an honorary MBE (Member of the British Empire) for this work. He & Satomi Tezuka split after 7 years in 1997.- Actor
- Stunts
- Additional Crew
Sonny Chiba was born as Sadao Maeda in Fukuoka, Japan on January 22, 1939. His father was a military test pilot. During his youth, he had an interest in both theater & gymnastics. He was talented enough to make the Japanese Olympic Team until a chronic back injury ended his career. However, he took a strong interest in karate under the guidance of the Mas Oyama during college & soon earned his first black belt. However, his life changed again when he was discovered during a talent search by Toei Studios in 1960. He soon began his screen career under the name Shinichi Chiba, appearing as the space chief in Uchu Kaisoku-ken. Over the next decade, he busied himself w/ appearances in Japanese crime thrillers, steadily building a reputation for playing hard men of few words & direct actions.
With his proficiency in karate, judo & kenpo, he took advantage of the early 1970s martial arts boom sparked by Bruce Lee. He starred in The Street Fighter (1974), playing a mercenary style street thug who would do anything for a price & take on anyone, even the yakuza. The approach of the film was quite different from the Bruce Lee films in that Lee only eliminated his enemies when he was defending his friends or his honor. Instead, he was only aiming for a fistful of dollars for his deadly services & would engage in mortal combat for the highest bidder, although this often clouded his judgement to his own detriment. The only person the Street Fighter respects is his martial arts teacher, karate master Masaoko who manages to easily out smart & out fight him. Upon its release, the film was criticized for its excessive violence.
A sequel quickly followed w/ him back in Return of the Street Fighter (1974), which was then followed by a third Street Fighter movie starring Etsuko Shihomi in the gritty Sister Street Fighter (1974). There was a fourth & final film in the series Gyakushu Satsujin ken.
He had firmly established himself as a key anti-hero of Asian martial arts cinema who said little & used his fists to sort out his troubles. With the demand high from fans, he remained busy on screen for the next 20 years, starring in numerous Japanese film & TV productions w/ an emphasis on bruising fights, samurai swords, yakuza gangsters & beautiful girls in trouble.
Outside of Japan, the Street Fighter film series has achieved enduring popularity through many midnight cult screenings. Their style heavily influenced Quentin Tarantino. He has used strong references & imagery from the Street Fighter movies in several of his films including True Romance (1993) and Pulp Fiction (1994). When he came around to casting for Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003), he was eager to have Chiba accept the key role of the hot headed & sometimes humorous Okinawan sword maker Hanzo Hattori. He continued to be a major figure & influence in the world-wide passion in martial arts movies for over 3 decades, contributing to the genre by encouraging & training young hopefuls seeking to make their mark on screen.
He passed away on August 19, 2021.- Actor
- Producer
Given his elaborate expertise in the martial arts especially the ancient form called Kalaripayattu (which he's trained in since he was all of 4 years old), Vidyut has committed himself to creating a platform for action and stunts in world cinema. His first Bollywood outing Force (a remake of the Tamil film Kaaka Kaaka) alongside John Abraham gave audiences a sneak peek into the kind of action they can expect from Vidyut. It earned him a clean sweep at the awards that year with him winning all the awards for Most Promising Debut for 2012.
He subsequently played noteworthy roles in the Telugu films Shakti and Oosaravelli, both starring NTR. In 2012, Jammwal made his debut in Tamil cinema with Billa II, alongside Ajith Kumar. For his role, he received tremendous critical appreciation and was lauded immensely for his action sequences. Post Billa II, he has worked in blockbuster Tamil films like Thuppakki, alongside actor Vijay and Anjaan alongside actor Suriya. Vidyut's performance in Thuppaki earned him a fan following and an award for Best Actor in a Negative Role at SIIMA Awards.
Soon after, he was seen In his next Hindi film Commando, where he showcased some realistic combat based action, all performed and designed by him. With just the trailer launch, Vidyut created quite a stir and amassed over a million hits within a week of the trailer launch.
Although the film received a mixed critical reception, Jammwal and his action earned phenomenal reviews. Noted critic Taran Adarsh mentioned in his review that: "Commando clearly belongs to Vidyut and the liberty of watching him crushing everything and everyone in sight leaves you tongue-tied. By doing the stunts without a body double or cables, he fits into the definition of India's Next Gen action hero without a hitch. He's a fine actor too, although it's the action that takes precedence over histrionics here. Commando was also showcased internationally at the Fantasia Film Fest in Montreal followed by a screening at the Fantastic Fest in Texas in 2013. He received great feedback from international media and well known action directors, calling him India's answer to Bruce Lee and Tony Jaa.
In addition to earning the title of India's New Age Action Hero, the Indian media also went on to tag him as one of the sexiest men they'd seen. He featured in a number of popular lists - Times Most Desirable, Fittest men with Best Bodies and People magazine's Sexiest Men Alive being just a few.
Post Commando, he was seen donning the avatar of a sharpshooter cop in Tigmanshu Dhulia's Bullett Raja and was loved for his action and his performance yet again. Vidyut followed up his on screen magic of Bullett Raja with the sequel of his action franchise Commando and then Milan Luthria's Baadshaho. Known for his gritty and edgy cinematic style, director Tigmanshu Dhulia went on to cast him once again for his next directorial venture: Yaara, a remake of the French film Les Lyonnais, where Vidyut will be seen in an entirely interesting retro avatar playing the character that ages from 21 to 50. Yaara is set to release early in 2018.
Vidyut is all set to kick start working on his most exciting project - Junglee directed by American filmmaker Chuck Russell - a name responsible for films like The Scorpion King and The Mask among many others. The film is going to be helmed entirely on Vidyut's shoulders with a solid focus on showcasing absolutely path-breaking action sequences without cables or body doubles - Vidyut's specialty. He and his very own team of stunt men are said be designing and choreographing all his action sequences for this film.- Actor
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Jai Hemant Shroff, known professionally as Tiger Shroff, is an Indian actor and martial artist. He began learning Wushu and Taekwondo at the age of four, taking inspiration from Bruce Lee.
Shroff studied at the American School of Bombay before pursuing his higher education. However, while pursuing for his higher education, he left Amity University to make his Bollywood Debut in Heropanti (2014), directed by Sabbir Khan and produced by Sajid Nadiadwala. Kriti Sanon also debuted in Bollywood alongside Shroff in this romantic action film.
In 2019, he founded Matrix Fight Night (MFN), which has become India's largest mixed martial arts (MMA) event, with ten live performances scheduled in India and the UAE by February 2023.
Tiger Shroff made a remarkable debut in Bollywood with the movie Heropanti (2014), in which he played the character of Bablu. The film not only earned him critical acclaim but also grossed over Rs 77.9 crore worldwide, establishing a strong base for his career. Shroff's outstanding performance in the movie also won him multiple awards, such as "Best Debut Male" at the Filmfare Awards, "Most Promising Newcomer-Male" at the Screen Awards, and "Star Debut of the Year" at the International Indian Film Academy Awards.
Shroff's film Baaghi (2016) was another box-office hit once again directed by Sabbir Khan and produced by Sajid Nadiadwala. The action blockbuster grossed Rs 127.05 crore worldwide, making it one of Shroff's highest-grossing movies.
The same year, alongside Jacqueline Fernandez, Shroff starred in Remo D'Souza's superhero comedy-action film, A Flying Jatt (2016). Shroff won the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards for Favourite Dancing Star and the BIG Star Entertainment Awards for Most Entertaining Dancer for his role in the film.
Shroff was cast in Sabbir Khan's musical melodrama Munna Michael (2017), where he portrays a homeless youngster who looks up to Michael Jackson and aspires to perform like him. Nidhhi Agerwal, who portrays Shroff's on-screen girlfriend, makes her debut in the film.
Aside from Baaghi 2 (2018), Shroff starred in Punit Malhotra's romantic comedy Student of the Year 2 (2019), produced by Dharma Productions. The film was a sequel to Karan Johar's Student of the Year (2012). Shroff acts opposite Ananya Panday and Tara Sutaria where he plays a university student who competes in the school's annual tournament. The film grossed Rs 98.16 crores worldwide.
In 2019, Shroff acted opposite Hrithik Roshan in War (2019), directed by Siddharth Anand. The action film was Shroff's highest-grossing movie at its release and remained one of his most successful blockbusters. The movie was a commercial success, earning Rs 475.5 crores worldwide. War (2019) made over Rs 53.35 crores on its first day in India, ranking it the fourth highest-grossing movie on its opening day.
War (2019) is the third instalment in the YRF Spy Universe, which depict crossovers from other movies in the shared universe, including Ek Tha Tiger (2012), Pathaan (2023), and other RAW agent-centred spy action dramas.
Baaghi 3 (2020) reunited Shroff and Shraddha Kapoor on the big screen. The action thriller film was a hit at the box office, earning Rs 137.05 crores worldwide.
After a two-year break, Shroff acted in Heropanti 2 (2022), directed by Ahmed Khan, and starred opposite Tara Sutaria.
Shroff also serves as a brand ambassador for major brands such as Pepsi, ASICS India, Casio India, 8 PM Premium Black, Macho, Garnier, Forca, and Great White Electronic.
His projects also includes Ganapath (2023) with Kriti Sanon and the action-packed Rambo (2023).- Producer
- Actor
- Stunts
Hong Kong's cheeky, lovable and best-known film star, Jackie Chan endured many years of long, hard work and multiple injuries to establish international success after his start in Hong Kong's manic martial arts cinema industry.
Jackie was born Kong-sang Chan on April 7, 1954, on Hong Kong's famous Victoria Peak, to Charles and Lee-Lee Chan, and the family immigrated to Canberra, Australia, in early 1960. The young Jackie was less than successful scholastically, so his father sent him back to Hong Kong to attend the rigorous China Drama Academy, one of the Peking Opera schools. Chan excelled at acrobatics, singing and martial arts and eventually became a member of the "Seven Little Fortunes" performing troupe and began lifelong friendships with fellow martial artists / actors Sammo Kam-Bo Hung and Biao Yuen. Chan journeyed back and forth to visit his parents and work in Canberra, but eventually he made his way back to Hong Kong as his permanent home. In the early 1970s, Chan commenced his movie career and interestingly appeared in very minor roles in two films starring then rising martial arts superstar Bruce Lee: Fist of Fury (1972) (aka "The Chinese Connection"), and the Warner Bros. production Enter the Dragon (1973). Not long after Lee's untimely death, Chan was often cast in films cashing in on the success of Bruce Lee by utilizing words like "fist", "fury" or "dragon" in their US release titles.
Chan's own film career was off and running and he swiftly appeared in many low-budget martial arts films that were churned out at a rapid-fire pace by Hong Kong studios eager to satisfy the early 1970s boom in martial-arts cinema. He starred in Shaolin Wooden Men (1976), To Kill with Intrigue (1977), Half a Loaf of Kung Fu (1978) and Magnificent Bodyguards (1978), which all fared reasonably well at the cinemas. However, he scored a major breakthrough with the action comedy Drunken Master (1978), which has become a cult favorite among martial arts film fans. Not too long after this, Chan made his directorial debut with The Young Master (1980) and then "Enter the Dragon" producer Robert Clouse lured Jackie to the United States for a film planned to break Jackie into the lucrative US market. Battle Creek Brawl (1980) featured Jackie competing in a "toughest Street fighter" contest set in 1940s Texas; however, Jackie was unhappy with the end result, and it failed to fire with US audiences. In a further attempt to get his name known in the United States, Jackie was cast alongside Burt Reynolds, Sir Roger Moore and Dean Martin in the Hal Needham-directed car chase film The Cannonball Run (1981). Regrettably, Jackie was cast as a Japanese race driver and his martial arts skills are only shown in one small sequence near the film's conclusion. Stateside success was still a few years away for Jackie Chan!
Undeterred, he returned to East Asia to do what he did best--make jaw-dropping action films loaded with amazing stunt work. Chan and his legendary stunt team were without parallel in their ability to execute the most incredible fight scenes and action sequences, and the next decade would see some of their best work. Chan paired with the dynamic Sammo Kam-Bo Hung to star in Winners & Sinners (1983), Project A (1983), Wheels on Meals (1984), My Lucky Stars (1985) (aka "Winners & Sinners 2"), Twinkle Twinkle Lucky Stars (1985) (aka "Winners & Sinners 3"). Chan then journeyed back to the United States for another shot at that market, starring alongside Danny Aiello in The Protector (1985), filmed in Hong Kong and New York. However, as with previous attempts, Jackie felt the US director--in this case, James Glickenhaus--failed to understand his audience appeal and the film played to lukewarm reviews and box-office receipts. However, Jackie did decide to "harden" up his on-screen image somewhat and his next film, Police Story (1985) was a definite departure from previously light-hearted martial arts fare, and his fans loved the final product!
This was quickly followed up with the Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)-influenced Armour of God (1986), during filming of which Jackie mistimed a leap from a wall to a tree on location in Yugoslavia and fell many quite a few feet onto his head, causing a skull fracture. It was another in a long line of injuries that Chan has suffered as a result of doing his own stunt work, and he was soon back in front of the cameras. Project A 2 (1987), Police Story 2 (1988), Miracles: The Canton Godfather (1989) (aka "Mr. Canton and Lady Rose)", Armour of God 2: Operation Condor (1991) (aka "Armour of God 2") and Supercop (1992) (aka "Police Story 3") were all sizable hits for Jackie, escalating his status to phenomenal heights in Asia, and to his loyal fanbase around the globe. US success was now just around the corner for the hard-working Jackie Chan, and it arrived in the form of the action film Rumble in the Bronx (1995) (though it was actually filmed in Canada) that successfully blended humor and action to make a winning formula in US theaters.
Jackie did not waste any time and went to work on First Strike (1996) (aka "Police Story 4"), Mr. Nice Guy (1997), Who Am I? (1998), which all met with positive results at the international box office. Jackie then went to work in his biggest-budget US production, starring alongside fast-talking comedian Chris Tucker in the action comedy Rush Hour (1998). The film was a bigger hit than "Rumble in the Bronx" and firmly established Jackie as a bona fide star in the United States. Jackie then paired up with rising talent Owen Wilson to star in Shanghai Noon (2000) and its sequel, Shanghai Knights (2003), and re-teamed with Tucker in Rush Hour 2 (2001), as well as starring in The Tuxedo (2002), The Medallion (2003) and the delightful Around the World in 80 Days (2004). Not one to forget his loyal fanbase, Jackie returned to more gritty and traditional fare with New Police Story (2004) and The Myth (2005). The multi-talented Chan (he is also a major recording star in Asia) shows no sign of slowing down and has long since moved out of the shadow of Bruce Lee, to whom he was usually compared early in his career.
Chan is truly one of the international film industry's true maverick actor / director / stuntman / producer combinations - he has done this the hard way, and always his way to achieve his dreams and goals to be an international cinematic star. Off screen, he has been directly involved in many philanthropic ventures providing financial assistance to schools and universities around the world. He is a UNICEF GoodWill Ambassador, and he has campaigned against animal abuse and pollution and assisted with disaster relief efforts to the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami victims.- Actor
- Stunts
- Producer
Donnie Yen was born in Guangzhou, China. His mother, Bow-sim Mark, was a kung fu master and his father, Kylster Yen, a newspaper editor and amateur musician. When Donnie was just two years old, the family moved to Hong Kong and then, when he was 11, to Boston, Massachusetts.
There, Master Bow-sim Mark became a pioneer for Chinese martial arts in America, and it was only natural that her only son was trained from early childhood in the same skills. At the same time, Donnie was influenced by his parents' love of music and reached a high level of proficiency as a pianist. All these interests would have a manifest influence on Yen's later life.
In his teens, Donnie defined his own persona by rebelling against his parents edicts. Beyond the limitations of his mother's school, Yen began training in various different fighting arts, including Japanese karate, Korean taekwondo and western boxing. Donnie also took up hip-hop and break-dancing. At the same time, he began spending his nights in Boston's notorious Combat Zone. Given that he was by now a serious practitioner of modern Wu Shu, his parents decided to send him to Beijing to train at the Chinese capital's famed Wu Shu academy.
It was when Yen returned to Hong Kong en route back to Boston that he met the famed martial arts movie director Yuen Woo-ping.
