Skilled martial artists who can actually act
Usually, martial arts film stars are not considered to be very good actors, there are so many I can name in that category but I wanted to make a list of people who are not just excellent martial artists but actors too. So here they are in no particular order!
THIS LIST SEEMS INCOMPLETE SO PLEASE DO SEND ME YOUR SUGGESTIONS! THANK YOU!!
THIS LIST SEEMS INCOMPLETE SO PLEASE DO SEND ME YOUR SUGGESTIONS! THANK YOU!!
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- Producer
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Jeff Wincott is an established actor and producer originally from Toronto, Canada. He starred in the award-winning Canadian television series Night Heat playing Detective Giambone for five years. He was nominated for Best Actor at the Gemini Awards for his performance which gave him international recognition and led to an extensive film career in the United States.
Wincott went on to star in over a dozen martial arts films for which he is well-known, including Mission of Justice and Last Man Standing. Wincott has also played roles in various television shows including Sons of Anarchy, the Lizzie Borden Chronicles, Blue Bloods, Person of Interest, The Good Wife, N.C.I.S., The Night Of, and The Wire. He was featured in the high-budget action films The Invasion and Unstoppable and played a supporting role in the independent film Kringle Time for which he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the GenreBlast Film Festival (2021).
In 2019, Jeff and his wife founded Hollow Metropolis Films in order to create and produce their own films. Their award-winning short films Ping Pong Pigeons, Platitudes, and Dystopian Snow Globe have been screened internationally. In 2020, the Wincotts co-produced their first feature film, The Issue with Elvis, with Jeff playing the leading role, Dr. Mercer. He has gone on to win three Best Actor Awards for his performance at various film festivals including the Hollywood Women's International Film Festival, the Toronto Beaches Film Festival, and the Montgomery International Film Festival. The Issue with Elvis has won over ten awards in 2021, including two Best Feature Film awards. The film will be distributed by Random Media and 1091 Pictures with a release date in 2022.
Wincott co-produced a documentary feature called Fall Fight Shine on addiction and recovery. The film premiered in September 2021 at The Art of Recovery Film Festival in the greater Miami area and won Best Documentary Feature at the Hollywood Women's International Film Festival in October, 2021. The film features Jeff's recovery story.- 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.- Stunts
- Writer
- Director
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.- Actor
- Writer
- Director
Born in Philadelphia, Michael came from a line of German sailors on one side and American Delaware Indians on the other. As a 10 year old Michael directed his first film entitle The Tire. It was shot with a super-8 camera his mother bought him. He continued making short films into his late teens. During his early teens, Michael had a few small parts in film and television. Living with his dog in a truck for six months in Los Angeles to save money, he worked odd jobs and construction work, taking whatever small parts he could as he climbed the Hollywood ladder. His first lead came with the film Final Impact (1992) for which Variety deemed him "a promising newcomer." He worked in a series of low-budget films before landing a part in the TV series Acapulco H.E.A.T. (1993). He had a close call with greater fame from being second choice for the role of Robin in Batman Forever (1995). Michael wrote and directed the independent Killing Cupid (2005) which gained him a Best Director nomination at the Action On Film Film Festival in 2005 as well as winning Best Fiction Film at the Hollywood Fiction Film and Video Festival in 2006. He wrote and recently completed appearing the psychological thriller/western Dual (2008) which won Best Independent Action Film. His second directorial work is the drama God's Ears (2008).- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Thomas Ian Griffith was born on March 18, 1962 in Hartford, Connecticut. His father was a college professor, his mother a dance teacher. Griffith trained as an opera singer in New York City with Metropolitan Opera star Delia Rigal. He attended the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, majoring in English literature and music. While still in school, he was cast in the Broadway show The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. He continued to work on Broadway and in regional theater until moving to Los Angeles to star in his first feature film, The Karate Kid Part III. After a successful acting career, Griffith segued into writing full time, including developing multiple pilots for NBC, Universal and Warner Brothers TV. He is married to actress/screenwriter Mary Page Keller. They have two sons, Conner and Eamon.- Actor
- Stunts
- Director
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.- Actor
- 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
- Producer
- Stunts
Wesley Trent Snipes was born in Orlando, Florida, to Marian (Long), a teacher's assistant, and SMSGT Wesley Rudolph Snipes, an aircraft engineer. He grew up on the streets of the South Bronx in New York City, where he very early decided that dance and the theatre were to be his career. He attended the High School for the Performing Arts (popularized in Fame (1980)). But dreams of the musical theater (and maybe a few commercials) faded when his mother moved to Orlando, Florida before he could graduate. Fortune would have it that he along with two friends and his "Drama class" teachers Mr. S Porro and K. Rugerio, would start a bus-n-truck theatre company (Struttin Street Stuff) be instrumental in his high schools (Jones High) induction into the International Thespian Society, Orlando Chapter and help lay the foundation for what would become Dr. Phillips High Schools theatre arts program. Musical theatre rooted Snipes performed song-n-dance, puppetry, and acrobatics in city parks, dinner clubs, and performing arts centers around central Florida. As a recipient of a Victor Borge Scholarship, Snipes left Orlando and entered the world-renowned professional theatre arts program at SUNY Purchase in New York, now Purchase College, where he honed his theatrical performance and martial arts skills. Graduating with a BFA, he went on to co-star in a few soap operas and nighttime dramas, peppered in between critical acclaim performances Broadway. It was there in a Broadway theater An agent saw him on stage and invited him to audition for his first feature film role.
Goldie Hawn Wildcats (1986). Athletic roles such as that gave way to dramatic roles such as that gave way to tough guy roles as in New Jack City (1991), and to the action hero in Passenger 57 (1992). Wesley feels that at least with the Hollywood heavyweights he must be doing something right - Sylvester Stallone, Robert De Niro, Dennis Hopper and Sean Connery all had veto power over casting and all approved his role. Wesley also founded Amen Ra Films Production Company, and is a Multi System Combat Arts Black Belt Holder IT Technologist & VC.- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
John Cusack is, like most of his characters, an unconventional hero. Wary of fame and repelled by formulaic Hollywood fare, he has built a successful career playing underdogs and odd men out--all the while avoiding the media spotlight. John was born in Evanston, Illinois, to an Irish-American family. With the exception of mom Nancy (née Carolan), a former math teacher, the Cusack clan is all show business: father Dick Cusack was an actor and filmmaker, and John's siblings Joan Cusack, Ann Cusack, Bill Cusack and Susie Cusack are all thespians by trade. Like his brother and sisters, John became a member of Chicago's Piven Theatre Workshop while he was still in elementary school. By age 12, he already had several stage productions, commercial voice overs and industrial films under his belt. He made his feature film debut at 17, acting alongside Rob Lowe and Andrew McCarthy in the romantic comedy Class (1983). His next role, as a member of Anthony Michael Hall's geek brigade in Sixteen Candles (1984), put him on track to becoming a teen-flick fixture. Cusack remained on the periphery of the Brat Pack, sidestepping the meteoric rise and fall of most of his contemporaries, but he stayed busy with leads in films like The Sure Thing (1985) and Better Off Dead (1985). Young Cusack is probably best remembered for what could be considered his last adolescent role: the stereo-blaring romantic Lloyd Dobler in Say Anything (1989). A year later, he hit theaters as a grown-up, playing a bush-league con man caught between his manipulative mother and headstrong girlfriend in The Grifters (1990).
The next few years were relatively quiet for the actor, but he filled in the gaps with off-screen projects. He directed and produced several shows for the Chicago-based theater group The New Criminals, which he founded in 1988 (modeling it after Tim Robbins' Actors' Gang in Los Angeles) to promote political and avant-garde stage work. Four years later, Cusack's high school friends Steve Pink and D.V. DeVincentis joined him in starting a sister company for film, New Crime Productions. New Crime's first feature was the sharply written comedy Grosse Pointe Blank (1997), which touched off a career renaissance for Cusack. In addition to co-scripting, he starred as a world-weary hit man who goes home for his ten-year high school reunion and tries to rekindle a romance with the girl he stood up on prom night (Minnie Driver). In an instance of life imitating art, Cusack actually did go home for his ten-year reunion (to honor a bet about the film's financing) and ended up in a real-life romance with Driver. Cusack's next appearance was as a federal agent (or, as he described it, "the first post-Heston, non-biblical action star in sandals") in Con Air (1997), a movie he chose because he felt it was time to make smart business decisions. He followed that with Clint Eastwood's Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1997), in which he played a Yankee reporter entangled in a Savannah murder case.
Cusack has always favored offbeat material, so it was no surprise when he turned up in the fiercely original Being John Malkovich (1999). Long-haired, bearded and bespectacled, he was almost unrecognizable in the role of a frustrated puppeteer who stumbles across a portal into the brain of actor John Malkovich. The convincing performance won him a Best Actor nomination at the Independent Spirit Awards. In 2000, Cusack was back to his clean-shaven self in High Fidelity (2000), another New Crime production. He worked with Steve Pink and D.V. DeVincentis to adapt Nick Hornby's popular novel (relocating the story to their native Chicago), then starred as the sarcastic record store owner who revisits his "Top 5" breakups to find out why he's so unlucky in love. The real Cusack has been romantically linked with several celebs, including Driver, Alison Eastwood, Claire Forlani and Neve Campbell. He's also something of a family man, acting frequently opposite sister Joan Cusack and pulling other Cusacks into his films on a regular basis. He seems pleased with the spate of projects on his horizon, but admits that he still hasn't reached his ultimate goal: to be involved in a "great piece of art".- Actor
- Producer
- Director
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 Russian Specialist").
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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Ron Yuan just wrapped as one of the ensemble leads in Disney's live adaptation Mulan (2020), directed by Niki Caro. Yuan plays battle hardened "Master Sgt. Qiang", 2nd in command of the Imperial Regiment.
Yuan signed on as series regular, Prince Nayan, on Netflix's Marco Polo (2014), created by John Fusco. Yuan filmed Roland Emmerich's Independence Day: Resurgence (2016) playing "Yeong", the main weapons engineer. Before that, he was in The Accountant (2016), directed by Gavin O'Connor, playing a reluctant Silat Master. He appeared on Jon Bokenkamp's The Blacklist (2013) as Quon Zhang. He was seen in the final season of Sons of Anarchy (2008) as the intense and unpredictable "Ryu Tom". Yuan played hard-nosed "Lt. Peter Kang" in the short-lived CBS series Golden Boy (2013), and had small roles in episodes of Justified (2010) and Castle (2009). Yuan joined Francesca Eastwood and Annie Q. Riegel in MDMA (2017).
In Mortal Kombat 11 (2019), he voiced "Scorpion". His made his directorial debut with Step Up China (2019). In the ABC/Freeform series Siren (2018), Yuan played "Aldon Decker", a military marine biologist who unwittingly falls in love with a predator mermaid. His obsession spirals out of control as he tries to bring her back to his research facility. Yuan designed the fight sequences as well as going behind camera as Action Director for Wild Card (2015), scripted by William Goldman and directed by Simon West. Yuan completed designing and directing the action on the popular action franchise Black & White: The Dawn of Justice (2014). He played character in story arcs on FOX's Touch (2012) (opposite Kiefer Sutherland) and NBC's Awake (2012) (opposite Jason Isaacs).
He was the voice behind major gaming campaigns (Call of Duty-Black Ops 2, Halo, Star Wars' Old Republic, Resident Evil, World of Warcraft, Medal of Honor, Army of Two, Guild Wars 2, Deus Ex, Drake's Uncharted, and many more). Yuan's MiniFlix Films with Sony Television (SPE) co-produced three films (Three Bullets, Tea and Remembrance, Lollipops) in which Yuan wrote, produced and directed. Yuan's award winning work in short film and features has premiered in more than 30 film festivals worldwide, including Toronto, Sundance (Park City, Utah), Tribeca (Manhattan), Athens, Cairo, Seattle, Kansas City (Missouri), Austin (Texas), and Beijing & Macau (China), and Los Angeles, Newport Beach & Comic Con (all California).- Actor
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With over 30 films and 200 hours of television experience, versatility, discipline and a solid work ethic have been the underpinnings of Adrian's very successful 30-year acting career. Internationally recognized for his role as Duncan Macleod, in Highlander-The Series", Adrian has also produced and directed both film and television projects.
Born and raised in London, England, Adrian arrived in the United States in 1984, working as a choreographer and a model. After a year of taking acting classes with acting coaches, Ivana Chubbuck and Roy London, his first series role came on the ABC television show, The Colbys. This led to a role in the Broadway play, "Bouncers", in 1987, a guest role on the television show, Beauty and the Beast (1987) and his first film role in the film Last Rites (1988), with Tom Berenger.
After a starring role in "Masque of the Red Death"(1989), he became a series regular in the second season of the television series "War of the Worlds"(1988), followed by four episode arc on the MGM, "Dark Shadows" series. Fast becoming known for his solid work ethic, CBS cast him as the lead in the television pilot, "The Owl" (1990). Although the series wasn't picked up, Adrian didn't stop working, guest starring on Angela Lansbury's "Murder She Wrote", and co starring opposite the up-and-coming Sandra Bullock in, "Love Potion Number 9". But it would be his next role that would bring him international recognition...that of "Duncan MacLeod" in the syndicated series, Highlander (1991-1997). During the 6 year run, Adrian directed four of the series' episodes, including the epic 100th episode, shot in Bordeaux France. Three of these episodes were voted in the top ten best of series for the 119 episode run.
Although he was in demand when the series ended in 1997, Paul wanted to go back to his acting roots. After studying with renowned acting coach Larry Moss, he worked on John Landis' romantic comedy, "Susan's Plan", the action thriller, "Dead Men Can't Dance", and helped found Actors in Process, a theater group, where actors could meet weekly to showcase current work and receive positive critique from their peers. After two years, a production of an original play, "Things Just Change", was showcased at the Odyssey theater in Los Angeles, with Paul in the lead role.
