In 2003, you played the role of Agent Johnson in the films “The Matrix Reloaded” and “The Matrix Revolutions.” How did you get involved in this project?
Daniel Bernhardt: Chad told me that they're casting guys to play new agents in the second Matrix. A week later I went and made an appointment with the casting director. There were literally hundreds of guys standing in line. The Wachowski brothers were looking for those who had the necessary appearance, knowledge of martial arts and experience in on-screen combat. There were so many people at the audition that I was very surprised when they called me back. That's how I found out about the Wachowski brothers, and we shot the first episode in which the agents attack Neo. In the film, the three agents were played by myself, Matt McColm and David Kield. As far as I understood then, we only had to play our roles once. There were many different instructions, for example: “do nothing, no emotions.” It's great, but at the same time, you start to get nervous when you realize that you're going to be in The Matrix. Then Yen Woo Ping called me for the third time. As it turned out, we were talking about tests related to martial arts. In early 2001, I was cast as Agent Johnson. Of all the new agents, I was chosen first.
How much time did you spend training after you were cast for the role?
Daniel Bernhardt: We, along with Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss and Hugo Weaving, started training in a large hangar in Culver City. This went on for a month, and then production on the film began in Auckland. The experience of working with Keanu and Lawrence was incredible.
Your fight with Laurence Fishburne on top of a moving semi-trailer truck is one of the highlights of the film. How was this amazing episode created?
Daniel Bernhardt: The fight scene on the truck consisted of footage shot on set, against a blue screen and using motion capture technology. All three of these technologies were combined, and I think the end result was an incredible episode.
Did you borrow anything from the Wachowski brothers' directing style, and if so, what exactly did you use in your film?
Daniel Bernhardt: The Wachowski brothers are very detail oriented and they have their own vision. I appreciated it and remembered it. In Fetch, I also had my own vision that I wanted to bring to the screen. It took me a lot of time. We tried various installation options, but there were many obstacles. Although, in the end, I figured out my vision.
For many years you played positive characters, and in 2005 you played a negative character in the film “Shadows of the Past” (The Cutter). In your new film “Ultimate Champion” you again star in the role of a villain. Do you like these types of roles more?
Daniel Bernhardt: When I first started, I tried to study in such a way that I was as prepared as possible. That's when I developed a passion for acting, and from an actor's point of view, playing villain roles is quite fun. Tadd Boggs, the producer of “Ultimate Champion,” is a buddy of mine. He asked me if I wanted to play the villain. The character was described to me as a suave businessman, which sounded tempting. So in the film I play a sophisticated European promoter. This was a new character for me, and I saw the role as a great opportunity to gain experience and hone my acting skills.
In 2005, you starred in the film “Shadows of the Past” with martial arts legend Chuck Norris. It was just a fantastic fight, you both performed well. How was it working with Mr. Norris?
Daniel Bernhardt: It got completely out of control. I met Chuck on set and we hit it off immediately. I must say, Chuck Norris is a very nice person. When it came time to film our first fight scene, it turned out that a stunt double would be fighting instead. Chuck and I had never worked before, so he wanted to play it safe. Once he realized that there would be no problem with me, he replaced the stunt double and we filmed the entire episode. And now I’m fighting a movie legend, a former world karate champion and a world-famous screen fighter. He told me stories about how many hours he spent with Bruce Lee, standing in the hallway of their shared hotel and talking about martial arts and training. Imagine this: you met a man who worked with Bruce Lee, and now you fight him in a movie. It was an invaluable work experience.
Throughout your career, you have acted with many talented and popular actors. With people like Keanu Reeves, Brian Thompson, Robert Englund and Pat Morita. Have you learned anything from these screen veterans?
Daniel Bernhardt: The guys were really cool. Robert Englund once told me on the set of Perfect Target, “Daniel, read every script twice.” I remembered this advice for the rest of my life. The opportunity to work with Pat Morita and James Hong is a dream come true for anyone who enjoys martial arts films. They are legends in their own way. And I must say, you can’t even imagine what nice people Keanu, Lawrence and Hugo really are. There was not a drop of selfishness on the set of The Matrix Reloaded, everyone worked tirelessly and trained for hours every day.