Donnie exploded onto the Hong Kong movie scene when he was cast in the lead role of director Yuen Woo-ping's 'Drunken Tai Chi'. His debut film immediately established him as a viable leading man, and Yen has remained a major figure in Chinese action cinema to this day.
Yen skills as a street dancer were to the fore in his second starring role, 'Mismatched Couples', in which he showed off his breakdance moves, as well as his general athleticism. This slapstick romantic comedy was produced by Hong Kong's prestigious Cinema City studio.
Donnie was subsequently signed by the newly formed D&B Films, and cast in the hit cop actioner 'Tiger Cage'. In this movie, and his follow-up features for the company ('In the Line of Duty 4', 'Tiger Cage 2'), Yen showed off his own unique form of contemporary screen combat, a form that included elements of rapid fire kicking, Western boxing and grappling moves.
Having established a worldwide fan base, Yen moved on to star in a string of independent Asian action features before director Tsui Hark tapped him to co-star in 'Once Upon A Time In China 2'. The film's two action highlights saw Donnie's character duel the legendary martial arts master Wong Fei-hung, played by his old friend Jet Li. The film brought Yen his first real attention as a thespian and he was nominated in the Best Supporting Actor category at that year's Hong Kong Film Awards.
Tsui Hark went on to produce a remake of King Hu's classic 'New Dragon Inn', which provided another showcase role for Donnie as the film's apparently invincible villain.
Donnie was reunited with director Yuen Woo-ping for 'Iron Monkey', a film which brought Yen's acting and action skills both into focus. In 'Iron Monkey', Yen played the father of Wong Fei-hung, and its success prefigured that which he would later enjoy as another pugilistic patriarch in 'Ip Man'. Donnie collaborated with Yuen on the action for the film, designing a new on-screen interpretation of Wong Fei-hung's classic 'Shadowless Kick'.
'Iron Monkey' was all the more remarkable in that, years after its Asian release, it was acquired by the American studio Miramax, re-cut, re-scored and given a wide release in US theatres. After premieres in New York and Los Angeles, the film enjoyed great acclaim from the American critics, and won a prize at that year's Taurus Awards, an event held to celebrate action in cinema.
After working on a number of independent features, Yen went on to enjoy huge success on the small screen when he accepted a lucrative offer from Hong Kong's ATV to film a series based on the Bruce Lee classic 'Fist of Fury'. The show was the top-rated action drama show around the region, and was subsequently re-edited for international distribution on video.
Donnie went on to make his directorial debut with 'Legend of the Wolf', a stylish period actioner that even attracted the attention of legendary American film-maker Francis Coppola. The film, about an amnesiac warrior returning to his home village, has become a bona fide cult classic.
As director, Donnie followed 'Legend of the Wolf' with a very different venture, 'Ballistic Kiss', an urban thriller about a conflicted assassin. The film played at the prestigious Udine Festival in Italy, and took home awards at several other events, including the Japanese Yubari International Action Film Festival.
Donnie's body of work had by then attracted the attention of Hollywood, and Yen was approached to choreograph the action for the mainstream franchise films 'Highlander: Endgame' and 'Blade 2'. After a period where he was based in Los Angeles, Donnie returned East by way of the West when Jackie Chan requested that Yen play his nemesis in the hit 'Shanghai Knights', a shoot that took the star from Prague to London.
Yen returned to China to co-star in director Zhang Yimou's epic wu xia master work 'Hero'. Yen's duel with Jet Li brought his skills to the emerging Mainland Chinese theatrical audience, and paved the way for Donnie to become the country's biggest action star. The film received a wide US theatrical release from Miramax, and remains one of the most successful foreign language titles ever distributed in the America market.
Donnie returned to Hong Kong to choreograph the smash hit fantasy-horror-comedy 'The Twins Effect', and went on to enjoy his most productive partnership with a director. Beginning with the cop actioner 'SPL', Donnie teamed with helmer Wilson Yip for a series of very different films that Yen would star in and action choreograph and Yip would direct. Star and director subsequently teamed to create the comic book inspired fantasy actioner 'Dragon Tiger Gate' and the gritty police thriller 'Flashpoint', in which Donnie created what fans feel is the definitive on-screen MMA action scene. Yen was to return to this hard-hitting, urban action style for the later 'Special ID'.
Donnie now found himself in demand as a leading man in a series of prestigious period actioners produced for the Chinese market. 'Seven Swords' premiered at the Venice Film Festival, and proved a hit with worldwide audiences. The film was released in North America by The Weinstein Company's Dragon Dynasty label, and remains its biggest hit.
Yen also attracted rave reviews when he played an honorable general in 'An Empress and her Warriors' and an offbeat ghost-buster in Gordon Chan's 'Painted Skin'.
Yen took his career to a new level when he accepted producer Raymond Wong's suggestion that he play Bruce Lee's teacher, 'Ip Man', in an eponymous film relating the life of the great master. The film was a huge success in Hong Kong and China, and 'Ip Man' went on to find favor with audiences worldwide. Donnie also received a Best Actor nomination at the Hong Kong Film Awards.
'Ip Man' confirmed Donnie's position as China's greatest action hero, and he was immediately signed to lead a strong ensemble cast for Teddy Chen's 'Bodyguards and Assassins', produced by Peter Chan. Besides his on-screen performance, Donnie was also called on to choreograph the dynamic duel between himself and MMA champion Cung Le. The movie went on to sweep the board at the Hong Kong Film Awards winning Best Film, among many other prizes. Yen himself was nominated for Best Actor at the Chinese Hundred Flower awards.
Yen followed this with 'Ip Man 2', a rare example of a sequel that proved a match for its predecessor. The film followed Ip's life journey to Hong Kong, where he faces both rival kung fu masters, led by the film's choreographer, Sammo Hung, and a brutal foreign boxer, portrayed by the late Darren Shahlavi. 'Ip Man 2' was the biggest local hit of the year in China, and enjoyed a limited theatrical release in the US.
The film's success led to Donnie being cast as a number of legendary Chinese heroes: He played General Qin-long in Daniel Lee's '14 Blades', Guan Yu in 'The Lost Bladesman' and reprised Bruce Lee's Chen Zhen role in Andrew Lau's 'Legend of the Fist'. Yen also used the lighter side of his screen persona to good effect in two installments of the hit Hong Kong comedy movie series 'Alls Well Ends Well'.
Yen was cast opposite Tang Wei and Takeshi Kaneshiro in director Peter Chan's 'Wu Xia' (aka 'Dragon'), a dark, elegant period martial arts murder mystery. The film premiered to great acclaim at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival, and subsequently received a North American theatrical release from The Weinstein Company.
Donnie Yen played 'The Monkey King' in a hit reimagining of the Chinese classic. Donnie starred opposite screen legend Chow Yun-fat in the film, which smashed box office records in Mainland China.
Showing his versatility, Yen went on to play a kung fu master facing challenges in the modern era in director Teddy Chen's 'Kung Fu Jungle'. The movie, which premiered at the London Film Festival, paid tribute to the great history of Hong Kong martial arts cinema.
During the shooting of his ambitious, time travel themed action fantasy 'Iceman 3D', Yen was approached to revitalize the greatest brand in the history of Chinese martial arts cinema. 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny' was shot primarily on location in New Zealand, with Yen in the lead role. The world class creative team gathered by producer Harvey Weinstein included legendary kung fu film director Yuen Woo-ping, acclaimed directors Peter Berg and Morten Tyldum (as producers), 'X-Men' series DP Tom Sigel as well as the Oscar-winning production, costume and FX designers from the 'Lord of the Rings' and 'Hobbit' film series.
The film debuted in most international territories as a Netflix Original movie, making it the most widely seen wu xia of all time. 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: The Sword of Destiny' also played at selected Imax theatres in North America, and enjoyed a wide theatrical release in China, where it was screened in its 3D version.
Yen reteamed with his former mentor Yuen Woo-ping for the hugely popular 'Ip Man 3'. The film, with Wilson Ip as director and Yuen as choreographer, pitted the title character against legendary boxing champion Mike Tyson. The film out-performed all the previous movies featuring the character of Ip Man, smashing box office records throughout Asia. Following a high profile Los Angeles premiere, 'Ip Man 3' enjoyed a Los Angeles premiere and a US theatrical release, earning rave reviews in the mainstream American media.
Having conquered every territory beneath the Asian skies, Donnie accepted an invitation to join the cast of an entry in the world's biggest film franchise. In 'Rogue One: A Star Wars Story', Yen plays one of the Rebel warriors responsible for the theft of the Death Star plans, the adventure that, within the 'Star Wars' universe, leads to the events of the very first film in the series. The film was shot primarily at the famed Elstree Studios in England.
Donnie had a role opposite Vin Diesel and his fellow Asian action star, Tony Jaa, in xXx: Return of Xander Cage (2017), which filmed in Toronto, Canada.
Now firmly established as a leading player across the globe, Donnie Yen continues to present a unique blend of Eastern experience and Western innovation, of musical grace with martial impact, from Hong Kong to a galaxy far, far away....
Donnie is one of the leading martial arts choreographers in the world of action cinema. His skills behind the camera began developing from his early days in the industry, and he was very much involved with the action choreography of his films for D&B Films. He received his first full action directing credit on the Michelle Yeoh, kung fu drama 'Wing Chun', in which he also starred.
Yen further developed his style of choreography in the high pressure world of Hong Kong television, where he created the action for his hit series 'Kung Fu Master' and 'Fist of Fury', and as a low-budget film-maker, when he directed, starred in and choreographed the movies 'Legend of the Wolf' and 'Ballistic Kiss'.
It was after Yen had helmed his first two Chinese features that Hollywood made its first serious bid for his services. He was signed to co-star in and action direct 'Highlander: Endgame', the latest in a series of fantasy actioners. The film, which starred Adrian Paul and Christopher Lambert, was produced by the US studio Dimension, and enjoyed a successful worldwide theatrical release.
Having relocated to Los Angeles, Yen paid his dues by directing action scenes for the Dimension action thriller 'Stormbreaker' and providing the fight sequences for the German TV series 'The Puma'.
Donnie agreed to both action direct and cameo in the major New Line action franchise entry 'Blade 2', starring Wesley Snipes. The film, directed by Guillermo del Toro, was a huge hit, earning almost twice the box office of the original 'Blade'.
Returning to Hong Kong, Yen found he now had a major contribution to make behind the camera, co-directing the SFX action adventure 'The Twins Effect'. The film, which starred two of China's top pop idols, told the tale of young vampire hunters with well-honed martial arts skills. A huge hit for Emperor, the film earned Yen his first Best Action Director prize at the Hong Kong Film Awards.
'The Twins Effect' saw Donnie start to introduce elements of MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) in his film fight scenes. He took the on-screen depiction of the style to new heights with the film 'SPL', released in the US as 'Kill Zone'. Yen's final reel duel with Sammo Hung is now regarded as a classic of the genre. The film won Donnie his second Best Action Choreography prize at the Hong Kong Film Awards.
He took his on-screen depiction of MMA to new heights in 'Flashpoint', which featured an even longer and more intense final showdown, this time between Yen and 'Matrix Reloaded' actor Collin Chou. The film won Donnie his third Best Action Choreography prize at the Hong Kong Film Awards, as well as a prize for Best Action in a Foreign Language Film at the Taurus Awards.
Yen explored different styles of screen combat when he choreographed the stunning kung fu fights for the period actioners 'Legend of the Fist' and 'The Lost Bladesman', the fantasy combat for 'The Monkey King' and the time travel adventure 'Iceman Cometh 3D'.
Many fans feel that Yen delivered his best choreographic work to date in Peter Chan's masterful 'Wu Xia', released in the US as 'Dragon'. The film saw Donnie bring his own unique flair to classical Shaw Bros style kung fu action.
Donnie brought traditional Chinese martial arts into the modern era with 'Kung Fu Jungle', for which his work won yet another Best Choreography prize at the Hong Kong Film Awards.
Away from the cameras, Yen entered into the most rewarding partnership of his life when he married former beauty queen, Cissy Wang. The couple now has two children, a girl and boy, Jasmine and James.- Actor
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Jet Li born Li Lian Jie in Beijing, China. He started training at the Beijing wushu academy (wushu is China's national sport, largely a performance version of various martial art styles) at age eight. He won five gold medals in the Chinese championships, his first when he was only 11. In his teens, he was already a national coach, and before he was 20 he had starred in his first movie: The Shaolin Temple (1982), which started the 1980s Kung-Fu boom in mainland China. He relocated to Hong Kong, where he was the biggest star of the early 1990s Kung-Fu boom. His first directorial effort was Born to Defense (1988).- Stunts
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From his humble beginnings of watching Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Matt Mullins has risen to become world renown in martial arts, and as a star in the CW4Kids show "Kamen Rider: Dragon Knight".
With 5 martial art world titles in hand, Matt moved from Naperville, IL to Hollywood and quickly began booking national spots for top brands such as Nike, Burger King, and Pepsi, with his most recent being the Ultra Sexy Motorola RAZR 2 commercial. After Matt starred in huge international success of the Discovery Channels "Xtreme Martial Arts", Hollywood began to take notice and Matt was given the opportunity to begin to flex his acting chops in lead roles, such as the award winning cult film "Adventures of Johnny Tao".
Simultaneously, Matt created the martial art phenomenon Sideswipe, which took Hollywood by storm, winning FOX TV's "30 Seconds To Fame" and securing millions of fans to finish top 8 in "America's Got Talent" on NBC.
Whether it is choreographing for the Britney Spears Circus Tour, starring on the CW, or performing live with Sideswipe, Matt has come a long way since watching the Turtles as he continues to expand his multi-platform empire.- Actor
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Born in Hong Kong, Sammo Hung's acting career began while he was training in acrobatics, martial arts and dance as a child at the China Drama Academy, and he received acclaim for his performance with a troupe called "The Seven Little Fortunes." He made his feature film debut as an actor at the age of 12, and has worked in numerous martial arts films as an actor, director, producer and/or choreographer, collaborating with Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan, two superstars of the genre.
He is now internationally renowned as a pioneer and trend-setter in Hong Kong action films. Hung's big break as a film actor came with a role as a sparring partner in the Bruce Lee film Enter the Dragon (1973). He established his reputation as a skilled physical comedian in several kung-fu comedies, beginning with "Enter the Fat Dragon" (Enter the Fat Dragon (1978)). He also produced and starred in numerous successful films throughout the 1970s and 1980s for Hong Kong's leading film studio, Golden Harvest.
Hung collaborated in the 1980s with long-time friend Jackie Chan in a highly successful series of action comedies that cemented Hung's reputation as a consummate actor/director and launched Chan's career as an international star. For a while, Hung also starred in an American TV series, Martial Law (1998).
He directed Once Upon a Time in China and America (1997), his first film shot in the US. He and his wife, Mina, now divide their time between homes in Hong Kong and Los Angeles.- Actor
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Wah Yuen was born on 2 September 1950 in Hong Kong, China. He is an actor, known for Kung Fu Hustle (2004), Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021) and The Way of the Dragon (1972).- Actor
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Siu-Wong Fan was born in Hong Kong in 1973, the son of 1970s kung fu film actor Mei-Sheng Fan. At the age of 14, Siu-Wong traveled to Xushou on the request of his father to take up martial arts because he was virtually a toothpick. There, Siu-Wong studied gymnastics, kung fu, and taekwondo. Fan made his film debut as a teen in Zhi fa xian feng (1986), aka Righting Wrongs, alongside Biao Yuen, Cynthia Rothrock, and Corey Yuen. However, his breakout role came in 1991 when he starred as the titled character in Lik wong (1991), aka The Story of Ricky. By then, Siu-Wong has emerged into a true action star with the muscles to match. He continues to work in films today, although they are not exactly the big Hong Kong blockbusters everyone goes out to see.- Actor
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Bruce Lee remains the greatest icon of martial arts cinema and a key figure of modern popular media. Had it not been for Bruce Lee and his movies in the early 1970s, it's arguable whether or not the martial arts film genre would have ever penetrated and influenced mainstream North American and European cinema and audiences the way it has over the past four decades. The influence of East Asian martial arts cinema can be seen today in so many other film genres including comedies, action, drama, science fiction, horror and animation... and they all have their roots in the phenomenon that was Bruce Lee.
