Jeffs (and Geoffs) of the best martial artists
A tribute list to some great martial arts film stars who are all called Jeff (Geoff). Do add more to this please! Thank you!
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- Actor
- Producer
Jeff Speakman was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, where he became a All-American springboard diver in high school. He broke records in his school's district and conference all without ever having a coach. Determined to go to college, he worked for six years and graduated with honors from Missouri State College, earning a bachelor's degree in psychology with a minor in biology. Jeff currently holds a 6th-degree black belt in Japanese Goju-Ryu and a 6th-degree black belt in American Kenpo Karate. He is also found and director of American Kenpo Karate Systems (AAKS), an international kenpo karate organization with more than 50 schools. In 1993, Jeff was inducted into the Black Belt Hall of Fame as "Instructor of the Year." Jeff has only been studying acting for the past ten years.- Actor
- Producer
- Director
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.- Stunts
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Director
Stunt coordinator/director/actor Jeff Pruitt was born in the mountains of north Georgia and graduated high school in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He grew up racing motorcycles from the age of ten and competed in Karate tournaments - eventually receiving his black belt in Tang Soo Do.
While in college he began working as a production assistant, camera operator and occasional extra in film and television programs shot in the Atlanta area until finally parlaying his athletic background into stunt performing.
After moving to Los Angeles in the eighties he reunited with a director he'd worked with in Georgia and began choreographing martial arts fights for Hollywood productions. At the time Jeff's method of combining multiple fast fight combinations with creative stunt falls and wire work with the more acceptable Hollywood style was considered very unorthodox and it took some gradual and persistent persuasion to make it happen.
After a series of successful action films Jeff began directing and stunt coordinating a television series called, The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, in which he mixed the traditional Japanese style of the original Japanese series with some fanciful stunts of his own design. The show became one of the most successful ventures in TV history.
Jeff has continued to direct, choreograph, rig and coordinate the action sequences for features, music videos, commercials and many television shows - including the wildly popular Buffy the Vampire Slayer series and many more.
Jeff has been listed as one of Hollywood's 100 Most Creative People by Entertainment Weekly magazine and has designed stunt equipment and harnesses that are in use around the world today.- Stunts
- Actor
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jeff Imada was born and raised in Inglewood, California, USA, where he began studying martial arts at the age of fifteen. At El Camino College and UCLA, he majored in pre-med and minored in music. While in college, he started working as a movie "extra," which led to his becoming a member of the Screen Actors Guild, Stunts Unlimited and the Directors Guild of America. Jeff Imada also had been technical advisor on numerous films, including Dutch (1991), Tango & Cash (1989), Jumpin' Jack Flash (1986), Dreamscape (1984), and Streets of Fire (1984), and such television series as Magnum, P.I. (1980), Remington Steele (1982), Dynasty (1981), Matt Houston (1982), Airwolf (1984), Stingray (1986), Hart to Hart (1979) and Tales of the Gold Monkey (1982).- Actor
- Stunts
- Writer
Jeff Langton was born on 11 December 1956 in Pasadena, California, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for Die Hard 2 (1990), Road House (1989) and Street Fighter (1994).- Actor
- Producer
- Director
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.- Actor
- Director
- Writer
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.