The success of the Highlander series however, was still current, leading Paul to be offered to star opposite Christopher Lambert in "Highlander : Endgame"(2000), to take over the franchise's lead position. Other films followed, including the now cult classic "The Breed" (2001), shot in Budapest, Hungary where Adrian met his future wife, Alexandra.
In 2001, Lionsgate signed Adrian to a 3 picture deal, as well as to star in and executive produce the Sci Fi action thriller, "Tracker" (created by Gil Grant) for Lionsgate Television. With the advent of so many new media outlets however, the syndicated series was not renewed for a second season. Adrian continued to work on films such as "Nemesis Game" (Lionsgate) and "Tides of War", along with the Spelling Television and Paramount Pictures' hit TV series, "Charmed". This was the first time in thirteen years that Adrian had actually filmed again on US soil.
In 2006 the Highlander Franchise was back again, this time filming in Lithuania, with Adrian starring in and Executive Producing, what would become his last sortie as Duncan Macleod, in "Highlander :The Source". After that came, "The Legend of Roanoke"(2007) and the Sci Fi Action Comedy "The Immortal Voyages of Captain Drake"(2009), a film in which Paul choreographed all the fight scenes.
Always looking for interesting roles, Adrian found himself in Hungary and Tunisia, filming the Seven Arts production, "Nine Miles Down"(2009), that he now considers one of his most emotionally challenging roles. Next, he was off to London, in an out of character role, as a Conservative member of Parliament in the thriller, "The Heavy "(2010), with Gary Stretch, Stephen Rea and Christopher Lee. Also in 2010, Adrian co-founded his first production company Filmblips Inc.
Since 2010, while working as an actor on several other films and TV movies, Adrian also wrote three screenplays, developed financial and artistic presentation packages for film and television, along with spearheading his charity, The Peace Fund, that he founded in 1997. Peace stands for Protect. Educate. Aid. Children. Everywhere. Over the past 17 years, Adrian has overseen the work of the fund in countries such as Romania, Bellarus, Niger, Hungary, Haiti, Cambodia, Thailand and the United States. In 2012, Adrian launched Peace Fund Radio that he co hosts with Ethan Dettanmaeir, with an estimated audience of between 1.8 and 2 million listeners a month. The innovative radio show, has been host to many celebrities with causes of their own and is the catalyst behind the Peace Fund's partnership and donation to bring computers into LAUSD schools. Through the radio shows influence the fund has also partnered with Kimberly Moore's," Adopt a Letter" program to fulfill children's wishes at Christmas, brought books for libraries and lights for homes in El Salvador, along with connecting like minded charities to fulfill their initiatives.
In 2015, Adrian helped launch his second production company, Radical Road, aimed at lower budget films, some of which Adrian is set to direct and act in. In 2016 Adrian has two movies, "The Secret of Emily Blair" and "Stormageddon", releasing and he is getting ready to direct his first feature, "Chemical Influence", a screenplay he wrote from an original script. Adrian also launched, "The Sword Experience" in 2016. Half day seminars of sword training, that include stage and real life combat and safety tips aimed at individuals, corporations, film, stage, re-enactment societies, martial artists and role playing groups.
He is still married to Alexandra and they have two children together, Angelisa and Royce.- 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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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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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).- Actor
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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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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.- 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
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Born on February 1, 1965 to Bruce Lee (Martial Arts idol) and Linda Lee Cadwell. Brother to Shannon Lee. In 1970-71, they moved to Hong Kong, where Brandon lived until age eight, becoming fluent in Cantonese. By the time he was able to walk, he was already involved in learning about martial arts from his father.
Brandon attended high school in Los Angeles, where he realized that he had also inherited acting ability along with his martial arts skills. In 1983, he was expelled from school because of misbehavior, but received his diploma at Miraleste High School. He continued his education and interest in acting at Emerson College in Massachusetts, where he majored in theatre. Having chosen an acting career, he studied at the Strasberg Academy, with Eric Morris in New York and in Los Angeles, and in Lynette Katselas' class in Los Angeles.
His first professional job as an actor came at age twenty, when casting director Lynn Stalmaster asked him to read for a CBS television film, Kung Fu: The Movie (1986). Lee's first role in a feature film was Legacy of Rage (1986) (aka "Legacy of Rage" (1986)) for D.M. Films of Hong Kong, followed by a co-starring role in Showdown in Little Tokyo (1991). He was also in Rapid Fire (1992), and The Crow (1994). He turned down offers to be in Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story (1993).
Brandon died (while filming) at the age of 28, of what is to be believed, a brain hemorrhage on the set of The Crow (1994). The film crew shot a scene in which it was decided to use a gun without consent from the weapons coordinator, who had been sent home early that night. They handed Michael Massee the gun loaded with full power blanks and shot the scene, unaware that a bullet had become dislodged from a previous shot and had lodged itself in the barrel. Upon shooting of the scene the blank round forced the bullet out the barrel striking Brandon Lee. The crew only noticed when Lee was slow getting up. The doctors worked desperately for five hours, but it was no use. The bullet had lodged itself in Mr Lee's lower spine. He was pronounced dead at 1:04 P.M. the next day. He was supposed to marry Eliza Hutton on April 17, 1993. His body was flown to Seattle to be buried beside his father in Lake View Cemetery.- Actress
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Michelle Yeoh was born in Ipoh, Malaysia. She's the daughter of Janet Yeoh & Kian Teik Yeoh. She's of Hokkien descent, speaking English and Malay before Chinese. A ballet dancer since 4, she moved to London to study at the Royal Academy as a teen. After a brief dance career, she won the Miss Malaysia beauty pageant title in and the Miss Moomba beauty pageant title in Melbourne, Australia in the early 1980s. Her first on camera work was a 1984 commercial with martial arts star Jackie Chan. In 1985, she began making action movies with D&B Films of Hong Kong. She was first billed as Michelle Khan, then Michelle Yeoh. Never a trained martial artist, she relied on her dance discipline and on-set trainers to prepare for martial arts action scenes.
She uses many dance moves in her films and does most of her own stunts. In 1988, she married wealthy D&B Films executive Dickson Poon & retired from acting. Even though they divorced in 1992, she's close to Poon's second wife and a godmother to his daughter. When she returned to acting, she became very popular w/ Chinese audiences. She later became known to Western audiences through role in the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) and in the phenomenally successful Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000). She turned down a role in a sequel to The Matrix (1999).
She has her own production company, Mythical Films. She trained with the Shen Yang Acrobatic team for her role in The Touch (2002), an English-language film she both starred in and produced. She hopes to use her company to discover and nurture new film-making talent. She also aspires to act in roles that combine both action and deeper spiritual themes.- Actor
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The 1/2 Taiwanese and 1/2 Japanese Takeshi Kaneshiro may have started out as a puerile teen idol in the Chinese entertainment scene, but he's since become a proper film star in his own right. Whether by his own design or not, the boyishness that marked his first steps into showbiz has evolved into a cool, somewhat reticent demeanor that has now become his trademark. Despite being effortlessly good-looking, he chooses to strike a sometimes uneasy balance between the commercially pleasing and the quirky in his choice of film roles -- a move that's unusual for Asian leading men. But whether he's the faithful lover in the Japanese AIDS drama Kamisama mousukoshi dake (1998), the canned-pineapple-eating cop in Chungking Express (1994) or awkward in his role in Misty (1996), a remake of Akira Kurosawa's Rashomon (1950), Asian audiences love his style. Other memorable roles include his turn as a lovelorn student in Tempting Heart (1999), an angel in Lavender (2000) and the leader of a trio of robbers in Space Travelers (2000). There hasn't been an Asian actor quite as versatile as Kaneshiro, who is able to straddle the Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Japanese film industries because of his proficiency in various languages. Still, one wonders if the reason why he's so sought after is because he is so elusive. No one really knows what he does outside of film commitments, and his reluctance towards being in the spotlight is legendary.- Actor
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Patrick Wayne Swayze was born on August 18, 1952 in Houston, Texas, to Patsy Swayze (née Yvonne Helen Karnes), a choreographer, and Jesse Wayne Swayze, a chemical plant engineer draftsman. His mother owned a dance school in Houston, where Patrick was also a student. His father passed away in 1982. He graduated from Waltrip High School in Houston, and attended San Jacinto College in Pasadena, Texas. He married actress/dancer Lisa Niemi on June 12, 1975, whom he had known when she was 15 and a student at his mother's dance school. His New York City dance training included the Harkness Ballet School and Joffrey Ballet School. He first danced professionally as "Prince Charming" in "Disney on Parade". After a stint as "Danny Zuko" in the original Broadway production of "Grease", he made his film debut with a small role in Skatetown U.S.A. (1979). He made his television debut in 1981 on M*A*S*H (1972), as a soldier diagnosed with leukemia.
After many supporting roles in films and a lead role in the TV mini-series North & South: Book 1, North & South (1985), he landed his breakthrough role as dance instructor "Johnny Castle" in the hit film Dirty Dancing (1987), for which he received a Golden Globe nomination. He received a second nomination for his portrayal of "Sam Wheat" in the blockbuster Ghost (1990). Ghost (1990) was the highest-grossing film of 1990, and at one point, the fourth highest-grossing film of all time. Unfortunately, he did not capitalize on its success. His subsequent films like City of Joy (1992), Tall Tale (1995), Black Dog (1998), and Waking Up in Reno (2002) did not fare well with critics or audiences. In December 2003, he returned to Broadway as a replacement for the lead role of "Billy Flynn" in the acclaimed revival of John Kander & Fred Ebb's musical, "Chicago". The production also went on tour in several cities of the United States, including Los Angeles. In January 2008, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He fought the illness for well over a year and was able to continue working, but died on September 14, 2009.Kickboxing and Kung Fu. Not just in Roadhouse where Benny The Jet trained him in kickboxing but he trained in Kung Fu in general.- Actor
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Stephen Fung is a international filmmaker who made his acting debut in Forbidden Nights(1990.) Since then he has starred in more than 40 films in Asia. In 2004, Stephen wrote/directed/starred in his feature film directorial debut "Enter the Phoenix" for JackieChan's newly formed company JCE Movies; it became an instant hit. His second directing/starring feature "House of Fury" marks Stephen's first collaboration with legendary action director Yuen Wo Ping (Matrix, Kill Bill) proves also to be a success. "House of Fury" was the opening film for the Hong Kong International Film Festival 2005, official selection for the 18TH Tokyo International Film Festival, and at home, the highest grossing Hong Kong film for the first half of 2005. Besides continuing with his acting career, Stephen directed "JUMP" written and produced by Stephen Chow for Sony Columbia Pictures Asia in 2009. In 2012 Stephen directed the first two installment "Tai Chi Zero" and "Tai Chi Hero" in the "Taichi Trilogy." The two films have won numerous awards and was the official selection for The Venice Film Festival, Toronto Film Festival, Busan Film Festival among others. In 2016 Stephen directed "The Adventurers" with an international cast starring Jean Reno, Andy Lau, Shu Qi. The film opened No. 4 internationally with a 30 Million USD weekend box office. Stephen is an Executive Producer, Director and Fight Director for the AMC's hit Martial Arts Drama "Into The Badlands." In 2019, Stephen directed and executive produced the first two episodes for Netflix's Wu Assassins.- Actor
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Nicholas was born in Hong Kong, China. He attended school in Vancouver, Canada. He also attended school for a short time in Phoenix, Arizona before moving back to Hong Kong with his parents Patrick Yin Tse and Deborah Dik, and his sister, Jennifer (Ting Ting). Nicholas started his singing career around 1997.- 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).- Tammy Lauren was born on 16 November 1968 in San Diego, California, USA. She is an actress, known for Wishmaster (1997), Mork & Mindy (1978) and Homefront (1991). She has been married to Guri Weinberg since 31 January 1997.
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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.- Actor
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Louis Mandylor is most recognized for his leading credits in a variety of highly acclaimed, award-winning films and television series, including the Academy Award-nominated box office smash hit comedy My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002), and its sequel, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 (2016).
Additionally, he is known for his leading credits in the Primetime Emmy Award-nominated series CSI: Miami (2002) and CSI: NY (2004), in Friends (1994) as "Joey's Twin," in the ALMA Award-winning drama sports film Price of Glory (2000), in the CBS hit show Martial Law (1998) with Sammo Kam-Bo Hung, and in Can't Hurry Love (1995) with Mariska Hargitay and Nancy McKeon; also, recently claiming some praise reviews for The Debt Collector (2018).
Louis Mandylor as Sue in The Debt Collector (2018): ". . . I thought Mandylor's monologue about why he drinks was one of the finest acting moments of his career and was genuinely moving. . . ." -Theactionelite.com
". . . Mandylor stands tall next to Adkins as French's grizzled and burnt out guide through this new shady world he finds himself in. The two have a genuine chemistry that makes every scene they play off each other feel fun and breezy. . . ." -Aintitcool.com
". . . Mandylor's grizzled veteran collector is the perfect foil to the fresh-faced Brit. . . ." -Cityonfire.com
Mandylor also just finished filming Doom: Annihilation (2019) for Universal.- Actor
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Collin Chou was born on 11 August 1967 in Taiwan. He is an actor, known for The Matrix Revolutions (2003), The Matrix Reloaded (2003) and The Forbidden Kingdom (2008). He has been married to Wanda Yung since 10 December 1997. They have two children.- Actor
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Robin Shou is the fourth child of a Shanghai tailor and homemaker. His family moved to the US in 1971. Their first home in Los Angeles was a 2 bedroom apartment near Olympic and Vermont, today known as Koreatown.
Shou didn't start attending martial arts classes until he was 19. He took Kenpo (Karate) classes while attending California State University. He soon realized that Karate didn't do anything for him so he decided to quit. A year and a half later he watched a demonstration by a group of Wu Shu practitioners from Beijing. He said "This is Chinese!" He was so inspired to train in this discipline that in year 1981, just before starting his senior year at California State University, he sold his car and used the money to spend a quarter studying Wu Shu in China. Robin's parents didn't know his real whereabouts until his aunt wrote his mother telling her that her son was in Nanjing.