Lee was born Lee Jun Fan November 27, 1940 in San Francisco, the son of Lee Hoi Chuen, a singer with the Cantonese Opera. Approximately one year later, the family returned to Kowloon in Hong Kong and at the age of five, a young Bruce begins appearing in children's roles in minor films including The Birth of Mankind (1946) and Fu gui fu yun (1948). At the age of 12, Bruce commenced attending La Salle College. Bruce was later beaten up by a street gang, which inspired him to take up martial arts training under the tutelage of Sifu Yip Man who schooled Bruce in wing chun kung fu for a period of approximately five years. This was the only formalized martial arts training ever undertaken by Lee. The talented and athletic Bruce also took up cha-cha dancing and, at age 18, won a major dance championship in Hong Kong.
However, his temper and quick fists got him in trouble with the Hong Kong police on numerous occasions. His parents suggested that he head off to the United States. Lee landed in San Francisco's Chinatown in 1959 and worked in a close relative's restaurant. He eventually made his way to Seattle, Washington, where he enrolled at university to study philosophy and found the time to practice his beloved kung fu techniques. In 1963, Lee met Linda Lee Cadwell (aka Linda Emery) (later his wife) and also opened his first kung fu school at 4750 University Way. During the early half of the 1960s, Lee became associated with many key martial arts figures in the United States, including kenpo karate expert Ed Parker and tae kwon do master Jhoon Rhee. He made guest appearances at notable martial arts events including the Long Beach Nationals. Through one of these tournaments Bruce met Hollywood hair-stylist Jay Sebring who introduced him to television producer William Dozier. Based on the runaway success of Batman (1966), Dozier was keen to bring the cartoon character the Green Hornet to television and was on the lookout for an East Asian actor to play the Green Hornet's sidekick, Kato. Around this time Bruce also opened a second kung fu school in Oakland, California and relocated to Oakland to be closer to Hollywood.
Bruce's screen test was successful, and The Green Hornet (1966) starring Van Williams aired in 1966-1967 with mixed success. His fight scenes were sometimes obscured by unrevealing camera angles, but his dedication was such that he insisted his character behave like a perfect bodyguard, keeping his eyes on whoever might be a threat to his employer except when the script made this impossible. The show was canceled after only one season (twenty-six episodes), but by this time Lee was receiving more fan mail than the series' nominal star. He then opened a third branch of his kung fu school in Los Angeles and began providing personalized martial arts training to celebrities including film stars Steve McQueen and James Coburn as well as screenwriter Stirling Silliphant. In addition he refined his prior knowledge of wing chun and incorporated aspects of other fighting styles such as traditional boxing and Okinawan karate. He also developed his own unique style Jeet Kune Do (Way of the Intercepting Fist). Another film opportunity then came his way as he landed the small role of a stand over man named Winslow Wong who intimidates private eye James Garner in Marlowe (1969). Wong pays a visit to Garner and proceeds to demolish the investigator's office with his fists and feet, finishing off with a spectacular high kick that shatters the light fixture. With this further exposure of his talents, Bruce then scored several guest appearances as a martial arts instructor to blind private eye James Franciscus on the television series Longstreet (1971).
With his minor success in Hollywood and money in his pocket, Bruce returned for a visit to Hong Kong and was approached by film producer Raymond Chow who had recently started Golden Harvest productions. Chow was keen to utilize Lee's strong popularity amongst young Chinese fans, and offered him the lead role in The Big Boss (1971). In it, Lee plays a distant cousin coming to join relatives working at an ice house, where murder, corruption, and drug-running lead to his character's adventures and display of Kung-Fu expertise. The film was directed by Wei Lo, shot in Thailand on a very low budget and in terrible living conditions for cast and crew. However, when it opened in Hong Kong the film was an enormous hit. Chow knew he had struck box office gold with Lee and quickly assembled another script entitled Fist of Fury (1972). The second film (with a slightly bigger budget) was again directed by Wei Lo and was set in Shanghai in the year 1900, with Lee returning to his school to find that his beloved master has been poisoned by the local Japanese karate school. Once again he uncovers the evildoers and sets about seeking revenge on those responsible for murdering his teacher and intimidating his school. The film features several superb fight sequences and, at the film's conclusion, Lee refuses to surrender to the Japanese police and seemingly leaps to his death in a hail of police bullets.
Once more, Hong Kong streets were jammed with thousands of fervent Chinese movie fans who could not get enough of the fearless Bruce Lee, and his second film went on to break the box office records set by the first! Lee then set up his own production company, Concord Productions, and set about guiding his film career personally by writing, directing and acting in his next film, The Way of the Dragon (1972). A bigger budget meant better locations and opponents, with the new film set in Rome, Italy and additionally starring hapkido expert In-shik Hwang, karate legend Robert Wall and seven-time U.S. karate champion Chuck Norris. Bruce plays a seemingly simple country boy sent to assist at a cousin's restaurant in Rome and finds his cousins are being bullied by local thugs for protection.
By now, Lee's remarkable success in East Asia had come to the attention of Hollywood film executives and a script was hastily written pitching him as a secret agent penetrating an island fortress. Warner Bros. financed the film and also insisted on B-movie tough guy John Saxon starring alongside Lee to give the film wider appeal. The film culminates with another show-stopping fight sequence between Lee and the key villain, Han, in a maze of mirrors. Shooting was completed in and around Hong Kong in early 1973 and in the subsequent weeks Bruce was involved in completing overdubs and looping for the final cut. Various reports from friends and co-workers cite that he was not feeling well during this period and on July 20, 1973 he lay down at the apartment of actress Betty Ting Pei after taking a headache medicine called Equagesic and was later unable to be revived. A doctor was called and Lee was taken to hospital by ambulance and pronounced dead that evening. The official finding was death due to a cerebral edema, caused by a reaction to the headache tablet Equagesic.
Fans worldwide were shattered that their virile idol had passed at such a young age, and nearly thirty thousand fans filed past his coffin in Hong Kong. A second, much smaller ceremony was held in Seattle, Washington and Bruce was laid to rest at Lake View Cemetary in Seattle with pall bearers including Steve McQueen, James Coburn and Dan Inosanto. Enter the Dragon (1973) was later released in the mainland United States, and was a huge hit with audiences there, which then prompted National General films to actively distribute his three prior movies to U.S. theatres... each was a box office smash.
Fans throughout the world were still hungry for more Bruce Lee films and thus remaining footage (completed before his death) of Lee fighting several opponents including Dan Inosanto, Hugh O'Brian and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was crafted into another film titled Game of Death (1978). The film used a lookalike and shadowy camera work to be substituted for the real Lee in numerous scenes. The film is a poor addition to the line-up and is only saved by the final twenty minutes and the footage of the real Bruce Lee battling his way up the tower. Amazingly, this same shoddy process was used to create Game of Death II (1980), with a lookalike and more stunt doubles interwoven with a few brief minutes of footage of the real Bruce Lee.
Tragically, his son Brandon Lee, an actor and martial artist like his father, was killed in a freak accident on the set of The Crow (1994). Bruce Lee was not only an amazing athlete and martial artist but he possessed genuine superstar charisma and through a handful of films he left behind an indelible impression on the tapestry of modern cinema.- Actor
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Jason Statham was born in Shirebrook, Derbyshire, to Eileen (Yates), a dancer, and Barry Statham, a street merchant and lounge singer. He was a Diver on the British National Diving Team and finished twelfth in the World Championships in 1992. He has also been a fashion model, black market salesman and finally of course, actor. He received the audition for his debut role as Bacon in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) through French Connection, for whom he was modeling. They became a major investor in the film and introduced Jason to Guy Ritchie, who invited him to audition for a part in the film by challenging him to impersonate an illegal street vendor and convince him to purchase fake jewelry. Jason must have been doing something right because after the success of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) he teamed up again with Guy Ritchie for Snatch (2000), with co-stars including Brad Pitt, Dennis Farina and Benicio Del Toro. After Snatch (2000) came Turn It Up (2000) with US music star Ja Rule, followed by a supporting actor role in the sci-fi film Ghosts of Mars (2001), Jet Li's The One (2001) and another screen partnership with Vinnie Jones in Mean Machine (2001) under Guy Ritchie's and Matthew Vaughn's SKA Films. Finally in 2002 he was cast as the lead role of Frank Martin in The Transporter (2002). Jason was also in the summer 2003 blockbuster remake of The Italian Job (1969), The Italian Job (2003), playing Handsome Rob.
Throughout the 2000s, Statham became a star of juicy action B-films, most significantly Crank (2006) and Crank: High Voltage (2009), and also War (2007), opposite Jet Li, and The Bank Job (2008) and Death Race (2008), among others. In the 2010s, his reputation for cheeky and tough leading performances led to his casting as Lee Christmas in The Expendables (2010) and its sequels, the comedy Spy (2015), and as (apparently) reformed villain Deckard Shaw in Fast & Furious 6 (2013), Furious 7 (2015), The Fate of the Furious (2017), and Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019). Apart from these blockbusters, he continued headlining B-films such as Homefront (2013).
In 2017, he had his first child, a son with his partner, model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.- Actor
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Dolph Lundgren was born as Hans Lundgren in Stockholm, Sweden, to Sigrid Birgitta (Tjerneld), a language teacher, and Karl Johan Hugo Lundgren, an engineer and economist for the Swedish government. He lived in Stockholm until the age of 13, when he moved in with his grandparents in Nyland, Ångermanland, Sweden. Despite an early interest in music and the fine arts, Dolph decided to follow in his father's footsteps and pursue an Engineering degree. After having completed his military service, he enrolled at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm.
It was in the military when Dolph first came in contact with the martial arts. Five years later, he had become a world-class competitor in Japanese Karate and was deeply involved with a discipline that was to become an important part of his life. After graduating High School, Dolph spent considerable time studying in the United States and abroad on various academic scholarships. He attended Washington State University and Clemson University in South Carolina. In 1982, he received a scholarship to complete his Masters Degree in Chemical Engineering at the University of Sydney, Australia. In 1983, he was awarded a Fulbright scholarship to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston, one of the world's top engineering schools.
However, that same year, he decided to move to New York City and take up acting. He changed his forename to Dolph. He started studying drama at the Warren Robertson Theatre Workshop in Manhattan, not knowing how quickly his life was about to change. His film debut came in A View to a Kill (1985). However, it was his performance in Rocky IV (1985) later that year that definitely got him noticed. After a 9-month audition process among 5,000 hopefuls, he was cast opposite writer-director Sylvester Stallone, as his Russian opponent, "Ivan Drago". Following the success of Rocky IV (1985), Lundgren moved to Los Angeles and has since starred in more than 30 feature films.
Lundgren portrayed the classic action-heroic lead in such films as Gary Goddard's Masters of the Universe (1987), Showdown in Little Tokyo (1991) co-starring Brandon Lee and Blackjack (1998), by Hong-Kong action legend, John Woo. Lundgren has also continued to turning in memorable performances as the main adversary to other action-stars, most notably in Universal Soldier (1992) opposite Jean-Claude Van Damme, directed by Roland Emmerich, as well as Robert Longo's Johnny Mnemonic (1995) opposite Keanu Reeves. In February 2004, Lundgren directed his first feature film, the thriller The Defender (2004), in which he also starred. In 2005, he directed and starred in yet another feature, The Russian Specialist (2005) (a.k.a "The Mechanik").
In January 2006, he finished principal photography of The Final Inquiry (2006), a joint Italian/American/Spanish co-production, directed by Giulio Base, appearing opposite, among others, Daniele Liotti, Max von Sydow and F. Murray Abraham. In 2006, Lundgren starred in Diamond Dogs (2007), a Chinese/American co-production filmed on location in Mongolia. In 2007, he directed a modern day western shot in Texas, Missionary Man (2007). In 2009, he completed two new directorial efforts, the action-packed Command Performance (2009), which showcases Lundgren's longtime musical talents as a drummer; and the neo-noir thriller Icarus (2010). Lundgren also reunited with co-stars Jean-Claude Van Damme and Sylvester Stallone for Universal Soldier: Regeneration (2009) and the highly anticipated action blockbuster, The Expendables (2010).
Lundgren managed to not let his Hollywood career stand in the way of his athletic background. He has been awarded his Third Degree Black Belt by the World Karate Organization in Tokyo. His accomplishments include being the Captain of the Swedish National Karate Team, as well as a Champion of the Swedish, European and Australian Heavyweight Division titles. Lundgren still regularly performs Karate exhibitions at international tournaments worldwide. In addition, he was selected by the U.S. Olympic Committee to serve as Team Leader of the 1996 U.S. Olympic Pentathlon Team during the Atlanta Games. He is actively involved in promoting the image of this sport. His production company, Thor Pictures, is developing several projects in which he will produce, star and/or direct. He is also a founding member of "Group of Eight", a New York theater group started in 1994.
Lundgren has reportedly been working on a fitness book and sports wear line for men, the creation and launch of a new eponymous brand, a licensing, media and publishing program, and the development of future entertainment and media projects. Lundgren was married to Anette Qviberg-Lundgren, an interior decorator and fashion designer, until their divorce in 2011. They had two daughters together.- Actor
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Chuck Norris is familiar to fans worldwide as the star of action films such as The Hitman (1991), The Delta Force (1986) and Delta Force 2: The Colombian Connection (1990). He also starred in Missing in Action (1984) and its sequels, Firewalker (1986) and Sidekicks (1992). He was an executive producer of Walker, Texas Ranger (1993) as well as the star.
Chuck Norris was born in Ryan, Oklahoma, to Wilma (Scarberry) and Ray Norris, who was a truck driver, mechanic, and bus driver. The eldest of three children, he helped his mother raise his two younger brothers in Torrance, CA, where his family moved when he was 12. Norris attended North Torrance High School from its inception in September, 1955 until his graduation in June, 1958. He is one of several storied alumni from the school. Other NHS alumni include Bob Hite (1943-1981), who was the lead singer of "Canned Heat," Chris Demaria, who was a professional baseball player in the Kansas City Royals and Milwaukee Brewers organizations, Chris Mortensen, an analyst with ESPN, Hip-Hop DJ "Key-Kool" (Kikuo Nishi), and Wee-Man (Jason Acuna) of "JackAss fame."
Norris joined the Air Force after graduating from high school. During a stint in Korea, he began to study the Asian martial art of Tang Soo Do. After returning home, he worked for Northrop Aviation and moonlighted as a karate instructor. Two years later he was teaching full-time and running a number of martial-arts schools. His students included Steve McQueen, Priscilla Presley and the Osmonds.
Norris's fight career lasted from 1964-1974. Norris started off by losing his first three tournaments but, by 1966, he was almost unbeatable. Among the numerous titles he won were The National Karate Championships (1966), All-Star Championships (1966), World Middleweight Karate Championship (1967), All-American Karate Championship (1967), Internationals (1968), World Professional Middleweight Karate Championship (defeating Louis Delgado on 24 November 1968), All-American Championship (1968), National Tournament of Champions (1968), American Tang Soo Championship, and the North American Karate Championship. Norris compiled a fight record of 65-5 with wins over champions Joe Lewis, Skipper Mullins, Arnold Urquidez, Ronald L. Marchini, Victor Moore, Louis Delgado, and Steve Sanders. Of the five men to beat Norris, three were Allen Steen, Joe Lewis, and Norris's last career defeat to Louis Delgado in 1968. Norris retired as undefeated Professional Full-Contact Middleweight Champion in 1974.
Norris, who was urged to get into acting by his friend Steve McQueen, skillfully incorporates his martial-arts knowledge into his series and feature film projects, stressing action and technique over violence. He is the author of the books "The Secret of Inner Strength" and "The Secret Power Within - Zen Solutions to Real Problems". He works for many charities, including the Funds for Kids, Veterans Administration National Salute to Hospitalized Veterans, the United Way, Make-a-Wish Foundation and KickStart, a nonprofit organization he created to help battle drugs and violence in schools. He also starred in the television movie Blood In, Blood Out (1993), broadcast on CBS.
He lives on a ranch when not filming.- Stunts
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Born William Charles Jeffreys (III) on July 23, 1958 in Washington, D.C., Chuck Jeffreys found his interest in the martial arts at the age of 8 and started training in Western Boxing and Tae Kwon Do. He began training in Northern (Tien Shan Pai) Shaolin Kung fu in the early 70s. He was well known for his kung fu demonstrations in Jr. High School and High School.