“Perfect Target” was directed by Sheldon Lettich, a man known from Van Damme's early films. After your appearance in “Bloodsport 2” and your work with Mr. Lettich, some said that you actively pushed to work with the team that elevated Van Damme to the rank of “superstar.” This is true?
Daniel Bernhardt: No, it's a coincidence. My good friend George Hernandez was a co-producer. Kristain and Lee Solomon offered me the role, and Sheldon was appointed director even before that. The company that financed the project sent me the script, I liked it, and I agreed. Plus, it was another opportunity to work with my friend Chad Stahelski - he was a choreographer there. I think the movie turned out “cool.”
Many of your fans' favorite roles include Shiro in the television adaptation of the popular video game series "Mortal Kombat." How did you feel playing such an iconic character?
Daniel Bernhardt: I really enjoyed filming Mortal Kombat: Conquest. It was one of the best periods of my life. I love the work, I love the set. We filmed in Florida at Disney Studios for nine months, five days a week, so I was absolutely thrilled. I thought it was a great series and enjoyed Shiro's role. The series gained its own circle of fans, but we did not receive consent for a second season. It was a disappointment for us because it would have been really nice to come back with another season. There was a real camaraderie among the actors. I really liked Paolo Montalban and Kristanna Loken; we all lived in Orlando while we were working on the show.
Throughout your career, you have primarily acted in action and fantasy films. Were you interested in any other genres that could help improve your acting skills?
Daniel Bernhardt: Obviously, I got into the movie business as a fighter who was just playing roles. Now I am an actor whose background is connected with martial arts. I've been in this business for 15 years. And I’m no longer a young, temperamental guy. I am trying to improve the quality of my acting, and I would like to play roles in films of other genres. Especially in comedies or melodramas, but action films will always be in the foreground. When I act in action films, I feel at ease, and I do it well.
Are you going to continue making films in the future?
Daniel Bernhardt: Without a doubt, I fell in love with directing. I'm an actor and a fighter. Many directors, when making action films, overly focus their attention on the dialogue. This proves that they don't care about fighting. In so many films I've been in, they've told me, "Okay, let's get to the action." And they spent hours filming the dialogue. By the time it came to the fights, there was only half an hour left for filming. I think I understand the balance; both action and dialogue are equally important. As a director, I am very aware that each element needs to be given enough screen time. I've been acting for 15 years and directing actors on set makes me feel more comfortable than ever. It’s easy for me to communicate with them because we speak “the same language” with them.
My acting teacher always told me: “Creative output is important, be ready for anything. Directing will make you a better actor, producing will make you a better director, it’s the same world.” He was right: one thing contributes to the other. I love being an actor, and I will act until I am banned. [laughs]
What can we expect in the future from Daniel Bernhardt?
Daniel Bernhardt: I recently finished filming a movie called “Lockjaw,” which I'm really excited about. This is a horror movie. For the first time in my career, I got to play the role of a monster. This is a man who is slowly turning into a monster. I met with director Freddie Andrews and he shared the general concept with me. Freddie clearly knew what he wanted, which is why I agreed to become part of the project. A special suit was designed for me. It's like you're playing an animal. Imagine yourself as King Kong or the Predator, that's how I felt about it. The film is due out early 2011.
This year I also financed my first film called Elephant White. Kevin Bernhardt brought me the script and I really liked it. I showed it to my friend Djimon Houns, who has been nominated for an Oscar twice. He became interested, and I, in turn, took part in the financing. The script also attracted actor Kevin Bacon, and the filming was entrusted to the director of “Ong-Bak” Prachya Pinkaev. The film was filmed earlier this year in Bangkok, Thailand. We haven't set a release date yet, but I'm sure the action movie will be great.
Author: Jason Rugaard
Source: moviemavericks.com
Translation: EvilDollaR
Home » The Interview »
Tags: Ultimate Champion, Daniel Bernhard, Shadows of the past, Chad Stahelski, Chuck Norris
Tags: Ultimate Champion, Daniel Bernhard, Shadows of the past, Chad Stahelski, Chuck Norris
Thanks, very interesting. I have planned a couple of films to watch =)