He returned to California State University and obtained his B.S. in civil engineering. He spent a year and a half in this field and was convinced that he needed a different career, he found computer and electronics boring. He was always trying to follow the ideal; finishing school, getting a job, getting married etc. He wasn't happy and the only thing that kept him going was martial arts. Soon he took off to Hong Kong, planning to vacation and think. Shortly after his arrival, however, he was offered a chance to appear in a movie as a stuntman. He was offered job after job, and for his first two years in Hong Kong he played small parts in action films. When Robin isn't making films he takes ceramic classes, paints, welds, and does woodworking. He enjoys to do anything that involves working with his hands.
Shou's first real dramatic role was in the film Forbidden Nights (1990), where he played opposite Melissa Gilbert. Though only a TV film, this was his first American debut and surely a huge step for Hollywood. Robin went back to Hong Kong and continued making movies there. By this time, he was more thorough about the roles he was offered. He wanted other roles and after nine years he was bored and didn't want to continue acting.
He returned to Los Angeles in 1994 to start an import/export business. He got a call from his agent, ranting about a perfect role for him in a movie called Mortal Kombat (1995). Robin wasn't interested, assuming he would be playing a villain who gets killed in the end. His agent begged him to audition and he did, along with other top contenders like: Jason Scott Lee, Russell Wong and Dustin Nguyen. Seven auditions later, he was Liu Kang in Mortal Kombat (1995). Shou also appears as a supporting role in another fighting video game adaption, DOA: Dead or Alive (2006), based on the Dead or Alive series.- Actor
- Director
- Producer
After leaving Vietnam with his family in 1975 Dustin Tri Nguyen (pronounced "Gwen") went on to establish himself as one of Hollywood's premiere Asian-American actors, having starred on the hit TV shows "21 Jump Street," "Seaquest DSV," "VIP," He went on to star in the films THE REBEL and THE MAN WITH THE IRON FISTS 2. In 2005 Dustin won the much sought after role in the Australian based critically acclaimed film LITTLE FISH starring opposite Academy Award-winner Cate Blanchett. In the film Dustin plays 'Jonny,' Blanchett's love interest in a story that revolves around her 'Tracy,' an ex-heroin-addict trying to rebuild her life. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and went on to become the number-one film in Australia. Along the way, it collected 5 Australian Film Institute Awards and 3 Film Critics' Awards. LITTLE FISH then opened in New York to rave reviews. Critics took note of Dustin's performance and transformation into a leading man among the A-list cast. This very performance earned him the 2007 Asian Excellence Award for Best Supporting Actor in a feature film.
Dustin can be seen starring in and directing Justin Lin's series "Warrior" on Cinemax. The Show, based on the writings of Bruce Lee and set in the late 1870s San Francisco during the Tong Wars in Chinatown. In the Series he plays the "Big Bad" Zing. Dustin is especially looking forward to season 2 where he has directed the sixth episode of the show. This past season also saw Dustin guest starring on the NBC hit Drama "This Is Us."
In more recent years, Dustin has transitioned to directing and producing films under his Vietnam-based Dreamscape DBS; the production company he shares with his producer wife, Bebe Pham. 2015 was a particularly good year for Dustin as his second directorial effort, JACKPOT, was chosen to represent Vietnam for Best Foreign Language Films at the 2016 Oscars. The film also was one of the surprise hits with Vietnamese audiences that year as it was inspired by the true events of a poor countryside lottery peddler who returned the winning lottery ticket to its rightful owner. By summer of 2016, JACKPOT collected 3 Golden Kite Awards (Vietnam's highest cinematic award) for Best Picture, Best Actress and Best Screenplay, in addition to People's Choice Award for the Best Film of 2015.
In 2014, Dustin collaborated as an actor in a Vietnamese adaptation of Dostoyevsky's A GENTLE CREATURE. This film, GENTLE, earned him a Leonardo da Vinci Horse Award for Best Supporting Actor at the 2015 Milan International Film Festival. In the same year, Dustin starred in Universal Pictures' sequel to THE MAN WITH THE IRON FISTS.
In 2013, Dustin made his directorial debut with a script he wrote which was his personal homage to Sergio Leone's spaghetti westerns, called ONCE UPON A TIME IN VIETNAM - the first fantasy-martial-arts-drama in Vietnam. The film was picked up by Lionsgate for North America distribution, as well as being distributed in England, Germany, Italy, France, Australia and South America.
In 2011, Dustin was awarded Best Actor at the Vietnamese International Film Festival for his performance as an abusive and bitter single father raising two children in the Mekong Delta in FLOATING LIVES.
In 2009, Dustin was awarded the Vietnamese Golden Lotus Award (Vietnam's Highest Film Award) for Best Actor in the motion picture THE LEGEND IS ALIVE, as well as the Golden Kite Award (Vietnam's Cinema Association) for the very same role. He was also awarded the Golden Rooster (China's most prestigious film award) for Favorite International Actor for this very role. Dustin played Long, a mentally challenged man, whose only wish is to bring his recently deceased mother's ashes to America. Along his journey, Long encounters and reluctantly involves himself with a young girl who has been sold to human traffickers.
In 2008, Dustin starred in Justin Lin's film FINISHING THE GAME, which had premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. In 2006, Dustin starred in his first villain role in the Vietnamese blockbuster THE REBEL, a French-Vietnamese 1920's period action-drama. It marked his first return to Vietnam in 32 years.
Dustin's martial arts expertise was fully showcased in 2000 when he starred in a Levi's Jeans' European "Hero" campaign, which expanded upon his ever-growing international profile. The campaign was uniquely groundbreaking in that it was the first time Levi's had ever used an Asian star in their awarded winning campaigns. For Dustin, it offered the first opportunity to apply his love for the martial arts along with his dramatic training as he collaborated with director Jonathan Glazer (UNDER THE SKIN, SEXY BEAST, BIRTH) on the fight choreography.
Dustin currently lives in Vietnam with his wife, Bebe Pham, and their three children.- Actor
- Stunts
- Producer
A powerful screen presence, Richard Norton wins the applause of international audiences with his engaging ability to play either the hero or the heavy. Rare versatility and focused work ethic have enabled him to build an expanding library of almost 100 film and television titles. The disciplines that brought Norton success originated in his hometown of Croydon, Australia, and his early fascination with martial arts. By age 17 he was a karate black belt working security for nightclubs and serving as chief instructor to 500 karate schools nationwide. He landed a job as bodyguard to The Rolling Stones during the band's Australian tour and experienced his first brush with the demands of global celebrity. Norton trained with Mick Jagger in 4:00 a.m. workouts after concerts. His competency attracted a dazzling roster of other rock star clientèle including James Taylor, ABBA, Fleetwood Mac, David Bowie and Linda Ronstadt, who invited him to California as her bodyguard. Before Aussies invaded Hollywood in posses, Norton ventured there alone. A friendship with Chuck Norris brought him work in motion pictures. Norris cast Norton as the lethal Kyo, a masked ninja, in The Octagon (1980), and their grueling final combat endures as a classic cinematic fight scene. Director Robert Clouse chose Norton to be one of the ensemble heroes in Force: Five (1981), an international hit, and the young martial artist's career in movies took off. His reputation for stellar performances emerged largely from high-energy Hong Kong films directed by Sammo Kam-Bo Hung and starring Jackie Chan in the mid-'80s. Muscular charisma made Norton the perfect Anglo bad boy for Twinkle Twinkle Lucky Stars (1985) and Millionaires' Express (1986). Taking the hits of his screen adversaries in those films earned Norton more Hong Kong work and, notably, Chan's abiding respect. Richard calls Jackie "the maestro of martial arts movies." Jackie has returned the compliment by recruiting Norton as one of just two Western actors to perform in several of his Hong Kong-based productions, including the comedic cult favorite Madam City Hunter (1993) and the darker Mr. Nice Guy (1997), directed by Hung. Hung encouraged Norton to play the "Guy" nemesis, a well-heeled gangster, with eccentric edginess. Norton embraced the direction and delivered one of the best co-starring performances in all of Chan's films. The success of Norton's Hong Kong work made him an established star in action films and a frequent cover subject for global martial arts and movie magazines. His collaborations with Cynthia Rothrock catapulted them to a level of fame that inspired a British magazine to deem them the Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers of martial arts movies. The recurring partners produced two Rage and Honor (1992) movies, besides co-starring in China O'Brien (1990) and Lady Dragon (1992), among other titles. They reunited for Redemption (2002) with 'Don 'The Dragon' Wilson'. Norton nurtured his leading man status in crime dramas, MIA pictures and futuristic adventures that often featured his real-life training partners in supporting roles, such as Chuck Jeffreys in Rage (1993) and Benny Urquidez in The Fighter (1989). With standout performances in The Sword of Bushido (1990) and Under the Gun (1995), Norton displayed his attraction to heroes with dimensions, even flaws, that force them into action. His style of action incorporates the humor essential to humanizing a hero. It is the dark comedy in Mind Games (2003), directed by Adrian Carr, that enables Norton to triumph in another well-textured role as a suspicious Texan, demonstrating that he takes risks as an actor who ventures beyond action genres. Norton's credits behind the camera have become as diverse as his screen roles. Apart from acting and producing, he is a sought-after stunt/fight coordinator, choreographing action in films such as Nomad: The Warrior (2005), produced by Milos Forman, and Devil's Pond (2003), with Tara Reid and Kip Pardue. Despite a busy career, he continues to achieve black belts in the martial arts, always a motivating force for Norton's accomplishments- Actor
- Soundtrack
Ekin Cheng Yee-Kin is a Hong Kong actor and Cantopop singer. Earlier in his career he was known as Noodle Cheng, though he has now reverted to a more conventional-sounding first name. Sometimes he uses Dior (because that was what it sounded like when his younger sister tried to call him) as a first name but usually Ekin is the name used.
Ekin began acting in commercials when he was in high school, the most well-known being for Hi-C Lemon Tea. After high school, he enrolled in TVB's Martial Arts school, but did not like it and switched to their acting school. After that he began to get a number of TV roles. The latest TVB series he participated in was Always Ready, working with Charmaine Sheh, Bowie Lam, and Linda Chung.
Ekin was caught up in a grand scandal after leaving Maggie Siu, an actress whom he dated for many years, for a decade younger actress and singer Gigi Leung. Maggie was well-loved by Hong Kong audiences and gave up her career to support Ekin's career and many slighted him after the breakup. In 2006, Ekin and Gigi broke up, ending their seven-year relationship.
In September 2006, Ekin and 'Yoyo Mung' begun dating through their mutual interest in badminton.
His first film was Girls Without Tomorrow (1992) and at the time he was still going by the name Dior Cheng. He changed his name to Ekin before his breakout role in the Young and Dangerous series as Chan Ho Nam. The film led to 6 sequels, all starring Ekin Cheng, and a lucrative working partnership with director Andrew Lau. Together they went on to make The Storm Riders, which was the highest-grossing Hong Kong movie at the time and the first film to utilize a truly large number of special effects. They also worked together on The Legend of Speed, A Man Called Hero, The Duel and the comedy Women From Mars.
Ekin has branched out in the roles he's taken, including more comedy like earlier in his career with My Wife is 18 and Six Strong Guys, while still doing more action-oriented films like The Twins Effect and Tokyo Raiders.
Recently Ekin returned to the movie scene (having taking a break in 2005 to work on the Ultraman TV Series in Thailand), He had a brief appearance in My Name is Fame as himself. Soon after that he starred in Heavenly Mission a triad/cop thriller starring alongside Stephen Fung & Alex Fong. He has completed a Pang Brothers film called The Forest of Death, which will be released in March 2007. He is currently filming a serial in Mainland China based on the life of martial arts master, Huo Yuanjia with former Young & Dangerous co-star Jordan Chan.- Actor
- Stunts
- Additional Crew
Roger Yuan's career in the film industry has seen him wear many hats. As a martial arts fight trainer, action coordinator, actor, writer and producer, he has gained much acclaim. Having worked in US, UK, Hong Kong, China, Thailand and Indian "Bollywood" and Vietnam productions, he has cultivated a global appeal
Roger has amassed a wide repertoire of expertise in various martial arts styles and unique physical training regimens and has trained the likes of Michelle Pfeiffer for Catwoman in Batman Returns, Rene Russo, John Cusack, Michael Madsen, Henry Cavill, Immortals, Jason Flemyng and Jennifer Lawrence for X Men:First Class, Keanu Reeves for 47 Ronin and Daniel Craig for Skyfall.
Country singing star Tim McGraw is a recent client enlisting Roger to get him in shape for his 2012 "Brothers of the Sun Summer Tour".
Roger has choreographed action for films such as Son of The Pink Panther, Death Becomes Her, Ella Enchanted, Black Dynamite, X Men: first Class, 47 Ronin and the 50th anniversary 007 film, Skyfall, Once Upon a Time in Vietnam, and Warcraft.
Roger's acting debut came in Red Corner with Richard Gere. As an actor that does his own stunts, He won the respect of Hong Kong action luminaries Jackie Chan, Yuen Biao (Shanghai Noon), Sammo Hung, jet Li (Once Upon a Time in China and America), and Chow Yun Fat (Bulletproof Monk). And action directors Dee Dee Ku, Dion Lam, Hung Yan Yan and Steven Ching su Tung.
Roger has also shaped comedic roles with action, he has lead roles in Warner Bros. Chandni Chowk to China, and sony's Black Dynamite. 2015 will see Roger in Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon: the Green Destiny, playing Iron Crow, which director and action legend Master Yuen Woo Ping personally chose Roger for this lead role.- A theatrical actor from New York, Reese Madigan will be forever known as the "American Shaolin" to martial arts film fans as he earned the titled role of the movie in 1991. Reese is a blackbelt in the art of Shotokan Karate and was fascinated by the Chinese culture - it was both his skills and acting that gave him the role. This was the only major role Reese would have in a film as he concentrates more on the stage today. However, in 2001, he had a small role in the independent feature Last Ball. Today, Reese still continues to enjoy success on the stage.
- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Forest Steven Whitaker has packaged a king-size talent into his hulking 6' 2", 220 lb. frame. He won an Academy Award for his performance as Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in the film The Last King of Scotland (2006), and has also won a Golden Globe and a BAFTA. He is the fourth African-American male to win an Academy Award for Best Actor, following in the footsteps of Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington, and Jamie Foxx.
Whitaker was born on July 15, 1961 in Longview, Texas, to Laura Francis (Smith), a special education teacher, and Forest Steven Whitaker, an insurance salesman. His family moved to South Central Los Angeles in 1965. The athletically-inclined Whitaker initially found his way into college via a football scholarship. Later, however, he transferred to USC where he set his concentration on music and earned two more scholarships training as an operatic tenor. This, in turn, led to another scholarship at Berkeley with a renewed focus on acting and the performing stage.
Whitaker made his film debut at the age of 21 in the raucous comedy Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) wherein he played, quite naturally, a footballer. He went on to play another sports-oriented student, a wrestler, in his second film Vision Quest (1985). He gained experience on TV as well with featured spots on such varied shows as Diff'rent Strokes (1978) and Cagney & Lacey (1981), not to mention the TV-movie Civil War epic North & South: Book 1, North & South (1985) and its sequel. The movie that truly put him on the map was The Color of Money (1986). His one big scene as a naive-looking pool player who out-hustles Paul Newman's Fast Eddie Felson was pure electricity. This led to more visible roles in the "A" class films Platoon (1986), Stakeout (1987), and Good Morning, Vietnam (1987), which culminated in his breakout lead portrayal of the tortured jazz icon 'Charlie "Bird" Parker' in Clint Eastwood's passion project Bird (1988), for which Whitaker won the Cannes Film Festival award for "best actor" and a Golden Globe nomination. Whitaker continued to work with a number of well-known directors throughout the 1990s.
While his "gentle giant" characters typically display innocence, indecision, and timidity along with a strong underlying humanity, he has certainly not shied away from the edgier, darker corners of life as his occasional hitmen and other menacing streetwise types can attest. Although in only the first section of the film, he was memorable as the IRA-captured British soldier whose bizarre relationship with a mysterious femme fatale serves as the catalyst for the critically-lauded drama The Crying Game (1992). Always a willing participant to push the envelope, he's gone on to enhance a number of lesser films. Among those was his plastic surgeon in Johnny Handsome (1989), gay clothing designer in Robert Altman's Ready to Wear (1994), alien hunter in Species (1995), absentee father confronted by his estranged son in Smoke (1995), and Mafia hitman who models himself after the samurai warrior in Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999), among many others. As would be expected, he's also had his share of epic-sized bombs, notoriously the L. Ron Hubbard sci-fi disaster Battlefield Earth (2000). On the TV front, he was the consulting producer and host of a revamped Rod Serling's cult series classic The Twilight Zone (2002), which lasted a disappointing one season.
In the early 1990s, Whitaker widened his horizons to include producing/directing and has since gained respect behind the camera as well. He started things off co-producing the violent gangster film A Rage in Harlem (1991), in which he co-starred with Gregory Hines and Robin Givens, and then made his successful directorial debut with the soulful Waiting to Exhale (1995), showcasing a legion of distaff black stars. He also directed co-star Whitney Houston's music video of the movie's theme song ("Shoop Shoop"). He also helmed the fluffy romantic comedy First Daughter (2004) with Katie Holmes and Michael Keaton. Whitaker also served as an executive producer on First Daughter. He had previously executive produced several made-for-television movies, most notably the 2002 Emmy-award winning Door to Door, starring William H. Macy. He produced these projects through his production company, Spirit Dance Entertainment, which he shut down in 2005 to concentrate on his acting career.
In 2002, he co-starred in Joel Schumacher's thriller, Phone Booth, with Kiefer Sutherland and Colin Farrell. That year, he also co-starred with Jodie Foster in Panic Room.
Whitaker's greatest success to date is the 2006 film, The Last King of Scotland. His performance earned him the 2007 Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role, For that same role, he also received the Golden Globe Award, the Screen Actors Guild Award, a BAFTA Award, and many critical accolades. He has also received several other honors. In September 2006, the 10th Annual Hollywood Film Festival presented him with its "Hollywood Actor of the Year Award," He was also honored at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival 2007, receiving the American Riviera Award. Previously, in 2005, the Deauville Festival of American Film paid tribute to him. In 2007, Forest Whitaker won the Cinema for Peace Award 2007.
In 2007, Whitaker co-starred in The Great Debaters with fellow Oscar winner Denzel Washington, and in 2008, Whitaker played opposite Keanu Reeves in Street Kings and Dennis Quaid in Vantage Point.
In 2009, Forest co-starred in the Warner Bros. film "Where the Wild Things Are," directed by Spike Jonze, which was a mix of live-action, animation and puppetry as an adaptation of the Maurice Sendak classic children's book. Around the same time, he also starred n "Repossession Mambo", with Jude Law, "Hurricane Season", "Winged Creatures", and "Powder Blue". He appeared in the Olivier Dahan film "My Own Love Song", opposite Renée Zellweger, and was part of the Africa Movie Academy Awards in 2009, in Nigeria.
He is married to former model Keisha Whitaker and has three children by her. His younger brothers Kenn Whitaker and Damon Whitaker are both actors as well.
Forest was given a star on the Hollywood Walk in April of 2007. In November 2007, Whitaker was the creative mind behind DEWmocracy.com, a website that let people decide the next flavor of Mountain Dew in a "People's Dew" poll. He directed a short film and created the characters for the video game. Whitaker has done extensive humanitarian work, he has been involved with organizations like, Penny Lane, an organization that provides assistance to abused teenagers. PETA and Farm Sanctuary, organizations that protect animals' rights. Close friends with Neurosurgeon Dr. Keith Black, Forest has helped raise awareness and funds for Dr. Blacks research. During the last couple of years, he has become a spokesperson for Hope North Ugandan orphanage and Human Rights Watch. In the year 2001 Forest received a Humanitas Prize. He was recently honored by The City of Los Angeles with the Hope of Los Angeles Award. And his entire clan received the LA BEST Family Focus Award. Last year he joined forces with "Idol Gives Back" and "Malaria No More"; he has become a GQ Ambassador supporting and fundraising for Hope North. He was a Surrogate for Barack Obama's campaign supporting him across the United States.
Whitaker's multimedia company, Spirit Dance Entertainment, includes film, television and music production. He works closely with a number of charitable organizations, giving back to his community by serving as an Honorary Board Members for Penny Lane, an organization that provides assistance to abused teenagers, the Human Rights Watch and The Hope North organization.- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Daniel Dae Kim has made a career of creating multifaceted and stereotype-breaking roles as an actor, director and now, producer. Prior to his seven-season portrayal of Chin Ho Kelly on "Hawaii Five-0," Kim was best known for his role as Jin Soo Kwon on the hit TV series "Lost," for which he shared a 2006 Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Ensemble, and was individually honored with an AZN Asian Excellence Award, a Multicultural Prism Award and a Vanguard Award from the Korean American Coalition, all for Outstanding Performance by an Actor. In 2009, he was recognized with the prestigious KoreAm Achievement Award in the field of Arts and Entertainment, and has twice been named one of "People" Magazine's "Sexiest Men Alive."
Most recently, he received a Broadway Beacon Award for his role as the King of Siam in Lincoln Center's Tony Award-winning production of "The King and I," as well as the Theater Legacy Award from New York's Pan Asian Repertory Theater. Outside of his artistic endeavors, he actively pursues interests in the community at large, having most recently served as Cultural Envoy and Member of the U.S. Presidential Delegation for the United States at the World Expo in Korea.
Born in Busan, South Korea, and raised in New York and Pennsylvania, Kim discovered acting while a student at Haverford College. After graduation, he moved to New York City, where he began his career on stage, performing in classics such as "Romeo and Juliet," "Ivanov," and "A Doll's House." Despite early success, he deepened his knowledge of the craft by enrolling at New York University's Graduate Acting Program, where he earned his Master's Degree.
After receiving his MFA, Kim's film career began in earnest with roles in "The Jackal," "For Love of the Game," "The Hulk," "Spider-Man 2" and "The Cave," as well as the Academy Award-winning "Crash." Most recently, he created the role of Jack Kang in "The Divergent Series films, "Insurgent" and "Allegiant." Kim is set to star as Ben Daimio in the highly anticipated feature: "Hellboy: Rise of the Blood Queen".
Kim has also lent his voice talents to animated series and films, such as the award-winning Studio Ghibli film, "The Tale of Princess Kaguya," as well as the PBS nature documentary series, "Big Pacific". He's also voiced characters for several video games, including Johnny Gat in the bestselling series, "Saints Row."
On camera, he has guest-starred on numerous TV shows, including "CSI," on the network, "ER" and two seasons on "24" as CTU Agent Tom Baker. In 2008, he starred in the Emmy Award-nominated miniseries "The Andromeda Strain."
In addition to his onscreen career, Kim spearheads his production company 3AD, established in 2014 by Daniel Dae Kim to produce premier content for TV, film and digital media - in development partnership with ITV Studios America. Committed to storytelling that features characters and cultures traditionally underrepresented in today's media, 3AD produced projects include this season's acclaimed new series The Good Doctor (ABC),where he serves as Executive Producer. Daniel Dae Kim can be found on Twitter/Instagram/Facebook @danieldaekim and is repped by UTA and KlevanLongarzo LLP and EPR. 3ADmedia.- Actor
- Producer
- Stunts
He was the ultra-cool male film star of the 1960s, and rose from a troubled youth spent in reform schools to being the world's most popular actor. Over 40 years after his untimely death from mesothelioma in 1980, Steve McQueen is still considered hip and cool, and he endures as an icon of popular culture.
McQueen was born in Beech Grove, Indiana, to mother Julian (Crawford) and father William Terence McQueen, a stunt pilot. His first lead role was in the low-budget sci-fi film The Blob (1958), quickly followed by roles in The St. Louis Bank Robbery (1959) and Never So Few (1959). The young McQueen appeared as Vin, alongside Yul Brynner, in the star-laden The Magnificent Seven (1960) and effectively hijacked the lead from the bigger star by ensuring he was nearly always doing something in every shot he and Brynner were in together, such as adjusting his hat or gun belt. He next scored with audiences with two interesting performances, first in the World War II drama Hell Is for Heroes (1962) and then in The War Lover (1962). Riding a wave of popularity, McQueen delivered another crowd pleaser as Hilts, the Cooler King, in the knockout World War II P.O.W. film The Great Escape (1963), featuring his famous leap over the barbed wire on a motorcycle while being pursued by Nazi troops (in fact, however, the stunt was actually performed by his good friend, stunt rider Bud Ekins).
McQueen next appeared in several films of mixed quality, including Soldier in the Rain (1963); Love with the Proper Stranger (1963) and Baby the Rain Must Fall (1965). However, they failed to really grab audience attention, but his role as Eric Stoner in The Cincinnati Kid (1965), alongside screen legend Edward G. Robinson and Karl Malden, had movie fans filling theaters again to see the ice-cool McQueen they loved. He was back in another Western, Nevada Smith (1966), again with Malden, and then he gave what many consider to be his finest dramatic performance as loner US Navy sailor Jake Holman in the superb The Sand Pebbles (1966). McQueen was genuine hot property and next appeared with Faye Dunaway in the provocative crime drama The Thomas Crown Affair (1968), next in what many consider his signature role, that of a maverick, taciturn detective in the mega-hit Bullitt (1968), renowned for its famous chase sequence through San Francisco between McQueen's Ford Mustang GT and the killer's black Dodge Charger.
Interestingly, McQueen's next role was a total departure from the action genre, as he played Southerner Boon Hogganbeck in the family-oriented The Reivers (1969), based on the popular William Faulkner novel. Not surprisingly, the film didn't go over particularly well with audiences, even though it was an entertaining and well made production, and McQueen showed an interesting comedic side of his acting talents. He returned to more familiar territory, with the race film Le Mans (1971), a rather self-indulgent exercise, and its slow plot line contributed to its rather poor performance in theaters. It was not until many years later that it became something of a cult film, primarily because of the footage of Porsche 917s roaring around race tracks in France. McQueen then teamed up with maverick Hollywood director Sam Peckinpah to star in the modern Western Junior Bonner (1972), about a family of rodeo riders, and again with Peckinpah as bank robber Doc McCoy in the violent The Getaway (1972). Both did good business at the box office. McQueen's next role was a refreshing surprise and Papillon (1973), based on the Henri Charrière novel of the same name, was well received by fans and critics alike. He played a convict on a French penal colony in South America who persists in trying to escape from his captors and feels their wrath when his attempts fail.
The 1970s is a decade remembered for a slew of "disaster" movies and McQueen starred in arguably the biggest of the time, The Towering Inferno (1974). He shared equal top billing with Paul Newman and an impressive line-up of co-stars including Fred Astaire, Robert Vaughn and Faye Dunaway. McQueen does not appear until roughly halfway into the film as San Francisco fire chief Mike O'Halloran, battling to extinguish an inferno in a 138-story skyscraper. The film was a monster hit and set the benchmark for other disaster movies that followed. However, it was McQueen's last film role for several years. After a four-year hiatus he surprised fans, and was almost unrecognizable under long hair and a beard, as a rabble-rousing early environmentalist in An Enemy of the People (1978), based on the Henrik Ibsen play.