In 1977, Chuck created a martial arts class known as LMA (Liberated Martial Arts) and established his own Wushu/LMA class in Camp Springs, Maryland at Andrews Air Force Base with expanded branch in Germany under Shifu Leroy Thomas.
In 1980, Chuck began training in Kali which is a Filipino style of martial arts and learned numerous other styles that include Long Fist, Nan Chuan, Indonesian Pentjak Silat, Chin-Na, Grappling and a variety of weapons.
He holds Black Belts/Sashes in several styles of martial arts such as a 8th-degree Black Sash in Shaolin Wushu under GM, Dennis Brown (promoted in 2014), and was an apprentice instructor of Jun Fan kickboxing & Kali (Filipino Martial Arts) in 1990 that was certified by the legendary Dan Inosanto.
In 1996, Chuck created the fighting fitness program, Combattitude, which is based on fight choreography and a whole new approach to martial arts training & fitness. He developed a career as a talented actor and stuntman that led him to playing roles in some of Hollywood's biggest blockbuster films. He also wrote comedy for the TV show, Pick up the Beat, which aired in the mid 80s on the ABC affiliate, WJLA-TV in Washington, D.C. and was nominated for his work in 1988, 1990 and 1991. He won an Emmy in 1990 and was nominated in the other years.
He's performed stunts for numerous large, and small movies like Tears of the Sun, Dead Presidents, Twelve Monkeys, Boys, Shadow Conspiracy, Black Dog, Out of Sight, Summer of Sam, Gladiator, Hannibal, Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2, Along Came a Spider and a list of others. He's also worked on the hit TV series, Oz and The Wire.
Skilled in martial arts and weapons, he had the opportunity to show his talents on screen with some of kung fu cinema's famous names such as legendary B-movie director "Godfrey" Ho Jeung-Keung (credited in most American films as Godfrey Hall) who directed over 50 Hong Kong cinema action films that includes Ninja Thunderbolt, Eagle vs. Silver Fox, Warriors of Kung Fu, Shaolin Drunk Monkey, The Dragon, The Hero and other classic kung fu films during the '70s and '80s. He was given the opportunity to work with legendary Hong Kong film producer Ng See-Yuen (Jackie Chan's Snake in the Eagle's Shadow and Drunken Master) in two independent action films, Superfights with Karate legend Keith Vitali (Revenge of the Ninja) and Bloodmoon with UK-born kickboxer Gary Daniels (Jackie Chan's 'City Hunter'). The two films were directed and action choreographed by Hong Kong stuntman/actor "Tony" Leung Siu-Hung (star of Five Superfighters and The 36 Crazy Fists) who is the younger brother of '70s kung fu star "Bruce" Leung Siu-Lung (Broken Oath, Little Superman, My Kung Fu 12 Kicks and Black Belt Karate).
In 1994, Jeffreys went to Kowloon, Hong Kong to work in a CD-ROM martial arts video game called Supreme Warrior, made by Digital Pictures. The game was filmed in the lot of the Shaw Brothers, the filmmakers responsible for creating cult classics like One-Armed Swordsman, Five Deadly Venoms, 36th Chamber of Shaolin (aka Master Killer), Chinatown Kid and many more. The game featured fight choreography by veteran Hong Kong action director "Dion" Lam Dik-On (The Storm Riders, A Man Called Hero and Exit Wounds).
Jeffreys is also an experienced fight choreographer for movies. He trained actor and martial artist Wesley Snipes with the sword for Blade and help provide the fight sequences. He also choreographed fights for Noah, Black Mass, Spider-Man and Freddy vs. Jason, where he incorporated street fighting techniques and grappling moves performed by actors Robert Englund (Freddy Kruger) and Canadian stuntman Ken Kirzinger (Jason Vorhees). He's known to regularly work with Wesley Snipes on various projects.- Actor
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Yasuaki Kurata was born on 20 March 1946 in Ibaraki, Japan. He is an actor and producer, known for Blood: The Last Vampire (2009), God of War (2017) and Fist of Legend (1994).- Actress
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Daughter of a Chinese woman, who spent her childhood in Nishi Ku (Fukuoka City). When she was in elementary school, her parents divorced and she went to live with her mother, who ran a little restaurant. Being a child she practiced karate in junior high school, represented Kyushu in several competitions and finally won the woman national karate championship. During her attendance in the Nippon College of Health and Physical Education for women, where she studied physical education, she saw the film "Young Master" (1980), directed and starring Sing Lung, and decided enrolling JAC (Japan Action Club) to become a stuntwoman. She finally changed her name to "Oshima" and debuted in the TV series "Super Electron Bio-Man" in 1984. At that time one part of JAC, "Asia Action", became independent and based in Hong Kong and Yukari decided to leave Japan. Chinese director Hung Kam-Bo gave her a bit part in the martial arts film "Shanghai Express" in 1986 and thus she began a career in Hong Kong until 1994, when after more than 20 Chinese films and a divorce from star Cheng Ho-Nam she established herself in the Philippines and changed her name for the second time to "Cynthia Luster" (Sincere Raster). Here she would participate in more than 20 films.- Actress
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Cynthia Rothrock is a martial arts expert and athlete, who went on to become a film actress, starring in a number of highly successful martial arts action movies. She first made a name as an action actress in Hong Kong before going on to wow audiences in her home turf. At the time of her popularity, she was well-known as the "Queen of Martial Arts films".
Cynthia Rothrock is the World Champion in martial arts Forms and Weapons (1981-1985). Her goal was to be undefeated and retire after five years. With over 100 competitions, she holds the undefeated worldwide record in martial arts Forms competition. In weapons competition, Cynthia is the first and only woman to win number one in North America against the men-at that time, women had to compete with the men. She holds five Black Belts with a rank of 8th Dan Grandmaster.
Upon completing her goal of being undefeated in competition, she began her martial arts acting career starring in movies produced and filmed in Hong Kong. Her first movie, Yes, Madam alongside Michelle Yeoh, broke box office records making her a massive star in Hong Kong. After three years of living in Hong Kong, finishing seven films, she returned to the United States to continue her acting career. Today she has starred in over 60 movies.
Rothrock has been a role model for women in martial arts and film. She made history by becoming the inaugural woman to grace the cover of Karate Illustrated (August 1981) and holds the distinction of being the first woman featured on the cover three times in the magazine's history.
In March 2024, Black Belt Magazine named Rothrock number one in its list of "The Most Influential Women Martial Artists on the Planet.". Rothrock is a proud inductee into the prestigious Black Belt Hall of Fame, along with Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris. In 2016 she was the first martial artist (male or female) to be inducted into the prestigious International Sports Hall of Fame by Arnold Schwarzenegger and Dr. Robert Goldman.- Actress
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Moon Lee was born on 14 February 1965 in Hong Kong. She is an actress, known for Fighting Madam (1987), Fatal Termination (1990) and Mission of Justice (1992).- Actress
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Shihomi Etsuko was born in the western city of Okayama in Japan. Her father worked at Japan's Mint responsible for manufacturing money. She has a younger brother. She is athletic since childhood and at junior high school was part of the track and field club. She was second in her prefecture in the Hurdle. Growing up she enjoyed the TV serial Kii Hantâ (featuring Chiba Shin'ichi) and aspired to similar feats. She would appear in several action and fantasy movies as a participant in Chiba Shinichi's Japan Action Enterprise agency alongside said actor. She had joined the club in 1972. She debuted in 1973. Her first main role came in the serial Onna Hissatsu Ken ('Sister Street Fighter') in 1974, which made her popular in her home country. She was also a singer in the seventies and eighties and the subject of several books and multiple magazine articles. She became an agent in 1985 by establishing a company called Hundred. She met Japanese singer-songwriter, and human rights' activist, Nagabuchi Tsuyoshi on the set of the comedy Tora-san's Bluebird Fantasy (1986). He married her a year later. This lead her to retire so she can take care of the house and her family. Their daughter is actress Nagabuchi Ayane who was born in 1988. She has a son who is a rapper and another son who is a racing driver. Her husband was arrested for drug possession in 1995. Beginning 2001 she began participating in marathons and began writing about it a year later. She is often credited as being the first Japanese actress who performed dangerous stunts and actions in a movie.- Angela Mao was born as Mao Ching Ying in 1950 as the third of eight children to a family of entertainers for the Peking Opera House. She had a successful career as a Chinesa Opera actress, where her flexibility and martial arts first developed. She was discovered by film producer Raymond Chow who made her a star. Then, she trained in hapkido, and felt attracted to the new kung fu style, on demand by Hong Kong producers. Her career, if not long, was impressive, as she was one of the first women to make that sort of break-through in the film industry, until then reserving the fights and acrobatics to men. She played Bruce Lee's sister in Enter the Dragon (1973), and she also worked with Jackie Chan several times when he was a newcomer. In 1974, she fell in love and married Kelly Lai Chen. Their daughter Hsi Pui Sze was born in 1976. However, the couple divorced. She retired from films in 1983 and moved to America with her second husband when her son George King was born. She moved to Queens, New York in 1993 and eventually opened several Chinese restaurants that she runs with her son and daughter-in-law: Mama King, Nan Bei Ho, New Mei Hua, Guo Ba Inc. She usually declines interviews, because she wanted to lower her profile for the sake of her marriage. In 2008, she visited China to attend the wedding of her daughter, who had been raised by her first husband. In 2016, she gave a reluctant interview to the "New York Times" while feeding her baby granddaughter in one of her restaurants, with her son and daughter-in-law acting as her translators. She said that she still has fans who show up to her restaurants just to see her, but that fame was never as important as taking care of her family.
- Karen Sheperd is an American actress with numerous credits in film, television and theatre. Her fascination with acting began in high school where she appeared on stage in various plays. Sheperd Is also a World-Class #1 Champion Martial Artist and is in the Black Belt Hall of Fame, alongside icons such as Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Jet Li and Chuck Norris.
Sheperd's Martial Arts Celebrity status springboard her into Hollywood and acting studies. Throughout her acting career, Karen Sheperd has starred and co-starred with luminary award-winners such as Angelina Jolie, Jack Palance, Juan Jett, Madonna, Camilla Sparv, Paul Williams, James Hong, Nancy Kwan, John Hawkes, Pamela Anderson and more.
Karen received rave reviews for her lead theatre roles in Hollywood theatre productions such as "Summer and Smoke" by Tennessee Williams and "In The Boom Boom Room" by David Rabe.
Inspired by Bruce Lee, Karen Sheperd set out to become the first "female Bruce Lee." Sheperd dove into Martial Arts and ultimately became legendary. A trailblazing pioneer, Karen broke barriers and became the first female Champion to be rated #1 in the only ratings system at the time, "Karate Illustrated" magazine (1979 & 1980.) In 1979, at the request of "Karate Illustrated's" editor (Renardo Barden,) Sheperd embarked on what would be an historical and successful campaign to establish official ratings for women when none existed so that more women would compete. The number of women training and competing in 1979 was 10% (Black Belt Magazine). During Karens #1 reign and after, she witnessed the numbers rise to 50% because of her campaign. Inside Kung Fu's" "Star" ratings for women began in 1980, Karen garnering that #1 title as well.
Karen Sheperd was one of the first women to appear on the covers of major Martial Arts magazines such as "Black Belt", "Inside Karate", "KICK", and many more.
Besides acting, Karen has lent her expertise as a fight-choreographer to various film, television and stage productions, including live-action projects at Disneyland, CA.
Karen has been happily married to the same man since 1993, loves animals, has always had numerous rescue cats and dogs, actively serves her church community and still pursues acting. - Actress
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On February 13th, 1968, a girl of Chinese, English, and Hawaiian ancestry was born in Honolulu, Hawaii. Her father, Herbert, was a salesman and her mother, Juanita, worked many odd jobs to help support the family. She has one older brother, Glenn. She is a former Miss Teen USA, and modeled in Japan and Italy for several months before deciding to relocate to L.A. and try her hand at show business. She received her break on TV's Growing Pains (1985) in 1987 and never looked back.- Actress
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Hailing from Sydney, Australia, she is a former undefeated kumite fighter and 1988 World Karate Champion. She participated in state, national, and international tournaments, receiving the Most Outstanding Competitor Award at the World Karate Championships in Japan. Her martial arts skills also include Tae Kwon Do, Muay Thai, Grappling, Kung Fu (Wushu and Shaolin Eagle claw) and weapons (fencing, firearms, Chinese broad sword and whip chain). A member of the Hong Kong Stuntman's Association with special training in Hong Kong, Kim-Maree's expertise was showcased in action movies where she appeared and fought with many of the industry's top stars- Cynthia Khan, Simon Yam, Michelle Yeoh, Frankie Chan, Fan Siu Wong, Hwang Jang Lee, Jackie Chan, Lee Majors and Jean Claude Van damme.
Kim-Maree is the CEO of Signal 8 Security head quartered in Hong Kong. She is trained in Threat management, Protective driving, Electronic counter surveillance, IED search and recognition, Defense and restraint techniques, Unarmed combat and Tactical firearms. Her extensive experience in the security industry has led her to provide protection services from low to high risk security details with clients ranging from fortune 100s, dignitaries to high profile celebrities.- Actor
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Bruce Le was born on 5 June 1950 in Taiwan. He is an actor and director, known for Challenge of the Tiger (1980), Zui she xiao zi (1980) and Super Hero (1979).- Actor
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Bruce Li is known for Bruce Lee: The Man, the Myth (1976), The Chieh Boxing Master (1982) and Fist of Fury III (1979).- Bruce Thai is known for The Clones of Bruce Lee (1980), Three Avengers (1979) and Fearless Hyena 3 (1980).
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Ryong Keo was born in 1940 in North Korea. He is an actor and producer, known for The Clones of Bruce Lee (1980), Sahyeong samgeol (1981) and Heukpyo bigaek (1981).- Bukenya Charles is known for Who Killed Captain Alex? (2010), The Return of Uncle Benon (2011) and Rescue Team (2011).
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With his funky Afro hairstyle, super cool attitude and superb karate skills, Jim Kelly was instantly identifiable, and one of the top martial arts film stars of the early 1970s. After appearing in a minor film role, Kelly's second screen effort was as one of the invited guests to the deadly Han's Island in Enter the Dragon (1973). Kelly quickly cropped up in several more martial arts influenced "blaxploitation" films including Three the Hard Way (1974), Golden Needles (1974) and Black Belt Jones (1974), with its interesting fight finale in a soap filled car wash! He then appeared in several other action films of the late seventies, however since 1980, Kelly has only cropped up in two minor roles. A talented athlete, winning ranked titles both in tennis and karate, Jim Kelly was an integral part of the African-American & martial arts cinematic explosion of the 1970s.- Stunts
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Mark Hicks is known for Avengers: Endgame (2019), Rush Hour 2 (2001) and Avengers: Infinity War (2018).- Actor
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Sserunya Ernest is known for Who Killed Captain Alex? (2010), Precision: The Child Drug Trafficking (2017) and Bukunja Tekunja Mitti: The Cannibals (2012).- Actor
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Marrese Crump was born on January 4th, 1982 in Lakeland, Florida. Grew up as an athlete,participating in the sports of basketball, football, track and martial arts. He started his training at the age of 7 when his brother introduced him to Master Kim-Jae. Marrese has studied Muay Thai, Capoeira, Western boxing, Tae Kwon Do and Filipino Martial Arts.
Marrese is the only American Protege of "Ong Bak" creator Master Panna Rittikrai. For years Crump traveled from America to Bangkok, Thailand to study as a direct student of the late Master Panna. Marrese now lives in Florida as he continues to build his acting career and expand his brand.- Stunts
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Lateef Crowder was born on 23 November 1977 in San Jose, California, USA. He is an actor, known for Tekken (2010), Wonder Woman (2017) and Furious 7 (2015). He was previously married to Andressa Vallotti.- Carl Scott is known for Bruce Lee: The Man, the Myth (1976), Shou zhi ao chu (1981) and Soul Brothers of Kung Fu (1977).
- Monsour started his Martial Arts training at the age of 9, which was sadly inspired by being bullied in school. At the same time, he was fascinated by Chinese Kung Fu movies, most especially by Bruce Lee. His first Martial Arts instructor was Joe Lopez-Vito, a Tang Soo Doo/Moo Duk Kwan practitioner. Later on, he shifted to Tae Kwon Do in 1977 under Sung Chon Hong when he moved to Manila for High School. he joined the Philippine National Team in 1982.
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He was trained by the Original Sheik, Ed Farhat, who was one of pro-wrestling's classic and greatest bad guys. Even though their styles are quite different (Sheik being a wild hardcore-style brawler, known for throwing fire, cutting his opponent's forehead's up with foreign objects like a pencil, fork, etc. whereas Van Dam is a technical high-flyer), Farhat taught him the importance of the right mindset.- Actor
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Mykel Shannon Jenkins, born in Biloxi, Mississippi to an officer in the U.S. Air Force, called many states home. With his parents and two siblings, the family finally settled in New Orleans, Louisiana, where Mykel graduated from Bonnabel High School and, after that earned a bachelor's degree from Loyola University. While in high school, Mykel was a nationalist in drama and speech & debate, where his fire for the dramatic was ignited. During college, while holding down a part-time job as a waiter, Mykel became a household name as the host of New Orleans' WB38 Kids' Club, where he served as an on-air personality for more than four years introducing kids and parents to a world of knowledge. After college, Mykel began his pursuit of an acting career, landing minor roles in a few movies. During this time, Mykel's knack for writing reared its creative head as he penned his first screenplay about childhood friends who pull off the greatest art heist. Although this one did not make it to film (yet), Mykel has written, directed, and produced over six screenplays since that first one.
In 2003, empowered by his family and armored with a dream and staunch determination, Mykel made his big move to Hollywood. Mykel has studied under some of the most renowned teachers in the industry, such as the Beverly Hills Playhouse, Gary Imhoff, Lesly Kahn, and continues to be mentored by Acting Coach Eric Stuart. Over the years, Mykel's hard work paid off. His TV credits include The CW's Containment, Steppin' Back to Love, A Royal Christmas Ball, Michael Jackson: Searching for Neverland and The Bold and the Beautiful. Mykel's film credits include The Last Heist, Beyond the Trek, The Masked Saint, Same Kind of Different as Me, and Undisputed III: Redemption, where he brought to life the charismatic and unforgettable American fighter, Turbo. Mykel also starred in the critically acclaimed WellGo USA Ent (THEATRICAL)/Netflix's The Paper Tigers, a film about three now middle-aged Kung Fu prodigies who reunited to avenge the death of their master teacher. Most recently, Mykel signed on as Dobbs Ryker opposite Morgan Freeman (gang kingpin Kendric Ryker) and Luke Hemsworth (Lee Gunner) for the action-thriller motion picture Gunner, hitting theaters in 2024.
Expanding his opportunities, Mykel began to tap into his creative writing and directing side, which was provoked by his own words, "Why wait for an opportunity? I will create my own." He has written, directed, produced and starred in over six of features, including The Gods, The Gods 2: The Dark Side, Two Wolves, and Octopus Pot. Mykel is currently writing The Gods 3, and a series entitled Summer 17. Last year, Mykel wrapped on Youn'G (which he again wrote, produced, directed, and co-starred), spotlighting his son, Bryce Clyde Jenkins, in a coming-of-age dramedy about a teenage boy who, with the help of his close friends, fights for his true love while at the same time discovering his cool neighborhood mentor is his father.
Although Mykel is quite busy writing, directing, and acting, he still finds time to train physically as well as spiritually. As a personal trainer, Mykel knows what it takes to maintain a healthy body and mind, i.e., hard work and discipline. He enjoys training others because he can assist in more than just their physical development, but their spiritual and mental growth as well. Mykel enjoys watching movies, working out and keeping up with his son, cheering for his athletes, bowling, and creative writing. At the close of his busy day, Mykel still finds time to play his two favorite roles, a devoted father and husband, with tremendous patience, understanding, and love.- Actor
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Ken Kensei (aka Noboru Kataoka) is a world renowned Kendo teacher as well as a competitive Kendo player. He began the study of Kendo from age of 15 in Kochi, Japan.
He moved to USA from Japan when he was 24 years old. And he started to teach Kendo in New York City. He has been a great practitioner and a competitive player in all parts of the world.
He also began to study Iaido, at the age of 15. His sword style has been preserved for over 4 centuries in Kochi Japan. He is now the 20th generation Menkyo-Kaiden (successor) of the Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu Iaido.
In 1980 when some casting people saw his Kendo and Iaido, they asked him to be in a movie. Since that year he studied acting and joined the acting business.- Actor
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Hakim Alston is a Kickboxing champion with over 30 years of martial arts experience. He started his training in Tae Kwon Do when he was 10 and has a 4th degree black belt. He also trained in Karate. His skills brought him to be a member of the USA Karate Team from 1984-1990.
After becoming a world champion he became an actor and started instructing other champions and teaching fitness, which he has done for over 15 years. Hakim quit acting after starting a career in financial business.- Stunts
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Ilram's parents are from Korea. But Ilram himself was born in the U.S. As soon as he learned to walk, he began training in Tae Kwon Do. Besides the regular training, Ilram would learn by imitating the better martial artists and athletes, including his father.
Ilram would soon make his way into making movies with Homevideo Movies. He did this with his friends who taught him various more martial arts such as: Judo, Aikido, Kung Fu, Wushu, Tai Chi, Ninjutsu, Wing Chun, Thai-Boxing, Chinese Boxing and Capoeira. meanwhile, Ilram attended the Savannah College of Art and Design and pursued his career in Visual Effects.
Ilram is getting better as an actor, stuntman, coordinator, producer, director, writer, edit etc. and is now ready for the big screen on which he has already appeared.- Martyn Ford was born in Staffordshire, England to (Mother Lorraine and Father Stephen. From a young age, Martyn showed natural athletic ability and excelled in many sports and to a professional level. This was the stepping stone to building a successful career in the fitness industry with his work ethic in training carrying over to other pursuits that lead him to be an internet sensation, a fitness influencer, an online fitness coach, and a successful actor. He has since amassed a following of over 3 million people worldwide across multiple social media platforms, signed a professional MMA contract with KSW, and starred in multiple acting roles ranging from HBO television series to Hollywood Blockbusters. His strong athletic background and training experience enables him to diversify his physical appearance from a lean 6'6 310lbs athlete to a 360lb mass monster. This, combined with his MMA training produces a powerful presence on screen giving Martyn an advantage in his roles which have resulted in some of the best fight scenes seen in modern film.
Some of his most notable roles include Koshmar (The Nightmare) alongside Scott Adkins in Boyka: Undisputed (2016) directed by Todor Chapkanov. Vlad in Final Score (2018) with Dave Bautista and Pierce Brosnan, directed by Scott Mann which was nominated for best fight scene of the year. In 2017 Martyn starred in Kingsman The Golden Circle alongside acting superstars such as Michael Gambon, Colin Firth, and Taron Egerton. More recently Martyn has ventured into Hollywood, starring in the highly anticipated Fast and Furious 9 as Lt Sue set to be released in 2021. Finally, Martyns latest role is in the HBO production of The Nevers which is set to be released in 2021. - Stunts
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Brahim Chab was born on 17 May 1984 in Beaumont, France. He is an actor, known for Bang Bang (2014), Ek Tha Tiger (2012) and The Foreigner (2017).- Actor
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Emilien is an Action Actor and Martial artist from France now living in Los Angeles, California. He started his career working as a stuntman in the French Action movie "District B13 Ultimatum".After relocating to Los Angeles he has appeared in many U.S TV shows and Independent Movies and recently portrayed "Alain Mersault" in the NBC TV Show "Crossbones" starring John Malkovich. Emilien started Martial Arts with Taekwondo at the age of 7. After getting a strong traditional base he also trained acrobatics, Stunts, Parkour and fitness. He used his skills to start working in the entertainment industry, beginning his career in Europe performing on live shows, Commercials( FHM), Tv Appearance... He was featured on the cover of the largest European martial art magazine Karate Bushido which is the European equivalent of Black Belt Magazine in the U.S. Many articles about his experience, lifestyle and training regimen are regularly published in the international press articles such as Cosmopolitan, Muscle & Fitness, Men's Health, FHM, Olympian's...- Stunts
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Tim Man was born on 22 November 1979 in Sweden. He is an actor, known for Legacy of Lies (2020), Ganapath (2023) and Ong Bak 2 (2008).- Stunts
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Velizar Peev was born on 3 September 1982. He is an actor, known for The Hitman's Bodyguard (2017), The Contract (2006) and Dilwale (2015).- Stunts
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Born in California, he is half Japanese and half Chinese. He began his training in martial arts at the age of one and a half. Since moving to Japan at the age of 18, he has done numerous movies and TV shows becoming one of the nation's most popular and recognizable talents. He has worked with some of the action movie greats including Jackie Chan, Jet Li and Jean-Claude Van Damme.- Actor
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Easily the best known actor/martial artist during the 1980s ninja cinema craze, Kosugi was a proficient martial artist & skilled weapons performer which was highlighted in his several starring roles.
Kosugi grew up as the youngest child and only son of a Tokyo fisherman, and began his martial arts training at the age of five studying karate at a local dojo. Sho expanded upon his martial arts studies, also learning judo & kendo, and by his 18th birthday he had achieved the status of All Japan Karate Champion. Intent on entering the world of international finance, Sho left Japan at only 19 years old to study and reside in Los Angeles, USA where he achieved a Bachelor's Degree in Economics, yet he also remained focused on constantly improving his martial arts skills. Throughout the early 1970s, Sho competed in hundred's of martial arts tournaments & demonstrations including winning the L.A. Open in 1972, 1973 & 1974. In addition, he also met a young Chinese woman named Shook, who was eventually to become his wife and mother of his children, plus Sho had his first foray into the cinema with part's in a minor Taiwanese film titled "The Killers", and then in a Korean production, shot in Los Angeles known as "The Stranger From Korea".
Sho's big break came in 1981 when karate legend Mike Stone pitched a screenplay under the title of "Dance of Death" to Cannon Films. Cannon was at the time, a lackluster production house that had two years prior been purchased by film producer cousins Menahem Golan & Yoram Globus. The innovative cousins quickly turned Cannon into a profitable key player in the independently produced film market by latching onto topics popular to the youth market, having rapid shooting schedules, relatively unknown casts and tight budgets. Menehem Golan once remarked that he believed it was impossible to lose money on a film shot for the US market with a budget of under $5 million!!
Cannon Films backed Stone's screenplay and the title was changed to _Enter The Ninja (1981)_ starring Franco Nero, Christopher George & Susan George with filming completed in the Phillipines in early 1981. Sho's role was as the evil black ninja "Hasegawa", and his icy screen presence and martial arts skills grabbed the attention of martial arts film fans, and ignited the huge fascination with ninjitsu that engulfed martial arts for the next decade. With the financial success of their first "ninja" film, Cannon readily backed a further ninja movie, only this time Sho was elevated to being the star of the film and had become a good guy!! Revenge of the Ninja (1983) was shot in Salt Lake City, Utah in late 1982 and featured Sho as a ninja master forced to flee from Japan to America with his only surviving son, after the rest of his family are butchered by opposing ninjas's. Launching into an art importing business with an American business partner, Sho finds out too late that his partner is also a ninja, importing drugs hidden in Sho's Japanese dolls. The second film outstripped the first on box office takings, and Sho Kosugi was now the hottest star in martial arts cinema!
Based on those booming ticket sales, Cannon were once again happy to back another ninja movie, and in late 1983 shooting commenced in Phoenix, Arizona on Ninja III: The Domination (1984). The plot line however, was a rather strange affair, with the spirit of dead ninja possessing the body of dance instructor Christie (played by Solid Gold dancer Lucinda Dickey)......it was a misguided attempt by Cannon to combine ninjutsu with the 80s break dancing craze and horror movies about possession. None the less, fans didn't seem to mind, and the third installment in Cannon's ninja trilogy did reasonable business at the box office.
Kosugi then starred in the short lived action TV series _"The Master" (1984)_ alongside legendary screen bad guy 'Lee van Cleef', before going onto star in several more ninja films, including taking on Mafia thugs in the bloody Pray for Death (1985), stopping terrorists as a ninja commando in Nine Deaths of the Ninja (1985) and as a ninja secret agent taking on "the Muscles from Brussels" Jean-Claude Van Damme in the military adventure Black Eagle (1988).
However, by 1990 the US movie going public had grown tired of a decade of black clad ninja's hurling shuriken's and swords at each other, and Sho Kosugi left Hollywood to venture back to Japan where he became involved in numerous TV productions again centered around martial arts. In 1992, Kosugi starred in his biggest budgeted movie to date, a samurai epic titled _Journey of Honor (1992)_ also featuring screen legends Toshirô Mifune and Christopher Lee. Since then, Kosugi has remained very active in Japanese TV, was involved in contributing martial arts choreography for the highly popular Sony Playstation game "Tenchu; Stealth Assassins", plus he returned to Hollywood in the late 1990s to set up the Sho Kosugi Institute to assist Asian actors wishing to break into the mainstream US film market.
Undeniably, many of the ninja films featuring Sho Kosugi were marred by low budgets & cheap production....however his superb martial arts skills and captivating on screen presence have assured him a unique place in the history of martial arts cinema, and his name has become synonymous with the art of ninjitsu.- Actor
- Director
Hiroyuki Ikeuchi is a Japanese actor. Ikeuchi's mother is Salvadoran and his father is Japanese. He is an avid martial artist, notably holding a black belt in judo, and is also a keen fisherman. His is common known played a supporting role as General Miura in Wilson Yip's Ip Man.- Stunts
- Actor
- Producer
Jawed is a stuntman, filmmaker and martial artist.
He's worked with some of the most skilled and experienced talents on multiple movie and TV sets across the world, from Europe to America, via Asia.
He's currently based in N.America where he works in front as well as behind the camera,- Actor
- Producer
- Stunts
Silvio Simac, was born in Croatia. A dedicated martial artist, Silvio trained in Taekwondo and became a world champion during his competitive years. His film career began in 2001 on an episode of Lexx (1996). Silvio's martial arts background served him well for a part in the action film Undisputed 2: Last Man Standing (2006). He had the privilege of fighting Scott Adkins in the opening sequences of the film. Silvio also appeared as the fighter Leon from the video game-turned action film DOA: Dead or Alive (2006). His next notable film project was in the high-octane action feature Transporter 3 (2008). Outside of acting, Silvio enjoys training hard, traveling, cooking, and even shopping. Silvio also enjoys Italian food and is a constant adventurer.- Stunts
- Actor
- Producer
Alain Moussi is an international action star born on March 29, 1981 in Libreville, Gabon from a Lebanese father, Jean Moussi, and French-Canadian mother, Rita Moussi. Moussi began his martial arts training in the art of jujutsu under Canadian martial arts legend John Therien and also trained in kickboxing under legendary kickboxing champion Jean-Yves Theriault. He had trained in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Carlos Machado, eventually earning his black belt in the art. Moussi got his start as a stuntman and credits Jean Frenette, a former world martial arts champion turned stunt coordinator for films, with giving him his start. His first job was doubling Henry Cavill in the film Immortals. He has doubled for Travis Fimmel in Warcraft, Hugh Jackman in X-Men: Apocalypse, and Jai Courtney in Suicide Squad.
At the Cannes Film Festival in 2014, it was announced he would get his first lead role in a reboot of the 1989 film Kickboxer, which starred Jean-Claude Van Damme. In Kickboxer: Vengeance, Moussi played Kurt Sloane, a young martial artist who must refine his skills to avenge his brother's death. Van Damme himself replaced the departing Tony Jaa as Kurt's teacher, now named Master Durand. The film received mixed reviews but the confidence of the film resulted in two sequels, Kickboxer: Retaliation, released in 2017, and Kickboxer: Syndicate, which began production in February 2017. The sequels bring Moussi back as Kurt Sloane and in addition, Moussi and longtime friend Jean-Francois LaChappelle served as fight choreographers of Retaliation.