McQueen's last two film performances were in the unusual Western Tom Horn (1980), then he portrayed real-life bounty hunter Ralph "Papa' Thorson (Ralph Thorson) in The Hunter (1980). In 1978, McQueen developed a persistent cough that would not go away. He quit smoking cigarettes and underwent antibiotic treatments without improvement. Shortness of breath grew more pronounced and on December 22, 1979, after he completed work on 'The Hunter', a biopsy revealed pleural mesothelioma, a rare lung cancer associated with asbestos exposure for which there is no known cure. The asbestos was thought to have been in the protective suits worn in his race car driving days, but in fact the auto racing suits McQueen wore were made of Nomex, a DuPont fire-resistant aramid fiber that contains no asbestos. McQueen later gave a medical interview in which he believed that asbestos used in movie sound stage insulation and race-drivers' protective suits and helmets could have been involved, but he thought it more likely that his illness was a direct result of massive exposure while removing asbestos lagging from pipes aboard a troop ship while in the US Marines.
By February 1980, there was evidence of widespread metastasis. While he tried to keep the condition a secret, the National Enquirer disclosed that he had "terminal cancer" on March 11, 1980. In July, McQueen traveled to Rosarito Beach, Mexico for an unconventional treatment after American doctors told him they could do nothing to prolong his life. Controversy arose over McQueen's Mexican trip, because McQueen sought a non-traditional cancer treatment called the Gerson Therapy that used coffee enemas, frequent washing with shampoos, daily injections of fluid containing live cells from cows and sheep, massage and laetrile, a supposedly "natural" anti-cancer drug available in Mexico, but not approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. McQueen paid for these unconventional medical treatments by himself in cash payments which was said to have cost an upwards of $40,000 per month during his three-month stay in Mexico. McQueen was treated by William Donald Kelley, whose only medical license had been (until revoked in 1976) for orthodontics.
McQueen returned to the United States in early October 1980. Despite metastasis of the cancer through McQueen's body, Kelley publicly announced that McQueen would be completely cured and return to normal life. McQueen's condition soon worsened and "huge" tumors developed in his abdomen. In late October, McQueen flew to Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico to have an abdominal tumor on his liver (weighing around five pounds) removed, despite warnings from his American doctors that the tumor was inoperable and his heart could not withstand the surgery. McQueen checked into a Juarez clinic under the alias "Sam Shepard" where the local Mexican doctors and staff at the small, low-income clinic were unaware of his actual identity.
Steve McQueen passed away on November 7, 1980, at age 50 after the cancer surgery which was said to be successful. He was cremated and his ashes were scattered at sea. He married three times and had a lifelong love of motor racing, once remarking, "Racing is life. Anything before or after is just waiting.".- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Lanky, charismatic and versatile actor with an amazing grin that put everyone at ease, James Coburn studied acting at UCLA, and then moved to New York to study under noted acting coach Stella Adler. After being noticed in several stage productions, Coburn appeared in a handful of minor westerns before being cast as the knife-throwing, quick-shooting Britt in the John Sturges mega-hit The Magnificent Seven (1960). Sturges remembered Coburn's talents when he cast his next major film project, The Great Escape (1963), where Coburn played the Australian POW Sedgwick. Regular work now came thick and fast for Coburn, including appearing in Major Dundee (1965), the first of several films he appeared in directed by Hollywood enfant terrible Sam Peckinpah.
Coburn was then cast, and gave an especially fine performance as Lt. Commander Paul Cummings in Arthur Hiller's The Americanization of Emily, where he demonstrated a flair for writer Paddy Chayefsky's subtle, ironic comedy that would define his performances for the rest of his career.
The next two years were a key period for Coburn, with his performances in the wonderful 007 spy spoof Our Man Flint (1966) and the eerie Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round (1966). Coburn followed up in 1967 with a Flint sequel, In Like Flint (1967), and the much underrated political satire The President's Analyst (1967). The remainder of the 1960s was rather uneventful for Coburn. However, he became associated with martial arts legend Bruce Lee and the two trained together, traveled extensively and even visited India scouting locations for a proposed film project, but Lee's untimely death (Coburn, along with Steve McQueen, was a pallbearer at Lee's funeral) put an end to that.
The 1970s saw Coburn appearing again in several strong roles, starting off in Peckinpah's Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid (1973), alongside Charles Bronson in the Depression-era Hard Times (1975) and as a disenchanted German soldier on the Russian front in Peckinpah's superb Cross of Iron (1977). Towards the end of the decade, however, Coburn was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, which severely hampered his health and work output for many years. After conventional treatments failed, Coburn turned to a holistic therapist, and through a restructured diet program, made a definite improvement. By the 1990s he was once again appearing regularly in both film and TV productions.
No one was probably more surprised than Coburn himself when he was both nominated for, and then won, the Best Supporting Actor Award in 1997 for playing Nick Nolte's abusive and alcoholic father in Affliction (1997). At 70 years of age, Coburn's career received another shot in the arm, and he appeared in another 14 films, including Snow Dogs (2002) and The Man from Elysian Fields (2001), before his death from a heart attack in November of 2002. Coburn's passions in life included martial arts, card-playing and enjoying Cuban cigars (which may have contributed to his fatal heart attack).- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Former Oakland Raiders/Kansas City Chiefs football star who rose to prominence as one of the first African-American male action stars of the "blaxploitation" genre of the early 1970s, who has since gone on to a long and illustrious career as an actor, director, writer, and producer! Burly, yet handsome 6' 3" Williamson first came to attention in the TV series Julia (1968) playing love interest, Steve Bruce. However, his rugged, athletic physique made him a natural for energetic roles and he quickly established himself as a street wise, tough guy in films including That Man Bolt (1973), Black Caesar (1973), and Mean Johnny Barrows (1975). Talented Williamson established his own production company "Po 'Boy Productions" in 1974, which has produced over 40 movies to date. Like many young American stars of the 1960s and '70s, Williamson was noticed by Italian producers who cast him in a slew of B-grade action movies that occupied a lot of his work in the 1980s. From the late '80s onwards, much of his work has been of the "straight to video" fare (often playing police officers), but none could deny he has kept actively busy in movies and TV for over three decades, both in front of and behind the camera. More recently, indie director Robert Rodriguez cast him alongside FX guru Tom Savini as two vampire killing bikers, in his bloody action film From Dusk Till Dawn (1996), and he has most recently appeared on screen (displaying his wonderful comedy skills) playing grumpy Captain Dobey in Starsky & Hutch (2004).- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Brian White was born on 21 April 1975 in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Ambitions (2019), Stomp the Yard (2007) and The Family Stone (2005). He has been married to Paula Da Silva since 28 August 2010. They have one child.- Actress
- Producer
- Writer
Bobbie Phillips is an actress, animal advocate, and a true Chameleon (1998); both on screen and off. Bobbie has portrayed a variety of characters in various genres throughout her career. Widely recognized for her award winning role as the insect loving entomologist, Dr. Bambi Berenbaum on War of the Coprophages (1996); Phillips also received industry praise for her turn as Julie Costello on Steven Bochco's Murder One (1995); A genre favorite as the first female crow, "Talon", on The Crow: Stairway to Heaven (1998); Phillips left Hollywood in 2003 when Bobbie and her husband traveled to Costa Rica and then Fiji to begin Anthony's surfing career. The couple traveled extensively between Canada, Fiji, Australia and Mexico before Bobbie returned to acting in 2014. Bobbie Phillips continues to create in her unique style on diverse projects and she always reinvents herself like a great actress should.- Actor
- Producer
Russell Wong has earned a reputation as a sexy, charismatic leading man whose good looks are matched by his skills as an actor. The sixth of seven children, Russell Wong was born in Troy, New York; the son of restaurateur William Wong and Dutch-American artist Connie Van Yserloo. When Russell was seven years of age, his parents divorced, and he moved with his mother to California, settling near Yosemite. Russell attended Santa Monica College. As a trained dancer and a martial artist, Russell is able to perform many of his own stunts.
Russell made his big screen debut in James Clavell's "Tai Pan". He made a memorable guest appearance on the drama series "21 Jump Street" and won a leading role in Wayne Wang's acclaimed independent romantic comedy "Eat a Bowl of Tea". Supporting roles in "China Cry" and "New Jack City" soon followed. In 1993, Russell gained critical acclaim for his outstanding performance in "The Joy Luck Club".
Russell scored a high-profile role in 1994, when he was cast in the leading role in the made-for-TV movie "Vanishing Son" produced by Rob Cohen, in which he played a Chinese political activist exiled in America. The show was popular enough to spawn three sequels, and was later spun off into a syndicated TV series. People magazine named him one of the "Fifty Most Beautiful People" in 1995.
After "Vanishing Son" ran its course, Russell moved on to more big-screen work, including major roles in "Takedown", co-starring Skeet Ulrich, and "Twisted" with Sam Jackson and Ashley Judd. His breakthrough performance opposite Jet Li in "Romeo Must Die" firmly established Russell's star power.
Russell is next seen in this summer's blockbuster "Mummy 3" directed by Rob Cohen, as well as "Dim Sum Funeral" a black comedy co-starring Bai Ling and Kelly Hu. He will star alongside Ving Rhames in the martial arts thriller "Unshakable" this Fall.- Actor
- Producer
- Additional Crew
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."- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Byron Mann was born in Hong Kong, British Crown Colony. Byron is an actor and producer, known for The Big Short (2015), Skyscraper (2018) and Altered Carbon (2018).- Producer
- Actor
- Writer
Shin Koyamada is an American actor, producer, entrepreneur, philanthropist and martial artist. As actor, Koyamada became best known to global audiences after his co-starring debut role in the Warner Bros blockbuster Tom Cruise film The Last Samurai (2003), with a worldwide box office of $456 million, earning it nominations for several awards, including four Academy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, and two National Board of Review Awards. Shin also starred in the Disney Channel Original Movie Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior (2006), which received the highest rated kids channel in Japan, U.K. and Europe, and is streaming on Disney+ to over 110 million global subscribers. As producer, Shin is also well known for producing numerous American and international movies, shows, comics and video games through his production company Shinca Entertainment for over 15 years. In addition to his prominent work in the entertainment career, Shin became eminent for his longtime global philanthropic efforts for over 15 years, mainly through Koyamada International Foundation (KIF), an international NGO with country chapters in 4 different continents around the world. Shin speaks fluent English and a native Japanese and holds several Black Belts in different martial arts.- Stunts
- Actor
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Raised in South Central Los Angeles, James Lew's destiny was to answer a cattle call in Hollywood for the hugely popular Kung Fu (1972) television series. He went on to star in the now collectible Hong Kong film, Young Dragon (1979). He made the move to big budget studio films in 1984. John Carpenter handpicked him as the Martial Arts Choreographer for 20th Century Fox's now cult film, Big Trouble in Little China (1986).
Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Steven Seagal, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Mel Gibson, Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, Dwayne Johnson, David Carradine, Chuck Norris, Dennis Quaid, Kurt Russell, Jeff Speakman Madonna, Charlie Sheen, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Kathleen Turner, Sylvester Stallone, Brandon Lee, Snoop Dogg and the list goes on and on as his co-stars.
James was voted "Favorite Action Star" by fans of Inside Martial Arts magazine. Internet fans voted him into the Hall of Fame in the Martial Arts History Museum. Inside Kung Fu Magazine inducted him as one of the "Martial Arts Greats" alongside legends as Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris, Steven Seagal, Jean-Claude Van Damme, and his longtime friend Jackie Chan.
Hit Parader Magazine dubbed him "the king of big-screen martial arts villains." From the deadly killer in Red Sun Rising (1994) to the deadly fighter in the comedy spoof Hot Shots! Part Deux (1993), Lew has proven his chops in both drama and comedy. As a stunt/fight coordinator his creative talents shone in the television series The Crow to recent work on the hit video game, The Matrix: Path of Neo (2005). He handpicked elite members for his company, "Hong Kong Wire Action Team," to bring state of the art action to movies. His formula for longevity in the film industry is diversity, hard work and having a whole lot of fun.
Most recently, James Lew wrote, directed and starred in a movie inspired by his personal experiences in the business titled 18 Fingers of Death! (2006). The story follows Buford Lee (James Lew), the most famous unknown "B"-minus, low-budget, martial-arts movie star and Ronald Mack (Maurice Patton), a young black kid from the hood. Together they laugh and bond together on their quest to finally make Buford's break out movie, 18 Fingers of Death! (2006).- Actor
- Production Manager
- Editorial Department
Dean is a Past President of the FBI Citizens Academy Alumni Association and current Co-Sector Chief of InfraGard (overseeing the Entertainment division) working with the FBI and law enforcement to protect critical infrastructure. He is the Executive Director of Post Production for New Regency Productions, personally Supervising Post Production for many of Regency's films. Originally from New Orleans he holds black belts in both Kung Fu and Kenpo along with many competitive championship belts. He is a graduate of Tulane University with a degree in Theatre, moving to Los Angeles to pursue a dual career in acting and production. He has an extensive theatre background playing Hamlet (Hamlet), Macbeth (MacDuff), Burn This (Burton), Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Brick) and A Streetcar Named Desire (Stanley). His television and film roles have had him acting alongside many recognizable stars including Colin Farrell, Eva Mendes, Chuck Norris, and George Clooney. He has been with New Regency Productions for many years overseeing post production on Academy Award winning films 12 Years a Slave and Birdman, and films such as The Revenant, Ad Astra, Bohemian Rhapsody, The Creator, The Bikeriders, and many others. Dean is married to former Miss Teen USA and Miss USA Brandi Sherwood.- 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.Excellent actor in the Chinese films he does, maybe not so good in the English language ones!- Actress
- Director
- Producer
For Diana Lee Inosanto, joining the cast of the new Star Wars series, Ahsoka and becoming part of the iconic Star Wars franchise may seem like a dream, but it is very much the real-life culmination of 30 years of dedication and hard work. Originally, Diana was featured in The Mandalorian for the show's second season as the Magistrate Morgan Elsbeth after doing most every job Hollywood has to offer as a struggling actress caring for a child with Autism, from stunt person to director. But mostly, Diana credits her success to having the good fortune of being raised in a charmed circle of actors, renowned martial artists and stunt-people who paved the way for so much of the excitement in today's action filled media.