Moussi also played the role of Charlie Nash in the web series sequel Street Fighter: Resurrection.- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Van Damme was born Jean-Claude Camille François Van Varenberg in Berchem-Sainte-Agathe, Brussels, Belgium, to Eliana and Eugène Van Varenberg, an accountant. "The Muscles from Brussels" started martial arts at the age of eleven. His father introduced him to martial arts when he saw his son was physically weak. At the age of 12, Van Damme began his martial arts training at Centre National De Karate (National Center of Karate) under the guidance of Master Claude Goetz in Ixelles, Belgium. Van Damme trained for 4 years and earned a spot on the Belgium Karate Team. He won the European professional karate association's middleweight championship as a teenager, and also beat the 2nd best karate fighter in the world. His goal was to be number one but got sidetracked when he left his hometown of Brussels. In 1976 at the age of sixteen, Jean-Claude started his Martial Arts fight career.
Over the next 6-years, he competed in both full-contact and semi-contact matches. He debuted under his birth name of Jean Claude Van Varenberg. In his first match, Jean-Claude was staggered by a round-house kick thrown by fellow countryman, Toon Van Oostrum in Brussels, Belgium. Van Damme was badly stunned, but came back to knockout Van Oostrum moments later. In 1977, at the WAKO Open International in Antwerp, Belgium, Jean-Claude lost a decision to fellow team mate Patrick Teugels in a semi-contact match. At the 1978 Challenge De Espoirs Karate Tournament (1st Trials),Jean-Claude placed 2nd in the semi-contact division. He defeated twenty-five opponents during the week long tournament, but lost in the finals to Angelo Spataro from the Naha Club. Later in 1978, Jean-Claude lost a 3-round match for the Belgium Lightweight Championship (semi-contact) to his fellow team-mate to Patrick Teugels.
In 1979, Jean-Claude traveled to the United States of America, to Tampa, Florida. In his first and only match against a United States opponent, Van Damme faced 'Sherman 'Big Train'Bergman', a kick-boxer from Miami Beach, Florida. For the first and only time in his career, Jean-Claude was knocked to the canvas after absorbing a powerful left hook from Bergman. However, Jean-Claude climbed off the canvas and with a perfectly timed ax-kick, knocked Bergman out in 56 seconds of the first round. Jean-Claude was a member of the Belgium team which competed on December 26, 1979 at the La Coupe Fancois Persoons Karate Tournament which was sanctioned by the Federation bruxelloise de Karate. Van Damme's final match victory enabled his team to win the European Team Karate Championship. In Full-Contact karate, Jean-Claude knocked out England's Micheal Heming in 46 seconds of the first round. In 1980, Van Damme knocked out France's Georges Verlugels in 2 rounds of a match fought under kick-boxing rules. Jean-Claude wanted to defeat his rival Patrick Teugels. At the Forest Nationals in Brussels, on March 8, 1980, Jean-Claude knocked Teugels down and Teugels suffered a nose injury and was unable to continue. Jean-Claude was awarded a first round victory.
Jean-Claude retired from martial arts in 1982, following a knockout over Nedjad Gharbi in Brussels,Belgium. Jean-Claude posted a 18-1 (18 knockouts) Kickboxing record, and a Semi-Contact record of 41-4. He came to Hong Kong at the age of 19 for the first time and felt insured to do action movies in Hong Kong. In 1981 Van Damme moved to Los Angeles. He took English classes while working as carpet layer, pizza delivery man, limo driver, and thanks to Chuck Norris he got a job as a bouncer at a club. Norris gave Van Damme a small role in the movie Missing in Action (1984), but it wasn't good enough to get anybody's attention. Then in 1984 he got a role as a villain named Ivan in the low-budget movie No Retreat, No Surrender (1985). Then one day, while walking on the streets, Jean-Claude spotted a producer for Cannon Pictures, and showed some of his martial arts abilities which led to a role in Bloodsport (1988). But the movie, filmed in Hong Kong, was so bad when it was completed, it was shelved for almost two years. It might have never been released if Van Damme did not help them to recut the film and begged producers to release it. They finally released the film, first in Malaysia and France and then into the U.S. Shot on a meager 1.5 million dollar budget, it became a U.S box-office hit in the spring of 1988. It made about 30 million worldwide and audiences supported this film for its new sensational action star Jean-Claude Van Damme.
His martial arts assets, highlighted by his ability to deliver a kick to an opponent's head during a leaping 360-degree turn, and his good looks led to starring roles in higher budgeted movies like Cyborg (1989), Lionheart (1990), Double Impact (1991) and Universal Soldier (1992). In 1994, he scored with his big breakthrough $100 million worldwide hit Timecop (1994). But in the meantime, his personal life was coming apart. A divorce, followed by a new marriage, followed by another divorce. It began to show up in his career when his projects began to tank at the box office - The Quest (1996), which he directed; Maximum Risk (1996) and Double Team (1997). The three films made less than $50 million combined. In 1999 he remarried his ex-wife Gladys Portugues and restarted his lost career to attain new goals. With help from his family he faced his problems and made movies like Replicant (2001), Derailed (2002), and In Hell (2003) which did averagely in box office terms, but he tried to give his fans the best, his acting in those movies got better, more emotional and each movie was basically in different action tones.- Actor
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David Michael Bautista, Jr. was born on January 18, 1969 in Washington, D.C., to Donna Raye (Mullins) and David Michael Bautista, a hairdresser. He has Filipino and Greek ancestry.
When WCW officials told him he'd never make it in sports entertainment, Bautista pushed himself to achieve his dream of being a Superstar. In May 2002, he made his debut on SmackDown using the ring name Batista, but it wasn't until a move to Raw and two victories over Kane that "The Animal" began to make noise in the WWE Universe. The wins impressed Ric Flair and Triple H, who were looking to align themselves with the industry's brightest new stars. After a lengthy search, they identified Randy Orton and Batista. Collectively the four Superstars became known as Evolution.
Batista earned his first championship alongside "The Nature Boy" when the duo captured the WWE Tag Team Championships in December 2003. As Evolution dominated WWE, Batista started to emerge from the shadows of Triple H and Ric Flair. By the time Batista won the 2005 Royal Rumble Match, World Heavyweight Champion Triple H viewed him as a serious threat to his title.
After a triceps injury at the hands of Mark Henry forced Batista to relinquish the title in January 2006, he vowed to return. Batista successfully regained the World Heavyweight Championship at Survivor Series in 2006. Four months into his second reign, Batista faced the Undertaker at WrestleMania 23. "The Animal" took Undertaker to the limit, but was unable to stop the streak of "The Deadman" at WrestleMania. Though disappointed, Batista stayed hungry and always managed to keep himself in the championship hunt for the rest of his career.
At Bragging Rights in 2009, Batista shocked the world when he blamed Rey Mysterio for a loss to Undertaker, then attacked his former tag team partner. "The Animal" then became locked in a tense rivalry with another former friend, John Cena, over the WWE Championship. The grueling match at Over the Limit led to a wheelchair-bound Batista declaring "I quit!" the following night on Raw before fading from the WWE Universe in May 2010. Following his departure from WWE, Bautista appeared opposite Vin Diesel in the Universal film Riddick (2013) and RZA's feature directorial debut The Man with the Iron Fists (2012), in which he played the villainous Brass Body and starred opposite Russell Crowe and Lucy Liu. His other film credits include The Scorpion King 3: Battle for Redemption (2012), where he played Argomael; the action film House of the Rising Sun (2011); and Wrong Side of Town (2010) opposite rapper Ja Rule.
Two years later, he joined MMA and won his first professional MMA fight. In January 2014, he made his long awaited return to the WWE, before quitting a second time in June of that same year. He did this in order to promote Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), which was released on August 1, 2014, and starred Chris Pratt, Benicio Del Toro, Zoe Saldana, and Djimon Hounsou, alongside Bautista.
He will shoot Kickboxer: Vengeance (2016), directed by John Stockwell, and co-starring martial artist Alain Moussi and UFC fighter Georges St-Pierre. The remake of the 1989 Jean-Claude Van Damme film, Kickboxer (1989) is about two brothers David and Kurt Sloan; When David wins the Karate World Championship, a promoter lures him to Hong Kong, despite his brother's protestations that the man is a crook. When Kurt travels to Thailand to meet his brother, he discovers he has died and seeks his revenge.
After starring in films such as, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017), Blade Runner 2049 (2017), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Hotel Artemis (2018), Escape Plan 2: Hades (2018), and Final Score (2018), he made a special guest appearance on WWE Smackdown! (1999) for it's 1000 episode reuniting with his former Evolution members Triple H, Randy Orton, and Ric Flair on October 16, 2018. The following year on February 25, 2019, he made his return to WWE Raw (1993) when he attacked Ric Flair on his 70th birthday at the end of the episode sending a message to Triple H that would ultimately lead to a No Holds Barred match for WrestleMania 35 (2019). Batista added the stipulation that if he wins the match, Triple H will have to retire from in-ring competition. As a result, Triple H was finally able to beat Batista for the first time and won the match, which ultimately led to Batista announcing his official retirement from wrestling in the WWE. Following his retirement, he will continue with his career as an actor in Hollywood.
His next films scheduled for release will be; Stuber (2019), Avengers: Endgame (2019), Escape Plan: The Extractors (2019), and My Spy (2020). He is one of many professional wrestlers to make the smooth transition from wrestling into the entertainment world.- Actor
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When he was seven years old Michel Qissi began training in boxing. He soon met and befriended a young Jean-Claude Van Varenberg (Jean-Claude Van Damme) who was studying Shotokan Karate, and the two traded techniques in their systems. They grew up together and shared the same love of action films and dreamed of being action stars themselves one day. In 1982, Qissi and Jean-Claude went to Hollywood together to look for a career in action movies. landing their big break in 1986. After obtaining an interview with Menahem Golan of Cannon Pictures they secured a three-picture deal, the first of which was the highly successful Bloodsport. In Cyborg (1989), Qissi worked as Van Damme's personal trainer but had no part in the cast. In the picture, Kickboxer (1989), Qissi was working as a choreographer when he overheard the production crew say they needed a tall Asian-looking guy who had a background in Muay Thai. Qissi had studied Muay Thai years before in Thailand so he volunteered and got the part of Tong Po. Michel Qissi was not credited; however, he was dubbed as Tong Po and even given a make-up job to make him look Asian. His final picture with Van Damme was Lionheart (1990) (AWOL), playing a legionnaire sent to bring Van Damme back to the army. Since then, he returned to his role of Tong Po in the sequel Kickboxer 2: The Road Back (1991). Qissi also did a few of his own flicks including Terminator Woman (1993) which he directed; he also had a relative Jeanette Agaronoff as the writer for this movie. Extreme Force (2001) was a movie directed by him along side Hector Echavarria as once again looking just like Tong Po but under the moniker Kong Li.- Actor
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Bolo Yeung was born in China. He began his martial arts training at the age of 10. Growing up he took an interest in bodybuilding. Later he became know as Chinese Hercules after becoming Mr. Hong Kong bodybuilding champion. He held the title for ten years. Because of his impressively muscular physique he was chosen for several bad guy movie roles, with which his first big break came alongside the legendary Bruce Lee in the 1973 movie Enter the Dragon, where he played the role of 'Bolo'. They were really close friends.
Since then Bolo Yeung has appeared in countless martial arts movies, to date, also working on two movies with "The Muscles from Brussels"-Jean-Claude Van Damme in Bloodsport and Double Impact.
Now Bolo still looks great and still regularly trains at his local gym. Martial Arts and Bodybuilding is an integral part of his life and career.- Actress
- Producer
From pioneering women's MMA to blazing a trail in movies, GINA CARANO is one of Hollywood's most unique rising stars. Carano began her training with Muay Thai to competitive MMA, where she competed in Strikeforce and EliteXC. Her popularity led to her being called the "Face of Women's MMA" and she was the fastest-rising search on Google and third-most-searched person on Yahoo and ranked 5th on a list of the "Top 10 Influential Women" of 2008. In August 2009, Carano fought Cris Cyborg in Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg, the first time two women headlined a major MMA event and at the time was the highest rated fight in Showtime history. Carano compiled a competitive record of 12-1-1 in Muay Thai and a 7-1 in women's MMA.[4]
Outside the ring, Carano served as a mentor to aspiring fighters in the 2007 Oxygen reality series Fight Girls and performed as 'Crush' in the revamped television series American Gladiators before her breakout performance in Steven Soderbergh's film HAYWIRE, holding her own against the likes of Michael Douglas, Michael Fassbender, Channing Tatum, Bill Paxton and Antonio Banderas. Gina's authenticity to making the Action look real earned her performance a Critics Choice Award Nomination for Best Actress in an action film. Hot on the heels came a role in the worldwide hit FAST AND FURIOUS 6 for Universal Pictures opposite Dwayne Johnson furthering her appeal as an Action Star. Next up, she co-starred alongside Robert DeNiro, Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Dave Bautista in Lionsgate's film HEIST followed by the role of 'Angel Dust' in the smash hit MARVEL/FOX film DEADPOOL opposite Ryan Reynolds based on the popular comic book. The film grossed over $870 Million dollars at the Box Office. After starring in the independent films DAUGHTER OF THE WOLF opposite Richard Dreyfuss and the dark comedy MADNESS IN THE METHOD with Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith, Gina had secured a lead role in Jon Favreau's highly reviewed Star Wars TV show THE MANDALORIAN for Disney +. Gina played 'Cara Dune', a former Rebel Shock Trooper in the series. However, after sharing a controversial post on social media, Gina was fired by Lucas Film and her character was written out of the show.
Carano was born in Dallas, Texas, the daughter of Dana Joy (née Cason) and professional football player Glenn Carano who played for the Dallas Cowboys and was the backup quarterback to Roger Staubach. She has two sisters, one older and one younger.
*Gina became the first recipient of ActionFest's Chuck Norris (Best Female Action Star) Award, given to the female action star of the year.
*Gina received the Artemis Action Warrior Award for her contributions to the female action genre and women's MMA. The award was presented to her by Action legend Zoe Bell- Actress
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Ronda Rousey burst onto the women's MMA scene in August of 2010. Born in Riverside County, California on February 1, 1987 to parents Ron Rousey and AnnMaria DeMars, little Ronda was born with an umbilical cord wrapped around her neck that damaged her vocal cords. She didn't speak coherently until the age of six. Ronda was a self-professed tomboy and swam from the ages of 6 to 10. She competed on the Jr. Olympic swim team where she placed in the state level.
Because of her mother, a 7th degree black belt and 1984 World Judo Champion, Ronda took up the sport. She had a hard time socializing with other kids and found that Judo gave her confidence. She holds a 4th degree black belt in the martial art.
Ronda's Judo career is a storied one. At 17 she became the youngest judoka in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. That same year she won a gold medal at the World Junior Judo Championships in Budapest, and in 2006 she became the first U.S. female in almost 10 years to win an A-Level tournament going 5-0 to clench the gold at the World Cup in Great Britain. At 19 she won the bronze medal at the Junior World Championships. She is the first U.S. athlete to win two Junior World Medals. In 2007 she added a silver at the World Judo Championships and a gold at the Pan American Games. The pinnacle of her Judo career was a bronze at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. Rousey became the first American to win an Olympic medal in women's Judo since it became an Olympic sport in 1992.
After medaling in the Olympics, Ronda's career hit a dead end. She did some bartending to make ends meet and tried to find a better paying job, but it was tough finding anyone that needed her particular skill set. Throwing people down and putting them in armbars aren't really something you can put on a resume. By chance Ronda caught the Gina Carano vs. Julie Kedzie fight on television and things changed.
She made her mixed martial arts debut as an amateur in 2010. Since then she has never lost a fight, winning the majority in the first round by armbar submission. Ronda took it upon herself to chase after and demand attention so that the UFC could no longer ignore women fighters. UFC President Dana White had publicly stated that women would never be allowed to fight in the UFC, but on February 23, 2013, Ronda did just that. She won the fight against Liz Carmouche in the first round with her signature armbar and became the first UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion.
In 2014, Ronda appeared in her first motion picture - The Expendables 3 (2014). Other projects are Furious 7 (2015) and The Athena Project as well as Entourage (2015).- Actor
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Paul William Walker IV was born in Glendale, California. He grew up together with his brothers, Caleb and Cody, and sisters, Ashlie and Amie. Their parents, Paul William Walker III, a sewer contractor, and Cheryl (Crabtree) Walker, a model, separated around September 2004. His grandfather, William Walker, was a Pearl Harbor survivor and a Navy middleweight boxing champion, while his maternal grandfather commanded a tank battalion in Italy under General Patton during World War II. Paul grew up active in sports like soccer and surfing. He had English and German ancestry.
Paul was cast for the first season of the family sitcom, Throb (1986) and began modeling until he received a script for the 1994 movie, Tammy and the T-Rex (1994). He attended high school at Village Christian High School in Sun Valley, California, graduating in 1991. With encouragement from friends and an old casting agent who remembered him as a child, he decided to try his luck again with acting shortly after returning from College.
He starred in Meet the Deedles (1998), a campy, silly but surprisingly fun film which failed to garner much attention. However, lack of attention would not be a problem for Paul Walker for long. With Pleasantville (1998), he appeared in his first hit. As the town stud (a la 1950s) who more than meets his match in modern day Reese Witherspoon, he was one of the most memorable characters of the film. That same year, Paul and his then-girlfriend Rebecca had a baby girl named Meadow Walker (Meadow Rain Walker). Even though Paul publicly admitted that Meadow was not planned, he said that she is his number one priority. Paul and Rebecca separated and Meadow lives with her mother in Hawaii. She often visited with Paul as his homes in Santa Barbara and Huntington Beach, California.
Roles in the teen hits Varsity Blues (1999), She's All That (1999) and The Skulls (2000) cemented Walker's continued rise to celebrity. He was chosen to be one of the young stars featured on the cover of Vanity Fair's annual Hollywood issue in April 2000. While the other stars on the cover, brooded and tried their best to look sexy and serious, Paul smiled brightly and showed why he is not part of the norm. This is one young actor who certainly stood apart from the rest of the crowd, not only with his talent but with his attitude. The Dallas Morning News commented in March of 2000 that, "Paul is one of the rarest birds in Hollywood- a pretension free movie star." The latest blockbuster hit, The Fast and the Furious (2001), had raised his stardom to an even higher level.
His fighting scenes in movies lead to a passion for martial arts. He has studied various forms of Jujitsu, Taekwondo, Jeet Kune Do and Eskrima. Paul mentioned in a magazine interview that he had hoped enroll in the Keysi Fighting Method when it comes to the United States. Other than practicing martial arts, Paul enjoyed relaxing at home with his daughter, Meadow Rain, surfing near his Huntington Beach abode, walking his dogs and just driving.
When Paul seriously did get a break from the entertainment business, he said he loved traveling. Paul had traveled to India, Fiji, Costa Rica, Sarawak, Brunei, Borneo and other parts of the Asian continent. Tragically, Paul Walker died in a car crash on Saturday November 30, 2013, after attending a charity event for "Reach Out Worldwide".
Several of Paul's films were released after his death, include Hours (2013), Brick Mansions (2014), and his final starring role in The Fast and the Furious series, Furious 7 (2015), part of which was completed after his death. The film's closing scenes paid tribute to Walker, whose character met with a happy ending, and rode off into the sunset. He appeared archival footage in Fast X (2023).- Georges St-Pierre was born on 19 May 1981 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He is an actor and producer, known for Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), Cartels (2016) and Kickboxer: Vengeance (2016).
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Born in Indiana, raised in Hawaii, Storm is a world class martial artist who has trained in various styles for over 19 years. Storm holds belts in Arashi-Ryu Karate, Tae Kwon Do, Ninjitsu, Jujitsu and Northern Shaolin Kung Fu.
If you ask three time "Martial Art Masters Hall of Fame" inductee Storm how his action career started, you might not expect to hear that his Mother forced 8 year old Storm to take Karate because he was "hyperactive and clumsy". However, hardly anything about Storm is as it appears. Storm was born "Juan Ricardo Ojeda" to an African-American Father and Puerto Rican Mother and was then adopted by a Native American-Caucasian mother and Mexican-American father. Storm was brought up in the Asian/Polynesian culture of Honolulu, Hawaii. Storm truly is an "All American" - melting pot meets cultural mosaic - one that always had to check the box marked "other." In high school Storm was shy and started break-dancing as a way of trying to "fit in". This quickly became his passion and eventually led to Storm winning over 200 dance competitions in the genres of hip hop and break-dance. Storm received a dance scholarship, which paved the way for him moving to LA and dancing in music videos.
Although dancing was his passion, it only provided him with enough money for rent and a diet of ramen noodles and pop tarts with little left for anything else. Being devoted to the martial arts, Storm found himself stopping by and observing an outdoor Northern Shaolin class on his way home from work. Eventually Storm was approached by the teacher and asked to join, thus allowing him to broaden his knowledge of the martial arts. Wanting to further pursue his creative energies Storm began acting. He then graduated from the Joanne Baron/D.W. Brown Acting Academy. While playing the role of Bayu on the television series, Conan The Adventurer, Storm developed the unique style that he is known for. This brand of action is a combination of martial arts, acrobatic skill, comedic timing, and an almost balletic grace. Storm has since gone on to work with Jet Li, Samo Hung, Sir Ben Kingsley, Michael Madsen, Kelly Hu, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Michelle Rodriquez, Neal McDonough and Kristanna Loken.- Actor
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You probably have seen Sam in some Blockbuster Films such as Olympus Has Fallen, Venom or Alita Battle Angel. He has been in the industry for more than 18 years, making the mission impossible for Mark Wahlberg in Mile 22. Born in Ho Chi Minh City from a Vietnamese mother and a Honduran/Polynesian father, Sam is the next generation of Screenwriters & Film Directors. For a long time, Sam has been in the music industry, producing Rap & RnB music. But after hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, showed him another path. His charisma and ambiguous look led him into the film industry. "Every time I was on set, instead of going back to my trailer, I was studying. Connecting with amazing crew, in every single department. During more than 15 years, I have learned with those individuals that I am so grateful for! I've worked with legendary Directors: Oliver Stone, Robert Rodriguez, James Cameron, Antoine Fuqua, Martin Campbell, Edward Zwick, Peter Berg and the late Tony Scott. I put all this knowledge into practice. In addition, with all the research and hours of learning in manuals and books like a puzzle, I took the best pieces and I created my own style". Ambassador of diversity, Sam empowers his actors. Innovative and resourceful, He shows and achieves the unexpected in a motion picture. Sam is the Co-Founder of the production company Overlook Entertainment.- Stunts
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Art Camacho is a multi-award-winning independent film Director whose works include the Dermot Mulroney starrer "Ruthless" and the upcoming Tyrese, Harvey Keitel Actioner "The Wrecker". Camacho was the first Latino filmmaker to Direct a Russian Drama in Moscow, Russia "Wild League" and received numerous awards and award nods for his films Confessions of a pit fighter from Lionsgate and Sony films "Assassin X". His foray into television landed him with his own namesake show; "The Camacho Experiment", for The El Rey Network which was highly acclaimed and in consideration for an Emmy. Camacho's background as a Stunt/fight action director/choreographer has also garnered him honors in the film and martial arts industry.- Fabricio Werdum was born on 30 July 1977 in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. He is an actor, known for Kickboxer: Vengeance (2016), Kickboxer: Armageddon and Detetive Madeinusa (2021).
- Cain Velasquez is an American mixed martial artist. He is known in the sports world for his career in the mixed martial arts organization Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former UFC Heavyweight Champion, with victories over Brock Lesnar and Junior Dos Santos. By the end of 2017, Velasquez was ranked #3 in UFC's official rankings. He is one of three children born to Mexican immigrant Efrain Velasquez and U.S. citizen Isabel. Velasquez made his fight debut in October 2006. He later met UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar in October 2010 at UFC 121 in a title match, where defeated Lesnar via Technical Knock-Out (TKO) in 4:12 of the first round. He later lost the title to Junior dos Santos at UFC on Fox in November 2011. He later faced dos Santos in a title rematch held at UFC 155 in December 2012. From 2006 to 2017, Velasquez fought a total of sixteen times and won fourteen of those matches.
In 2016, Velasquez began a film career, beginning with an appearance in the crime drama Term Life (2016), starring Vince Vaughn, Hailee Steinfeld and the late Bill Paxton. He quickly followed up with an appearance in the action drama Kickboxer: Vengeance (2016). In 2017, Velasquez appeared in the action-comedy Green Ghost and the Masters of the Stone (2021). - Joe Schilling is known for Kickboxer: Vengeance (2016), Spy Kids: Armageddon (2023) and Walker (2021).
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Oren Hawxhurst is an American professional wrestler, promoter, actor and stuntman best known by his stage name Luke Hawx.
Dubbed the "Southern Stomper", Luke Hawx comes from Cajun Country in New Orleans, LA and made a lot of noise both in that part of the country and around the world as well. Loud, confident, brash, but always ready to back up his words. Originally known as Altar Boy Luke at the start of his career, Hawx was less intimidating in his formative years when it came to his size. However, as time went on, Hawx dedicated himself to the gym, showing a remarkable transformation in adding size and power, and is quick to brag about his "Huge F*cking Arms" that he sports today.
Hawx has competed for every major company in the United States and has branched out to see international success as well, but he is best known for his experience in Hollywood, as an actor playing roles such as "Stone Cold" Steve Austin in NBC's Young Rock, "Miller" in Fate of The Furious(F8) , "The Hole" in the Starz network television show Heels. Hawx is also the wrestling/action coordinator & liaison for the series as well. Luke gained much popularity in the film world after securing prestigious parts in major blockbusters films Logan & Fate of The Furious (Fast 8). This came after many years of Hawx's stunt work in over a 50+ different feature films. In addition to all of these attributes, Hawx is the founder of Wildkat Sports, based in his native Louisiana, training prospective wrestlers and producing live events, a formula that has generated some of the most promising young prospects to come out of the southeast United States in recent times.- Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson is an Icelandic professional strongman, actor, and former professional basketball player.
On 31 January 2015, Björnsson beat a 1000-year-old record set by Orm Storolfsson at the World's Strongest Viking competition in Norway, where he carried a 10 m (33 ft) long 650 kg (1,430 lb) log for five steps
Hafþór was cast as Gregor "The Mountain" Clegane for the fourth season of the HBO series 'Game of Thrones (2011)' in August 2013. This was his first main acting role, and the third person to depict the character after Conan Stevens played the role in season 1 and Ian Whyte in season 2. He became the first actor to portray Clegane in more than one season with his appearances in season 5. - Actor
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Michael Gerard Tyson (born June 30, 1966) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1985 to 2005. Nicknamed "Iron Mike" and "Kid Dynamite" in his early career, and later known as "The Baddest Man on the Planet", Tyson is considered to be one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time. He reigned as the undisputed world heavyweight champion from 1987 to 1990.
Tyson won his first 19 professional fights by knockout, 12 of them in the first round. Claiming his first belt at 20 years, four months, and 22 days old, Tyson holds the record as the youngest boxer ever to win a heavyweight title. He was the first heavyweight boxer to simultaneously hold the WBA, WBC and IBF titles, as well as the only heavyweight to unify them in succession. The following year, Tyson became the lineal champion when he knocked out Michael Spinks in 91 seconds of the first round. In 1990, Tyson was knocked out by underdog Buster Douglas in one of the biggest upsets in history.- Actor
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Floyd Joy Mayweather, Jr. (born Floyd Joy Sinclair; February 24, 1977) is an American retired professional boxer. Widely considered the greatest boxer of his era, undefeated as a professional, and a five-division world champion, Mayweather won twelve world titles and the lineal championship in four different weight classes (twice in the welterweight division). He is a two-time winner of the Ring magazine Fighter of the Year award (1998 and 2007), a three-time winner of the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA) Fighter of the Year award (2007, 2013 and 2015), and a six-time winner of the Best Fighter ESPY Award (2007, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, and 2014). BoxRec currently rates Mayweather as the fifth greatest pound for pound fighter of all time, and the greatest pound for pound welterweight of all time. He is referred to as of 2015 by his adoring fans as T.B.E. or The Best Ever.
Many sporting news and boxing websites rated Mayweather as the best pound for pound boxer in the world twice in a span of ten years, including The Ring, Sports Illustrated, ESPN, BoxRec, Fox Sports, and Yahoo! Sports. Mayweather topped the Forbes and Sports Illustrated lists of the 50 highest-paid athletes of 2012 and 2013, and the Forbes list again in 2014 and 2015, listing him as the highest paid athlete in the world. In 2007, He founded Mayweather Promotions, his own boxing promotional firm after defecting from Bob Arum's Top Rank.
He has an overall record of 49-0, which ties Rocky Marciano's seemingly unreachable record but more impressively, he his record of 26-0 (10 knockouts) in world title fights, 23-0 (9 KOs) in lineal title fights, 24-0 (7 KOs) against former or current world titlists, 12-0 (3 KOs) against former or current lineal titles, and 2-0 (1 KO) against International Boxing Hall of Fame inductees.
Mayweather has generated approximately $1,311,000,000 in pay-per-view revenue and 19,530,000 in pay-per-view buys throughout his career, surpassing the likes of former top pay-per-view attractions Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, Lennox Lewis, Oscar De La Hoya, and Manny Pacquiao. Floyd retired from boxing at 49-0 with his last fight being Mayweather vs. Berto on September 12, 2015.- Floyd Mayweather Sr. was born on 19 October 1952 in The Bronx, New York City, New York, USA. He is an actor, known for The Bad Boxer (2022), Mayweather Exprience Documentary (2013) and Undisputed (2023). He has been married to Lois Ann Roberts since 4 February 2018.
- Wanderlei Silva was born on 3 July 1976 in Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil. He is an actor, known for Here Comes the Boom (2012), Abestalhados 2 (2022) and Detetive Madeinusa (2021).
- Renato Sobral was born on 7 September 1975 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He is an actor, known for TNA iMPACT! Wrestling (2004), Kickboxer: Retaliation (2018) and EA Sports MMA (2010).
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Renzo Gracie is known for Once Upon a Time in Brazil, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999) and Born a Champion (2021).- Actor
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Mark Dacascos is an actor, director, martial artist, and television personality. Whether seen on the big screen or small, playing the good guy or the bad, Mark has been making audience stand up and take notice for many years.
This May, Mark will be seen in highly anticipated film John Wick: Chapter 3-Parabellum playing the lethal assassin, Zero, opposite Keanu Reeves, Halle Berry, Asia Kate Dillon, and Laurence Fishburne.
Later this summer Mark can be seen in Roger Avary's film Lucky Day in the scene stealing role of Louis opposite Nina Dobrev and Crispin Glover and the new Netflix series Wu Assassins opposite Katheryn Winnick.
Dacascos has appeared in over 40 feature films including the haunting French film and box office success, Brotherhood of the Wolf, nemesis to Jett Li in Cradle to the Grave, and cult classic action film, Drive. He has also reprised the iconic role of Wo Fat in the hit CBS series Hawaii 5-0, Mr. Giyera on the hit television show Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., as well as the star of the series The Crow. Mark has appeared in numerous television shows such as Chicago P.D., Lucifer, and the hugely popular Hallmark franchise, The Perfect Bride and it's follow up The Perfect Bride: Wedding Bells.
Mark's turn as The Chairman on the Food Network's hit show, Iron Chef America launched him into pop icon status with over 200 episodes and counting on the Food Network. He also took his turn on the dance floor transforming his martial arts moves into dancing magic on ABC's hit show, Dancing With the Stars. Many millions have also enjoyed watching Mark in the hugely popular and uber successful web series Mortal Kombat Legacy and the international web series The Way.
Besides starring in television and films, Mark achieved a career milestone by directing his first feature film titled Showdown in Manilla starring Casper Van Dien and Tia Carrere.
The darkly exotic, multi-lingual, multi-skilled Dacascos is a mix of Japanese, Filipino, Spanish, Irish, and Chinese heritages. He was born in Hawaii and attended school in Germany. He is married and the proud father of 3 children.- Sasha Mitchell is a model, actor, and kick-boxer, who will forever be known for two roles. From 1990 to 1993, he took over for Jean-Claude Van Damme in the Kickboxer series, ending it with the fourth installment, Kickboxer 4: The Aggressor (1994). A black belt in tae kwon do, Sasha was once an amateur kickboxing champion, and it helped him land the role of a boxer in 1988's Spike of Bensonhurst (1988). In 1991, Sasha got the role of Cody Lambert on the popular TV series Step by Step (1991). He played Cody from 1991 to 1996, and after some personal problems, returned for its final season in 1998.