Diana Lee Inosanto is the daughter of martial arts legend, Dan Inosanto and his wife Sue Inosanto. She is also known as the goddaughter of global icon, the late Bruce Lee (hence, Diana Lee). As an American actress, director, writer, martial artist, stunt woman, and children's book author, Diana paved a way in the Hollywood ecosystem that is unique, modern, and inclusive.
During her youth, Diana began learning the Theater Arts under the guidance of her aunt, Asian American actress, Lilia Inosanto, also known by her stage name Lona Nai . Upon graduation, her Aunt Lilia "Lona Nai" guided Diana to study with famed Broadway casting director and acting teacher, the late Michael Shurtleff, (author of the renowned book 'Audition' a bible for aspiring actors.) Years later, she would go on to study with Asian American character actor, Tzi Ma through East West Players' workshops and joined the Lodestone Theater Ensemble, continuing to grow as an actress, participating in everything from Shakespeare to contemporary plays. She furthered her training in the Michael Chekhov method with Lisa Dalton and got the basics of Improv at Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB) Training Center under Johnny Ray Meeks.
Diana was also a fight and stunt choreographer for several stage productions. This would pave a road for years to come with Diana becoming a "Sensei to the Stars," preparing the who's who in Hollywood for their action roles. Stars like Melissa McCarthy (Spy), Rosa Salazar (Alita:Battle Angel), Lesley-Ann Brandt (Lucifer), Katherine McNamara (Shadowhunters) and Aaron Eckhart & Socratis Otto (I, Frankenstein) were some of the performers under her tutelage.
Throughout her professional career in Hollywood, when it came to acting and directing, Diana discovered that the Hollywood system was not particularly inclusive. As a young mother of a son with Autism, the road was not easy. In time Diana met her future husband, Ron Balicki, a former deputy sheriff and renowned martial artist turned stuntman, action coordinator & choreographer in Hollywood. Throughout their years together, they formed MARS Action Group and would teach martial arts across the country and internationally.
After being spotted demonstrating a fight scene with Ron Balicki, the producers of the movie 'Barb Wire' asked her to take on a role originally cast for a man. The scene, featuring New Zealand actor Temuera Morrison (known internationally for portraying Jango Fett in Star Wars: Episode II and Episode III) gave Diana her first break as a stunt woman. Diana straight away became the martial arts double for actress Sarah Michelle Gellar for the presentation to pitch Buffy the Vampire Slayer as a TV Show, directed by Joss Whedon. This would be the beginning of Diana's years as a stunt woman in Hollywood where she found tremendous success working on popular films and TV shows.
Taking inspiration from notable indie filmmakers she got to know over time, Diana decided to seize control to create her own film project. Making the most of her stunt work, Inosanto learned about the filming process by watching and absorbing while on set the craft from such A-list directors, like Ang Lee, John Woo, Barry Sonnenfeld, and Chris Columbus. By 2010, Inosanto's first Indie film, The Sensei, a film she wrote, directed, and starred, would be one of the earliest digitally released films distributed on Netflix and I-Tunes. Filmed on a tiny budget, The Sensei took place in the 1980's and tells the story of a gay teenager, bullied in a rural town during the height of the AIDS epidemic. The film would go on to win awards and accolades at film festivals like the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival where she had her world premiere at the DGA, New York's Newfest, San Francisco's Frameline, Hoboken International Film Festival, Philadelphia Asian American Film Fest, Germany's Verzaubert Film Festival and LA Femme International Film Fest to name a few. The film, supported by the Matthew Shepard Foundation, earned Diana the Asian American Justice Center, 2011 American Courage Award, presented at the time by Tom Perez (DNC Chairman, who was at that time Assistant Attorney General for Civil rights) in Washington, D.C., where several members of Congress and humanitarian activists were present. Shortly thereafter, Diana became the first woman to receive the Maverick Award at the AOF International Film Festival.
In later years, she would also participate as an activist for several causes, including the recent participation in the nationwide Wash-the-Hate PSA, a campaign that would address the growing hate incidents against Asian Americans since the outbreak of Covid-19. She was asked to speak with other prominent Asian Americans in the film and fashion industry, speaking in front of a virtual panel for NIKE 's employees worldwide. In 2016, during President Obama's administration, Diana was also a guest at the White House joining Asian American leaders and Influencers for the Filipino History Month, championing the Congressional Gold Medal Bill for WWII Filipino American Veterans.
As a woman of many interests, Diana has now released a children's book, teaming up with her adult Autistic son, an illustrator, S.G Inosanto and telling their story in The Curious Mind of Sebastian-an amusing tale about Diana as a young mom, curiously trying to understand the mysteries of Autism through her four-year-old son's quirky behavior. Sebastian's inability to verbally express his love led Inosanto on an incredible journey to find out that love will always find a way to speak.
In 2018, Diana joined Oscar winning producer, Mark Gordon (Saving Private Ryan) and Matt Jackson (Molly's Game) in developing the story on her father Dan Inosanto's work creating a secret training program for the 1977 Dallas Cowboys that helped them to win Super Bowl XII.
Diana feels that her personal philosophy of life is best expressed by Dr. Mae Jemison, the first African American female astronaut: "Never be limited by other people's limited imaginations."Daughter of the legend, Guru Dan Inosanto!- Actor
- Director
- Producer
Born on August 30, 1958 in Beijing, China, Yu Rongguang, also known as Ringo Yu, is a Chinese actor and martial artist who started his career in Hong Kong. He is an actor and director, known for The Karate Kid (2010), Iron Monkey (1993) and Shanghai Noon (2000). He is best known for the title role in Iron Monkey along with Donnie Yen as well as being featured in films such as The East Is Red, My Father Is a Hero, and Musa. He has Weihai ancestry and his parents are Yu Ming Kui. His children are Yu Zi Long.
Yu Rong-Guang has worked with some of the best performers in the Hong Kong film industry. Action superstars like Michelle Yeoh and Jackie Chan are just a sample of the talented costars that populate Yu's filmography. Perhaps thoughts of movie stardom crossed Yu's mind as a youth in Mainland China, as he trained diligently in the Peking Opera School. As Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, and Yuen Biao had done before him, Yu parlayed his opera training into an impressive martial arts film career.
Since his debut, Yu-Rong Guang has made several notable screen appearances. His most famous is perhaps the title role in Iron Monkey (1993), which saw Yu appear alongside popular action star Donnie Yen. Other noteworthy film appearances include Swordsman III: The East is Red (1993) with Brigitte Lin Ching-Hsia and My Father is a Hero (1995), in which Yu played a villain to Jet Li's heroic protagonist. Though many U.S. audiences might be unfamiliar with Yu's Hong Kong work, his small appearance in Shanghai Noon (2000) may ring some bells. The actor made his American debut in this popular Jackie Chan-Owen Wilson comedy as an Imperial guard who briefly duels with Jackie Chan near the film's climax.
Yu's recent performance in the South Korean film Musa: The Warrior (2001) ranks among one of his best. In the sweeping epic, Yu plays a Mongol general battling a ragtag group of Korean soldiers in the hopes of capturing a haughty Ming princess (portrayed by current Chinese "It Girl" Zhang Ziyi). Based on the overall quality of the films he has associated himself with over the last decade and a half, it would not be a stretch to predict even more winning film performances from Yu Rong-Guang in the years to come. (Sanjuro 2003)- Actor
- Casting Department
- Stunts
A former member of the U.S National Shotokan Karate Team, Tim was the first American to win the prestigious IKA World Championship in individual competition. The author of countless articles for Black Belt Magazine, Inside Karate, Masters Magazine, and other publications, Mr. Baker has also appeared in many movies and television shows as an actor, stunt man, and fight advisor. Scaredom is his first novel he is written in 2010.- Actor
- Producer
Kurt McKinney originally hails from Louisville, Kentucky. At the age of 21 he was already a black belt in taekwondo and an amateur kickboxing champion. He decided to become an actor and moved to Hollywood. He would go on to star in the 1985 film No Retreat, No Surrender as the lead. The film, one of the 1st Hong Kong-U.S. crossovers (written and directed by Corey Yuen), also starred the man who would become known as Van Dammage, Jean-Claude Van Damme as the main villain. The film was a sizable hit in the U.S. but Kurt didn't want to be typecast. Kurt went on to star on the soap General Hospital as Ned. This was after he was turned down for American Ninja because he was too young. He was offered to appear in American Ninja III-VI but he didn't like the idea of working on all the films in South Africa (he also turned down "No Retreat No Surrender 2: Raging Thunder" in 1987 possibly due to the film's location). Kurt went on to TV films like Sworn to Vengeance to big-screen films like Blonde Justice with Cynthia Rothrock. He currently appears on Guiding Light as Matt Reardon, but martial arts fans will always remember him from his film debut in 1985 as Jason Stillwell!- Actor
- Stunts
- Writer
Steve James was often cast in action movies as the hero's sidekick, despite usually being a better actor and fighter than the star. James was raised in New York City, attended C.W. Post College as an Arts and Film major, and upon graduating, became involved in stage work and TV commercials. He started in film as a stuntman, working in such New York productions as Ghostbusters, The Wiz, The Warriors, and The Wanderers. His first major film role was as Robert Ginty's sidekick in The Exterminator; he later played sidekick to such stars as Michael Dudikoff (3 times), David Carradine, and Chuck Norris. His last 2 films were the pilot for the TV series "M.A.N.T.I.S." which aired on the Fox network just a few weeks after his death at age 41 of pancreatic cancer and "Bloodfist V: Human Target" with Don "The Dragon" Wilson which premiered after Steve's death.- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Marshall R. Teague has appeared in over 130 film & TV shows. He is retired U.S. Navy, and a former Deputy Sheriff in Memphis, TN. His acting career has cumulated various portions from his military & law enforcement background to his firearms training to integrate & mold into his characters for the most realistic portrayals on film. His talent for balancing starring roles with powerful supporting characters has allowed him to build a varied pivotal body of work. His theatrical breakout role was as Jimmy Reno in the 1989 cult classic Road House. From there he went on to costar on two Michael Bay films "The Rock" and "Armageddon". Also a reoccurring star on the TV series "Walker, Texas Ranger", "American Heiress", and "Babylon 5". In addition to acting, Marshall is a motivational speaker, singer/songwriter, and actively working on various TV and film production concepts.Former military man with training in martial arts, Korean arts of Kuk Sool Hapkido, Tae Kwan Do, Judo, NATO Kickboxing champion - Heavy Weight division- Actor
- Director
- Stunts
A masculine and enigmatic actor whose life and movie career have had more ups and downs than the average rollercoaster and whose selection of roles has arguably derailed him from achieving true superstar status, James Caan is New York-born and bred.
He was born in the Bronx, to Sophie (Falkenstein) and Arthur Caan, Jewish immigrants from Germany. His father was a meat dealer and butcher. The athletically gifted Caan played football at Michigan State University while studying economics, holds a black belt in karate and for several years was even a regular on the rodeo circuit, where he was nicknamed "The Jewish Cowboy". However, while studying at Hofstra University, he became intrigued by acting and was interviewed and accepted at Sanford Meisner's Neighborhood Playhouse. He then won a scholarship to study under acting coach Wynn Handman and began to appear in several off-Broadway productions, including "I Roam" and "Mandingo".
He made his screen debut as a sailor in Irma la Douce (1963) and began to impress audiences with his work in Red Line 7000 (1965) and the western El Dorado (1966) alongside John Wayne and Robert Mitchum. Further work followed in Journey to Shiloh (1968) and in the sensitive The Rain People (1969). However, audiences were moved to tears as he put in a heart-rending performance as cancer-stricken Chicago Bears running back Brian Piccolo in the highly rated made-for-TV film Brian's Song (1971).
With these strong performances under his belt, Francis Ford Coppola then cast him as hot-tempered gangster Santino "Sonny" Corleone in the Mafia epic The Godfather (1972). The film was an enormous success, Caan scored a Best Supporting Actor nomination and, in the years since, the role has proven to be the one most fondly remembered by his legion of fans. He reprised the role for several flashback scenes in the sequel The Godfather Part II (1974) and then moved on to several very diverse projects. These included a cop-buddy crime partnership with Alan Arkin in the uneven Freebie and the Bean (1974), a superb performance as a man playing for his life in The Gambler (1974) alongside Lauren Hutton, and pairing with Barbra Streisand in Funny Lady (1975). Two further strong lead roles came up for him in 1975, first as futuristic sports star "Jonathon E" questioning the moral fiber of a sterile society in Rollerball (1975) and teaming up with Robert Duvall in the Sam Peckinpah spy thriller The Killer Elite (1975).
Unfortunately, Caan's rising star sputtered badly at this stage of his career, and several film projects failed to find fire with either critics or audiences. These included such failures as the hokey Harry and Walter Go to New York (1976), the quasi-western Comes a Horseman (1978) and the saccharine Chapter Two (1979). However, he did score again with the stylish Michael Mann-directed heist movie Thief (1981). He followed this with a supernatural romantic comedy titled Kiss Me Goodbye (1982) and then, due to personal conflicts, dropped out of the spotlight for several years before returning with a stellar performance under old friend Francis Ford Coppola in the moving Gardens of Stone (1987).
Caan appeared back in favor with fans and critics alike and raised his visibility with the sci-fi hit Alien Nation (1988) and Dick Tracy (1990), then surprised everyone by playing a meek romance novelist held captive after a car accident by a deranged fan in the dynamic Misery (1990). The 1990s were kind to him and he notched up roles as a band leader in For the Boys (1991), another gangster in Honeymoon in Vegas (1992), appeared in the indie hit Bottle Rocket (1996) and pursued Arnold Schwarzenegger in Eraser (1996).