Prior to acting, Sasha modeled exclusively for a year with famed fashion photographer Bruce Weber and studied acting in New York City at the National Improvisational Theatre. He made his television film debut in Pleasures (1986), and burst onto screens as Ruggieri in the action thriller Death Before Dishonor (1987).
Three years later, he joined the soap opera Dallas as James Beaumont, the illegitimate son of J.R. Ewing (Larry Hagman). Immediately following his exit on Dallas in 1991, Sasha was chosen to be Jean-Claude van Damme's replacement in the hit movie installments Kickboxer 2: The Road Back as the lead character David Sloan. The movie was so popular that Sasha reprised the role in Kickboxer 3: The Art of War (1992) and Kickboxer 4 (1994). In that same year, Sasha re-teamed with Dallas co-star Patrick Duffy as Duffy's nephew, Cody Lambert, on the television show Step By Step, which he played for 7 years and was in 114 episodes. In 2000, Sasha made his return to films with Gangland (2001), directed by Art Camacho. After Step by Step's cancellation, Sasha went on to guest appear in television shows such as ER, JAG, NYPD Blue and films such as L.A. Confidential, Abelar: Tales of an Ancient Empire, Cyborg Nemesis, City of Blood, and The Kickboxer: Empire of the Dead.
Now even more beefed up, he is the proud father of three daughters and one son, and continues to make movies. Sasha loves to cook, is a certified welder, and speaks fluent Spanish. - Matthias Hues was born on Valentine's Day in Waltrop, Germany, to the late Dr. Josef Hues and Maria Humperdinck Hues who still resides in Germany. Maria is the niece of Engelbert Humperdinck, composer of the opera Hansel and Gretel.
Matthias was very involved in sports from an early age on. By the time he was 19 he was part of the team that won the German pentathlon championship in Hannover and he later became Germany's hopeful in track and field. He also took up martial arts due to his ability to move extremely fast for his 6'5" height and 250-pound weight.
After graduating from school, Matthias moved to Paris to fulfill his early dream of entering Hotel management. Once there he joined one of the most prestigious health clubs in Paris, which had just been bombarded with the new Jane Fonda aerobic exercise program from the US. Matthias recognized an opportunity when he saw one, then and after returning to Germany he gave up his idea of going into Hotel management and instead opened two health clubs, flying in aerobic teachers from the USA.
It was during that time when he became obsessed with America and the American way of life, and due to his spectacular physique and bigger-than-life appearance and personality, it wasn't long before some people suggested that he should try to enter the entertainment industry, so he sold his clubs and boarded a plane to Los Angeles.
He immediately joined Gold's Gym in Venice, California, the mecca of bodybuilding and entertainment personalities. Within a few weeks Derek Barton, a former Hollywood stuntman, and formerly one of Gold's managing directors, received a frantic call from a producer who had just lost Jean-Claude Van Damme for his movie and needed someone to replace him immediately. Derek didn't hesitate to send Matthias to test for the role, and Matthias managed to convince the producers to give him the part, despite having no acting experience whatsoever. The movie, No Retreat, No Surrender 2 (1987), was a moderate success, and opened the door for Matthias to make more films.
He established himself quickly as a powerhouse in the action genre and began appearing in more films, his most successful to date being Dark Angel (1990). Over the years he recognized that his outstanding physique and size would not always be a plus in his acting career, so if needed he would reshape his look, dropping up to 40 pounds at times for various roles, and he began studying with some of the industry's best acting and speech coaches.
Matthias played a variety of roles in his films, from a gladiator turned private investigator in Age of Treason (1993) to an aging hit-man in Finding Interest (1995) to a bumbling idiot trying to kidnap a rich kid in Alone in the Woods (1996) to a dancing lion tamer in Big Top Pee-wee (1988). He also played a Klingon general in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991). Matthias is one of the few foreign actors who managed to loose his accent to the extent that many people in his own country don't even know that he is from Germany.
Matthias recently began writing and producing. He is set to direct and produce his first full feature film; a spy thriller to be shot in Frankfurt and Rome. - Stunts
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"Judo" Gene LeBell the "Godfather of Grappling" was both a renowned ex-world champion in both wrestling/judo, and one of Hollywood's busiest stuntmen. He is highly respected by many martial artists all over the world, and considered a groundbreaker in many aspects of the art of grappling.
Gene started training in judo at a young age, and at the age of 20 in 1954, he won National AAU Heavyweight Judo Championship and the USA Overall Judo Championship title. He went on to win the both the Heavyweight and overall champion title 1955 as well. After an illustrious judo career, he tried his hand at professional wrestling, and actually won the heavyweight title in Amarillo, Texas. However, in his excitement, Gene swung the title belt around his head, which accidentally hit one of the wrestling commissioners on the head, causing a nasty gash. The belt was immediately seized from the shocked Gene, which in later years would cause him to comment, "Well, at least I was the champ for 12 seconds and I retired as champion."
Gene went on to fight numerous opponents over the years including practitioners from other fighting arts that scoffed at his prowess, however they learned the hard way that Gene's superb grappling skills were the real deal. He has trained with numerous other world champion martial artists including Chuck Norris, Bill Wallace, and Benny Urquidez.
He acted and contributed stunt work to Hollywood productions for over fifty years. He can be seen in TV shows including Mission: Impossible (1966), I Spy (1965), The Wild Wild West (1965), Baretta (1975), Married... with Children (1987), and Baywatch (1989). His feature film appearances include Raging Bull (1980), Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins (1985), Bad Guys (1986), Ed Wood (1994), and Men in Black II (2002).
LeBell was still teaching grappling and doing stunts in his 70s. He was a Nevada and California Athletic Commission judge. He judged UFC 74 (Randy Couture vs. Gabriel Gonzaga) plus he had a highly popular website visited by martial arts and film fans all over the globe.
Gene LeBell had three children including stuntman son David LeBell and FBI agent daughter Monica LeBell Pandis. He also had 8 grandchildren.- Dennis "The Terminator" Alexio is considered to be one of, if not the, greatest heavyweight kick boxing champion in the sport's history. His record is an outstanding 70-2, with 65 wins by way of knockout. Alexio developed a strong friendship with Jean-Claude Van Damme and the two made the highly popular and successful film, The Kickboxer together. Alexio is retired from fighting, but appears at many functions for both the film and martial art's communities.
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Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa got his first big break as an actor when he was cast in Bernardo Bertolucci's The Last Emperor (1987). A US Army brat, he was born in Tokyo and lived in various cities while growing up. His father was in the army, stationed at Ft. Bragg (NC), Ft. Polk (LA) and Ft. Hood (TX). His mother was an actress from Tokyo. The family finally settled in Southern California, where Tagawa began acting in high school. He was an exchange student in Japan while studying at the University of Southern California. He has recently been involved off-screen in addressing student groups (at SFSU and Stanford). He has also been coaching the martial artist portraying Shang Tsung in the Mortal Kombat Live Tour, and in his free time developing his new form of martial arts, called "Chun Shin."- Marco Ruas was born on 23 January 1961 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He is an actor, known for The Eliminator (2004), Kickboxer 3: The Art of War (1992) and Where Are They Now? (2016).
- Massive (6' 4"), muscular behemoth Donald Richard Gibb was born on August 4, 1954, in New York City, New York and raised in California. He attended the University of New Mexico on a basketball scholarship, then transferred to the University of San Diego, where he played football and was a member of the varsity basketball team. He had a roster spot on the San Diego Chargers prior to embarking on an acting career. With his brawn, bulk, scraggly beard and mustache, deep, growly voice and forceful screen presence, Gibb has frequently been cast as scruffy bikers, loutish rednecks and over-aggressive macho athletes. He started out in movies in the early 1980s with uncredited bit parts in Any Which Way You Can (1980), Stripes (1981), and Conan the Barbarian (1982). He achieved enduring cult fame as the outrageous Ogre in the hilarious Revenge of the Nerds (1984), reprising this role in the second and fourth sequels. He was likewise memorable as raucous martial arts fighter Ray Jackson in the exciting Bloodsport (1988) and wildman tennis player Ripper in the amusing Jocks (1984). He had a recurring role as fierce defensive lineman Leslie "Dr. Death" Crunchner on the HBO situation comedy 1st & Ten (1984). Among the television series Donald has done guest spots on are Alice (1976), The A-Team (1983), Magnum, P.I. (1980), Knight Rider (1982), The Facts of Life (1979), Hunter (1984), Night Court (1984), MacGyver (1985), Quantum Leap (1989), The X-Files (1993) and The Young and the Restless (1973). Donald Gibb lives in Chicago, Illinois and is the co-owner of and spokesman for the Chicago karaoke bar Trader Todd's.
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Daniel Bernhardt was born on the 31st August 1965 in Worblaufen, Bern in Switzerland.
After finishing high school, he studied architectural design for four years and graduated in Bern. At the same time he opened a martial arts school with his brother. After completing his studies, Daniel moved to Paris and started to work as model. He worked for such designers as Montana, Mugler, Boss,Cerruti, Versace, Jaene Barnes and was published in the magazines Vogue, Elle, Max, Interview, Cosmopolitan and later, he established himself as a international Top Model.
Later, Bernhardt moved to New York where he was cast to co-star with Jean-Claude Van Damme in Bruce Weber's TV spot "Looking for Kicks" for Gianni Versace. Producer Marc Di Salle who launched Van Damme's carrier with Bloodsport and Kickboxer, discovered Daniel Bernhardt and cast him to star in the sequel Bloodsport II (1996) which was his debut, opposite such actors as Pat Morita and James Hong, including comic relief big guy Donald Gibb and Taekwondo champion Philip Tan.
The same year, a sequel Bloodsport III (1996) was released, again with Morita and James Hong, including John-Rhys Davies, and 9th degree black belt Taekwondo master Hee II Cho. From that point, Daniel began his career as action star on low budget films. His next films were Future War (1997), opposite Robert Z'Dar, Black Sea Raid (1997), True Vengance (1997), with Miles O'Keeffe and Beverly Johnson and Perfect Target (1997) with Robert Englund and Brian Thompson.
After these films, Daniel's interest in acting became bigger and he started to study acting in Los Angeles under Harry Mastrogeorge. So, he continued with G2 (1998), again with James Hong, Bloodsport 4: The Dark Kumite (1999), the last one in the series, this time against Brazilian JuJutsu champion Stefanos Miltsakakis. He appeared on TV series "Mortal Kombat: Conquest", as Siro, and it was followed by Global Effect (2002) and a mega hit "Matrix" sequel Matrix Reloaded (2003), where he appeared as upgraded agent Johnson, where he had an awesome fighting scene with Laurence Fishburne on the large truck, he has worked with other great names in this film, such as Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, Monica Bellucci, Lambert Willson and Jada Pinket Smith.
He also lent his voice to agent Johnson in Enter The Matrix video game. The same year he filmed an action independent film, titled The Librarians (2003), where he co-starred with William Forsythe, Burt Reynolds, Erika Eleniak, Andrew Divoff, Amaury Nolasco, Christopher Atkins, Ed Lauter and Matthias Hues (whom he had a fight in the film). He worked on Children of Wax (2005), The Cutter (2005), opposite Chuck Norris and Joana Pacula, Ultimate Champion (2009) and Foodfight! (2009).
Bernhardt is married to Lisa Stothard. He became a father to his first daughter, with Lisa, on May 15, 2003, the night after the premiere of The Matrix Reloaded (2003), and said in a TV interview that it is no question what has been more important in his life: The birth of his daughter changed his attitude towards responsibility and love forever.- Actor
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Keanu Charles Reeves, whose first name means "cool breeze over the mountains" in Hawaiian, was born September 2, 1964 in Beirut, Lebanon. He is the son of Patric Reeves, a showgirl and costume designer, and Samuel Nowlin Reeves, a geologist. Keanu's father was born in Hawaii, of British, Portuguese, Native Hawaiian, and Chinese ancestry, and Keanu's mother is originally from Essex England. After his parents' marriage dissolved, Keanu moved with his mother and younger sister, Kim Reeves, to New York City, then Toronto. Stepfather #1 was Paul Aaron, a stage and film director - he and Patricia divorced within a year, after which she went on to marry (and divorce) rock promoter Robert Miller. Reeves never reconnected with his biological father. In high school, Reeves was lukewarm toward academics but took a keen interest in ice hockey (as team goalie, he earned the nickname "The Wall") and drama. He eventually dropped out of school to pursue an acting career.
After a few stage gigs and a handful of made-for-TV movies, he scored a supporting role in the Rob Lowe hockey flick Youngblood (1986), which was filmed in Canada. Shortly after the production wrapped, Reeves packed his bags and headed for Hollywood. Reeves popped up on critics' radar with his performance in the dark adolescent drama, River's Edge (1986), and landed a supporting role in the Oscar-nominated Dangerous Liaisons (1988) with director Stephen Frears.
His first popular success was the role of totally rad dude Ted "Theodore" Logan in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989). The wacky time-travel movie became something of a cultural phenomenon, and audiences would forever confuse Reeves's real-life persona with that of his doofy on-screen counterpart. He then joined the casts of Ron Howard's comedy, Parenthood (1989) and Lawrence Kasdan's I Love You to Death (1990).
Over the next few years, Reeves tried to shake the Ted stigma with a series of highbrow projects. He played a slumming rich boy opposite River Phoenix's narcoleptic male hustler in My Own Private Idaho (1991), an unlucky lawyer who stumbles into the vampire's lair in Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992), and Shakespearean party-pooper Don John in Much Ado About Nothing (1993).
In 1994, the understated actor became a big-budget action star with the release of Speed (1994). Its success heralded an era of five years in which Reeves would alternate between small films, like Feeling Minnesota (1996) and The Last Time I Committed Suicide (1997), and big films like A Walk in the Clouds (1995) and The Devil's Advocate (1997). (There were a couple misfires, too: Johnny Mnemonic (1995) and Chain Reaction (1996).) After all this, Reeves did the unthinkable and passed on the Speed sequel, but he struck box-office gold again a few years later with the Wachowski siblings' cyberadventure, The Matrix (1999).
Now a bonafide box-office star, Keanu would appear in a string of smaller films -- among them The Replacements (2000), The Watcher (2000), The Gift (2000), Sweet November (2001), and Hardball (2001) - before The Matrix Reloaded (2003) and The Matrix Revolutions (2003) were both released in 2003.
Since the end of The Matrix trilogy, Keanu has divided his time between mainstream and indie fare, landing hits with Something's Gotta Give (2003), The Lake House (2006), and Street Kings (2008). He's kept Matrix fans satiated with films such as Constantine (2005), A Scanner Darkly (2006), and The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008). And he's waded back into art-house territory with Ellie Parker (2005), Thumbsucker (2005), The Private Lives of Pippa Lee (2009), and Henry's Crime (2010).
Most recently, as post-production on the samurai epic 47 Ronin (2013) waged on, Keanu appeared in front of the camera in Side by Side (2012), a documentary on celluloid and digital filmmaking, which he also produced. He also directed another Asian-influenced project, Man of Tai Chi (2013).
In 2014, Keanu played the title role in the action revenge film John Wick (2014), which became popular with critics and audiences alike. He reprised the role in John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017), taking the now-iconic character to a better opening weekend and even more enthusiastic reviews than the first go-around.- Stunts
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He came from a kick-boxing background; he entered the film field as a stunt performer at the age of 24. Before that, he worked as an instructor at the Inosanto Martial Arts Academy in California, teaching Jeet Kune Do/Jun Fan. After doing numerous roles in low budget martial art movies like Mission of Justice (1992) and Bloodsport III (1996) his first start as a stunt double came from the movie The Crow (1994) for doubling late Brandon Lee whom he trained with at the Inosanto Academy. After Brandon Lee's lethal accident Chad was picked for his stunt/photo double because he knew Lee, how he moved, and looked more like him than any other stuntman.
His greatest break as a stunt man came when he hooked up with Keanu Reeves on The Matrix (1999). He worked as martial arts stunt coordinator in its following sequels and doubled Keanu Reeves for extreme shots. He also formed a company called Smashcut with his stunt colleagues which was responsible for cool stunts in some of the greatest movies and series.
After a ten year in the film world he continued to give his best as a stunt coordinator and stunt performer.- Actor
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