The demand on Caan's talents seems to have increased steadily over the past few years as he is making himself known to a new generation of fans. Recent hot onscreen roles have included The Yards (2000), City of Ghosts (2002) and Dogville (2003). In addition, he finds himself at the helm of the hit TV series Las Vegas (2003) as casino security chief "Big Ed" Deline. An actor of undeniably manly appeal, James Caan continued to surprise and delight audiences with his invigorating performances up until his death in July 2022 at the age of 82.6th Dan in Gosoku Ryu Karate (very similar to Shotokan Karate)- Actor
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Jeffrey Donovan was born in Amesbury, Massachusetts, son to single mother Nancy Matthews. Nancy raised him and two of his brothers, while having trouble financially supporting herself and her family. They were reportedly living on welfare, had trouble paying electric bills, and often moved to a new residence. Donovan estimated that they moved 10 times during his childhood. He and his brothers were taught to live frugally.
A female teacher called Patricia Hoyt served as Donovan's mentor and helped him establish a drama club. With her help, Donovan received a private scholarship that allowed him to continue his studies. Donovan started his college years in Bridgewater State University in Bridgewater, Massachusetts. He later transferred to the University of Massachusetts Amherst, from where he eventually graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in drama. He continued his studies at the Tisch School of the Arts in New York City, from where he graduated with a Master of Fine Arts.
During his college years, Donovan took an interest in martial arts. He initially took lessons in Shotokan karate, where he eventually earned a black belt. He later also took lessons in aikido and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
Donovan had his first film and television roles in 1995, but he mostly played minor parts. His first major role on television was main character David Creegan in the crime drama series Touching Evil (2004). The premise of the series was that Keegan is an FBI investigator who was stripped of his impulse control and sense of shame following a near-fatal injury. He was willing to do anything to stop ruthless criminals, including performing vigilante-style crimes of his own. The series only lasted a single season of 12 episodes.
Donovan gained another lead role in the action series Burn Notice (2007), where he played main character Michael Westen. The premise of the series was that Westen used to be a professional intelligence agent until he was inexplicably blacklisted, stripped of his money and contacts, and forced to remain in his hometown of Miami, Florida until further notice. The series had him working as an unlicensed private investigator, while covertly investigating who orchestrated his downfall. The series lasted for 111 episodes, and also included a spin-off film called Burn Notice: The Fall of Sam Axe (2011). Donovan directed the film, but was not among its main cast.
Donovan had a recurring role as mobster Dodd Gerhardt in the second season of anthology series Fargo (2014). The season is set in 1979, Midwestern United States. The premise of the season is that the Gerhardt family is the most powerful crime syndicate in Fargo, North Dakota, but is facing internal competition for the leadership position and external threats. Dodd is one of the characters vying for leadership.
Donovan continues his career as lead character Charlie Haverford in the series Shut Eye (2016). The premise is that Haverford is a professional con artist, posing as a fortune teller and psychic. But he starts experiencing genuine visions, and his life is changing.Black belt in Wado Ryu Karate- Actor
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The tall, handsome and muscular Scottish actor Sean Connery is best known as the original actor to portray James Bond in the hugely successful movie franchise, starring in seven films between 1962 and 1983. Some believed that such a career-defining role might leave him unable to escape it, but he proved the doubters wrong, becoming one of the most notable film actors of his generation, with a host of great movies to his name. This arguably culminated in his greatest acclaim in 1988, when Connery won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as an Irish cop in The Untouchables (1987), stealing the thunder from the movie's principal star Kevin Costner. Connery was polled as "The Greatest Living Scot" and "Scotland's Greatest Living National Treasure". In 1989, he was proclaimed "Sexiest Man Alive" by People magazine, and in 1999, at age 69, he was proclaimed "Sexiest Man of the Century."
Thomas "Sean" Connery was born on August 25, 1930 in Fountainbridge, Edinburgh. His mother, Euphemia Maclean, was a cleaning lady, and his father, Joseph Connery, was a factory worker and truck driver. He also had a, Neil Connery, a plasterer in Edinburgh, who was eight years younger. Before going into acting, Sean had many different jobs, such as a milkman, lorry driver, a laborer, artist's model for the Edinburgh College of Art, coffin polisher and bodybuilder. He also joined the Royal Navy, but was later discharged because of medical problems. At the age of 23, he had a choice between becoming a professional soccer player or an actor, and even though he showed much promise in the sport, he chose acting and said it was one of his more intelligent decisions.
No Road Back (1957) was Sean's first major movie role, and it was followed by several made-for-TV movies such as Anna Christie (1957), Macbeth (1961) and Anna Karenina (1961) as well as guest appearances on TV series, and also films such as Hell Drivers (1957), Another Time, Another Place (1958), Darby O'Gill and the Little People (1959) and The Frightened City (1961). In 1962 he appeared in The Longest Day (1962) with a host of other stars.
His big breakthrough came in 1962 when he landed the role of secret agent James Bond in Dr. No (1962). He played James Bond in six more films: From Russia with Love (1963), Goldfinger (1964), Thunderball (1965), You Only Live Twice (1967), Diamonds Are Forever (1971) and Never Say Never Again (1983).
After and during the success of the Bond films, he maintained a successful career as an actor and has appeared in films, including Alfred Hitchcock's Marnie (1964), The Hill (1965), Murder on the Orient Express (1974), The Man Who Would Be King (1975), The Wind and the Lion (1975), Time Bandits (1981), Highlander (1986), The Name of the Rose (1986), Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), The Hunt for Red October (1990), Rising Sun (1993), The Rock (1996), Finding Forrester (2000) and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003).
Sean married actress Diane Cilento in 1962 and they had Sean's only child, Jason Connery, born on January 11, 1963. The couple announced their separation in February 1971 and filed for divorce 2½ years later. Sean then dated Jill St. John, Lana Wood, Magda Konopka and Carole Mallory. In 1975 he married Micheline Roquebrune and they stayed married, despite Sean's well-documented love affair with Lynsey de Paul in the late '80s. Sean had three stepchildren through his marriage to Micheline, who was one year his senior. He is also a grandfather. His son, Jason and Jason's ex-wife, actress Mia Sara had a son, Dashiell Connery, in 1997.
Sean Connery died at the age of 90 on October 31, 2020, in Nassau, the Bahamas, where he resided for many years.1st Dan in Kyokushin Karate under the founder himself, Sosai Masutatsu Oyama- Actor
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Stan Shaw was born on 14 July 1952 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for The Monster Squad (1987), Cutthroat Island (1995) and Daylight (1996). He has been married to Dr. Zoe Shaw since 30 June 1994. They have four children.Underrated actor who is also a Karate teacher- Actor
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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
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Martin Kove was born on March 6, 1947 in Brooklyn, New York. Strong-featured, narrow-eyed actor who has portrayed a mixed bag of both good guys and bad guys. He first turned up on screen in several minor roles, and was noticed as the villainous Nero the Hero in the low-budget road race Death Race 2000 (1975), and then as Clem the sadistic rigger, breaking Jan-Michael Vincent's ribs in White Line Fever (1975). He cropped up on the television series Cagney & Lacey (1981) portraying honest Police Detective Isbecki, and then ended up on the wrong side of a rampaging Sylvester Stallone in Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985).
Kove probably scored his greatest visibility to the public in the hugely successful The Karate Kid (1984) in which he played John Kreese, the head instructor of the Cobra Kai karate school. He reprised the role in the two sequels, The Karate Kid Part II (1986) and The Karate Kid Part III (1989). Kove has since kept consistently busy, primarily in the action-thriller film genre, and has notched up over 80 film appearances to date, as well as numerous television guest roles.Has black belts in all of the following martial arts: Kendo, Okinawa-te and Tiger Kenpo.- Actor
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A Northern California native, Jeff Meek is the youngest of four children. His father, James Meek, retired as a Chief Master Sergeant; his mother was a junior high teacher. She taught English and music.
As a child, Jeffrey moved around a lot and lived in Fairfield, CA, Zweibrücken (Germany), and Marquette, Michigan. Later, Jeffrey attended Arlington High School in Riverside, CA, where he starred in school plays. He was also very athletic and played football, tennis (he was the intramural tennis champ), basketball and baseball.
After High School, he attended the University of California at Irvine. Jeffrey graduated from UCI with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Drama in 1983 and in 1984 moved to New York City after he was cast as Quinn McCleary on "Search for Tomorrow". Jeffrey started practicing Martial Arts (Aikido) and fronted his own band in the early 80's. The band was called 'Crime' and included Jaco Pastorius, Derf Scratch of Fear and John Densmore, the drummer of the Door's. Jeffrey accepted the role of Remo Williams in the television series Remo Williams 1987.
Jeffrey has starred opposite, Academy Award winner, Denzel Washington and Bob Hoskins in "Heart Condition" (1990), with Academy Award winners Mickey Rourke, Morgan Freeman and Forrest Whittaker in "Johnny Handsome" (1989), and opposite Kurt Russell and Kelly McGillis in "Winter People" (1989)
In 1991, Jeffrey was the lead in "The Exile", an espionage series, which was shot on location in Paris, France. While shooting "The Exile" he got the offer to do "Raven". The martial arts television series, was shot in Hawaii in 1992 - 1993. Jeffrey played Jonathan Raven, a former Black Dragon and Special Forces agent, who now lives in Hawaii. In 1994, Jeffrey portrayed Father Thomas Mullberry in the movie "The St. Tammany Miracle". Jeffrey's next part was in Judith Krantz's "Dazzle" in 1995. Jeffrey played a villain named Villum who tries to free his boss from prison in "Timelock" in 1996. Also in 1996, Jeffrey starred as Tom Barrett in "Breaking the Surface: The Greg Louganis Story". This is the true story about the ups and downs in Greg Louganis life. In 1997, He played the gynecologist Dr. Teitlebaum on "Alright, Already". Later that year, he starred in "The Visioner". In 1998, Jeffrey had two guest appearances in "Pacific Blue".
In 1998, Jeffrey starred in "Mortal Kombat Conquest." The series was a prequel to the Mortal Kombat movies. Jeffrey played two characters: Lord Rayden and Shao Kahn. "I am working in Orlando Florida playing two parts on the TV series Mortal Kombat . I play Rayden, the God of Thunder-protector of Earth Realm, and Shao Khan, the ruler of the evil empire of Outworld. It is sort of like playing Obie Wan and Darth Vader at the same time." He is credited as Jeff Meek. Mortal Kombat Conquest was shot in Orlando and Kissimmee, Florida, USA at both MGM Studios and Splendid China Theme Park.
After finishing "Mortal Kombat: Conquest", Jeffrey headed to Toronto to start shooting "Code Name: Phoenix", which was finished in 1999.
In 1999, Jeffrey had a guest appearance in "Hercules - The Legendary Journeys". It was the Halloween episode and Jeffrey played Vlad, the Impaler -a vampire. Hercules was shot on location in New Zealand.
Jeffrey's next guest appearances (again credited as Jeff Meek) were in the crossover episodes of "The Pretender and Profiler" in 1999. In 2000, Jeffrey portrayed Taylor Williams in the movie "Vice". "Vice" was shown as a world premiere on 29 June 2000 at the Dances With Films festival and several other Film Festivals where it won various awards.
From May 20 to July 2, 2000 Jeffrey played The Stranger in the musical "Celebration of the Lizard" at San Diego Repertory Theatre. "Celebration of the Lizard" based on Jim Morrison's poem of the same name and features 33 songs by rock 'n' roll icons, The Doors. The Stranger is fighting for survival on the ravaged streets of L.A. in the not-too-distant future.
In December 2000 he finished shooting "She's no Angel". In 2001 Jeffrey did a voice over for the computer game "Law and Order." He appeared in two episodes of "Charmed" in 2002. "Break a Leg" was shot in 2002.
In 2002, He played Reverend Thomas Dade, an Episcopal priest, in six episodes of "General Hospital".
Jeffrey co-wrote the film "Beyond the Sea" about the life and music of Bobby Darin. Kevin Spacey stars and directs the film. In 2003 Jeffrey made a guest appearance as Jonathan Drake in "She spies: Love kills". In 2005, he appeared in "Break a Leg".
In 2006, he moved to New York to star as Craig Montgomery in "As the World Turns".
Jeffrey lives in California, although he travels extensively with his work.
Having performed in over 100 plays and musicals, Jeffrey has played commanding roles as Stanley Kowalski in "A Streetcar Named Desire", at the, Tony Award winning, South Coast Repertory Theatre, Jim Morrison, in the Doors musical, "Celebration of the Lizard", produced by Doors co-founder and keyboardist, Ray Manzerek, at The San Diego Repertory Theatre and the title role in Shakespeare's "Coriolanus". Jeff also played the lead role of, Markus, in the west coast premier of Rob Ackerman's dark comedy, "Tabletop", at The Laguna Playhouse and, most recently, starred as, Mack the Knife, in San Diego Repertory's production of, "The Threepenny Opera". He has received two Dramalogue Awards. Jeffrey has won several awards for his stage work, including Dramalogue Best Actor Awards for his roles in "Lu Ann Hampton Laverty Oberlander" and "Cuba and His Teddy Bear". He also received the Empire Theatre League's Best Actor in a Comedy Award for his role in "God's Favorite".
Jeffrey is an athlete and continues to enjoy sports such as martial arts, basketball and golf. He has a black belt in TKD and Aikido.
He enjoys music and is known as a "huge" Jim Morrison fan; he likes groups with "good" energy" like Pearl Jam, Nirvana and Skid Row.
Jeffrey developed a strong interest in working behind the camera (writing, directing and producing) these days.Has a black belt in Aikido and Tae Kwon Do! (In essence, Hapkido)!- Actor
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Johnny Yong Bosch (born John Jay Bosch) was born in Kansas City, Missouri and raised in Garland, Texas. While growing up, he had taken an interest in martial arts after having seen the works of Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan, winning several martial arts competitions as a result. After being informed about the TV series Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (1993) by his martial arts teacher, Bosch subsequently joined the show's second season as Adam Park (replacing Walter Jones, who had played the character in season 1), and reprised the role in both films based on the franchise as well as Power Rangers Zeo (1996) and Power Rangers Turbo (1997)
His main claim to fame, however, arrived in the form of his voice acting career in anime and video games, when he landed the role of Kaneda in a redub of Akira (1988) that was recorded by Pioneer in 2001, with Cam Clarke having previously voiced the character in the 1988 Streamline dub. This ultimately lead to further roles in more anime series and games in the years that followed, including Vash the Stampede in Trigun (1998), Renton Thurston in Eureka Seven (2005), Genma Shiranui and Sasori in the Naruto franchise, Yu Narukami in Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 (2008), and, most notably, Ichigo Kurosaki in the Bleach franchise. Among Bosch's later roles include Sabo in One Piece (1999) from 2020 onward, Toji Suzuhara in Netflix's 2019 redub of Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995), and Ryogi in Boruto: Naruto Next Generations (2017), among others.- Actor
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Dan Southworth is an accomplished actor with wide experience in feature films, television shows, motion capture, voice over, and commercials. Power Ranger fans know him as Eric Myers, the Quantum Ranger from Power Rangers Time Force. Mortal Kombat fans enjoyed his portrayal of Kenshi in the popular web series Mortal Kombat Legacy 2.
Dan's popularity among anime fans follows his voice and motion capture role as Vergil in the best-selling video game Devil May Cry 3. Devil May Cry 3.5 was later released so that fans could experience the game as Dan's character. Video gamers have continued to enjoy his work in the games Killzone -Shadow Fall, Battlefield 4, Ninja Gaiden 3, Dark Souls 2, and Resident Evil to name a few of the many motion capture projects he has performed in.
Dan helped design, execute, and perform action sequences for commercial clients Time Warner, Sony, Discover card and McDonald's among others and has extended this talent to feature films like The Scorpion King, The Rundown, and Terrance Malick's The New World. He also took part in James Cameron's early visualizations of Avatar, and developed action for Neill Blomkamp's Halo 3 Full Combat web sequences. For the role of Shiro in the film Hunted, Dan performs in some of the most innovative action design to date.
Aside from notable television roles in the shows Revolution, Martial Law, Charmed and V.I.P., Dan has also delivered well-received comedic performances in Film Antic's productions Sauce, Last Supper, the comedy series Sketchy, and as Vince Stallen, horrible boss, in Entry Level along with various comedic characters in Disney Channel's hit sitcom, Kickin' It.- Actor
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Keith Cooke is a man of many qualities, accomplished in the arts of Wushu, Tae Kwon Do and Karate.
He started his WuShu training in 1973, under Roger Tung. In 1980 he went to China and he trained for 5 hours a day and entered the competition circuit in 1983. He immediately gained a second place in both Weapons and Forms Divisions (lost to George Chung). But next year he was number 1, and in 1985 people knew him as the Martial Artist of the year.- Actor
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Will Yun Lee was born in Arlington, Virginia, to Jung Ja Lee and Soo Won Lee, who had recently emigrated from Korea. He was raised by both immediate and extended family and moved often, exposed to life on the tough Bronx streets and idyllic Hawaiian beaches. By his teens he was living in the San Francisco area with his father, a Korean Tae Kwon Do Grandmaster. Lee also became an accomplished martial artist and won an athletic scholarship to the University of California at Berkeley.
While in school, Lee worked at the East Bay Asian Youth Centre teaching high-risk teens from ghetto neighborhoods not unlike those he had known as a child in the Bronx. It was there that his ongoing commitment to young people began, a commitment that continues to play an important role in his life.
It was also at this time that he became seriously interested in acting, and after landing a role in Nash Bridges he moved to Los Angeles to pursue his career. Guest star roles in series such as "Profiler" and "Brimstone" led to a role in the TV movie The Disciples for UPN, and soon after to "What's Cooking" and TNT's "Witchblade".
In 2002 he was named by People as one of their "50 Most Beautiful People" which quickly lead to high profile roles in "Die Another Day", "Torque" and "Elektra". He has also acted on FX Network's television series "Thief", ABC Family's "Fallen" and was one of the main characters of NBC's science fiction television drama "Bionic Woman".
In November 2007, he was again recognized by People, this time as one of the members of their list of the 15 "Sexiest Men Alive". Most recently he appeared as Sang Min in the pilot of the hit CBS series "Hawaii Five O".
In August 2010, Will Yun Lee starred alongside Miguel Ferrer in the indie thriller "Far Away Eyes", which was shot entirely on location in Hong Kong.- Actor
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William Zabka was born on 20 October 1965 in New York City, New York, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for The Karate Kid (1984), Back to School (1986) and Hot Tub Time Machine (2010). He has been married to Stacie Lynn Doss since 2008. They have two children.Black belt in Tang Soo Do- Actor
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Sean Kanan's career encompasses many facets of the entertainment world including actor, author, comedian, and producer. Early in his career, Kanan was chosen at an open call by Oscar-winning Director, John Avildsen from over 2000 hopefuls for the role of Mike Barnes in the Karate Kid III. He went on to create two iconic characters, AJ QUARTERMAINE (GH) and DEACON SHARP (B&B/Y&R). Kanan's popularity as DEACON in Italy and ability to speak fluent Italian landed him on the Italian version of the popular show Dancing with the Stars where he lasted 9 weeks.
On the comedy stage, Kanan has performed at some of the countries leading clubs including the Laugh Factory, the Comedy Store, Dangerfield's, the Brokerage, Uncle Vinny's and other venues. On the theater stage, he has performed in Sam Shepard's True West twice, once at the Zephyr theater and once at the Palm Canyon Theater.
Sean penned The Modern Gentleman; Cooking and Entertaining with Sean Kanan (Dunham Books) and Secret of My Success. Kanan co-hosted a celebrity parenting radio talk show called Kanan's Rules, available for download on iTunes podcast. Sean Kanan spends his free time studying martial arts, writing scripts, cooking, performing his stand-up routine and further pursuing the study of the Italian, French, Mandarin, Russian and Japanese language. Sean also dedicates much of his time to numerous charitable and nonprofit endeavors including ASPCA, anti-bullying and the Red Cross.Mike Barnes in The Karate Kid 3 - Trained in Shotokan Karate (Black Belt), Kickboxing, *beep* Karate & Tang Soo Do (under Master Pat E Johnson)- Actor
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Yuji Okumoto was born on 20 April 1959 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for The Karate Kid Part II (1986), Inception (2010) and Johnny Tsunami (1999). He has been married to Angela Okumoto since 2001. They have three children.Cho Zen in Karate Kid 2 (Source: http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1986-06-20/entertainment/8602140035_1_karate-purple-belts-black-belts)- Tom Wu was born on 15 May 1972 in Hong Kong, China. He is an actor, known for Marco Polo: One Hundred Eyes (2015), The Gentlemen (2019) and Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019).
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Australian actor Bren Foster started acting in high school. His mother was of Cypriot heritage and his father of English/Irish heritage. After High school Bren studied Film and Video production, but felt the need to move toward his artistic development as an actor. Bren then traveled to New York to study at "The Barrow Group Theater". Upon his return to Australia Bren auditioned for and was selected into one of Australia's leading Drama schools "The University of Western Sydney" AKA Theater Nepean. Furthermore he spent 2 years at the Sanford Meisner based acting school "The Actors Pulse". Early in Bren's career he worked on many Australian television Dramas but his breakout role came when he landed a role in the critically acclaimed and award winning Australian feature film Cedar Boys (2009) where he was praised as "a born star" by Empire Film magazine for his portrayal of "Jamal" a criminal behind bars desperately trying to guide his younger brother away from the criminal path. Bren has studied Martial Arts for many years and has worked in the United States for "The discovery Channel" filming Extreme Martial arts and for the National Geographic Channel where his martial arts skills were put to the test against science in the feature length documentary "Fight Science". Bren has firmly established a solid acting career in both international film and television, both in Australia and the United States.- Actress
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Born in Toronto, Canada, Laura Vandervoort is a versatile actress who not only crosses over genres, but also transforms from character to character embracing the essence of every role she plays. Best known for her roles on the television shows "Smallville" as Supergirl, and "V," Laura has built an international fan base of men and women of all ages. Between her experience and stellar acting chops, Laura has been consistently working as an actress since she was thirteen years old.
Laura first began her career in background work as a child on Canadian commercials and TV shows. This led her into the hands of Disney, where she starred in several now classic Halloween movies as well as several kids tv series.
Laura's career took off from there and the consistently working actress would be seen in many projects such as the series "Instant Star" which went for 4 seasons, the feature, "The Lookout," starring Joseph Gordon Lovitt and Jeff Daniels, "Smallville," where she portrayed the iconic character 'Supergirl.' She worked alongside Ray Liotta in the feature, "The Entitled" and many more. Laura then booked a series regular for ABC's sci-fi series "V" among Elizabeth Mitchell ("Lost") and Scott Wolf ("Party of Five") and then booked feature films including a role in "This Means War" starring Reese Witherspoon and Chris Pine and "Ted" directed by Seth Macfarlane, starring Mark Wahlberg and Mila Kunis. Laura would soon after star in "Jigsaw," (Number one at the box office for its first run) the most recent of the horror film series "Saw."
Laura would then lead the sci fi-action series "Bitten" for Syfy and the Space network. The series ran for three successful seasons and is now a popular stream on Netflix. With high praise critically and a large fan following the series gained strength and praise for both performance and cinematography.
Laura has been developing and producing films and has found another passion working behind the camera. In 2019, Laura developed, executive produced and starred in film festival favorite, 'Age Of Dysphoria' alongside Canadian icon Gordon Pinsent. Laura recently had her directorial debut with 'My Soul to Take,' a short film Laura also wrote, starring Colm Feore. During the 2020 pandemic, Laura shot 5 feature films and an anticipated guest spot on the critically acclaimed series 'Handmaid's Tale.' Laura wrapped the lead role in a feature film thriller entitled 'Black Bags' in Oklahoma at the beginning of 2022 and her production company "Lava Works Entertainment Inc." currently has three films in development.
Laura has also just released her first children's book worldwide on Amazon. The book, 'Super-Duper Deelia' marks her entry as a published writer in the children literary world. Most recently Laura has joined the cast of the CTV/CW series, 'Sullivan's Crossing' starring Chad Michael Murray.Second Degree Black Belt in Shotokan Karate- Actor
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Toshishiro Obata was born on 20 October 1948 in Gunma Prefecture, Japan. He is an actor, known for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze (1991) and Demolition Man (1993).- Actor
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Born in Hilo, Hawaii in 1940. Gerald started Martial Arts with Judo in 1953. He has practiced Kendo, Aikido, Taekwondo, and he is currently a 5th degree black belt in Kung Fu San Soo (his sensei was the late Jimmy H. Woo). Gerald is a designer of various types of weaponry that have been featured in dozens of movies and publications across the world. His favorite weapon is the Okamura Hook sword. A veteran actor with over 25 years in the entertainment industry, Gerald Okamura (www.geraldokamura.com)has played an assortment of characters ranging from Yakuza, to Vampires, to Elvis Impersonators. Gerald hosts an annual Celebrity event entitled DRAGONFEST (www.dragonfest.com)where his fellow Hollywood Celebrities, Martial Artists, and Sci Fi Stars donate their time each year, allowing access to the public to meet the stars in person, take photographs, and get autographs from their favorite celebrities.- Actor
- Stunts
- Director
Asian American actor & stuntman has picked up a cult fan following based around his numerous appearances in high voltage action flicks from the mid-1980s onwards. Al nearly always turns up as a bad guy with his lean muscled physique, incredible agility, amazing martial arts skills, wispy black hair, and Fu-Manchu style mustache!! Best known on-screen as "Endo" torturing 'Mel Gibson' with electric shocks in Lethal Weapon (1987), as "Uli" the chocolate bar stealing terrorist in Die Hard (1988), one of the Wing Kong members in Big Trouble in Little China (1986), as a short Genghis Khan in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989), and as "Minh" the henchman punching on with 'Brandon Lee' in a blazing laundry in the climax of Rapid Fire (1992). Made his directorial debut in 2000 by writing & directing the low budget Daddy Tell Me a Story... (2000).- Stunts
- Actor
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Phil Tan was born in Singapore where he spent his childhood and then at the age of five moved to the UK. Phil started off his athletic career as a gymnast where he became the British Youth Tumbling champion and a member of the British squad for many years. Years later after getting into martial arts, Phil also became the Men's British Tae Kwon do Champion.
Phil's first break in film, was as an actor and fight choreographer in a film called The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu (1980) with Peter Sellers. Afer that came a year on Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes (1984), also as an actor and trainer for Christopher Lambert. Phil was then contacted by Steven Spielberg and Robert Watts to train the pricipal actor 'Jonathan Ke Quanin' for Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984).
He was then invited to become a member of The British Stunt Register in 1986. That was the start of Phil's stunt career. Now Philip Tan lives in LA and works as a 2nd Unit Director, stunt and fight co-ordinator on some of Hollywoods bigget movies.- Actor
- Cinematographer
- Additional Crew
Max Thayer was born on 18 June 1946 in Detroit, Michigan, USA. He is an actor and cinematographer, known for S.W.A.T. (2003), Planet of Dinosaurs (1977) and Hot and Deadly (1982).Black belt in Hapkido and also trained in martial arts during his stint in the military- Actor
- Stunts
- Writer
Jeremy Palko is an American actor in film and television. He was born in LaGrange, GA and moved to Washington State at the age of 5. Jeremy grew up in Puyallup, WA where he attended Rogers High School. A graduate of the University of Washington in Seattle, Jeremy had his first experience in the theater after a knee injury sidelined him from collegiate sports.
Jeremy found his first speaking role in the film Never Back Down (2008). Jeremy has since gone on to play numerous parts in such television shows as The Vampire Diaries (2009), Are We There Yet? (2010), Burn Notice (2007), The Middle (2009), and Sleepy Hollow (2013). Most recently, Jeremy can be found on the Emmy Nominated show Bloodline (2015), as Nicholas Widmark and Andy on AMC's The Walking Dead (2010).2nd degree black belt in Taekwondo and state champion