Interview with Daniel Bernhardt for Kung-Fu Kingdom

20.01.2021Black Dragon

You've probably seen it more than once Daniel Bernhardt in action, whether it's B-movies about underground martial arts tournaments, the simulated reality of the Matrix, or simply performing stunts in a major blockbuster. Starting his film career with a low-budget sequel "Bloodsport 2: The New Kumite", thanks to his skills and charisma, Daniel has thoroughly established himself in the action genre for more than twenty years!

Having started his journey back in Switzerland, Daniel was fond of martial arts from his youth, and his skills and talent helped him look natural in action films. Throughout his career he has encountered everyone from Charlize Theron to Keanu Reeves, in incredible action sequences made possible by the strength and versatility that Daniel has cultivated through years of martial arts training.

Thanks to Daniel's connections with a famous stunt group 87Eleven Action Design, he was also able to find himself at the center of such action-packed popcorn hits as "John Wick" и "Atomic Blonde", and more recently added aliens to the list of enemies with whom he had to fight in the recently released third chapter "Skyline".

Today Daniel stopped by to visit KFKMoreto discuss the creation "Skyline", remember your early years in martial arts, the beginning of your film career with sequels "Bloody Sport", and to top it all off, get us intrigued with his upcoming return as Agent Johnson in "The Matrix 4" next year!

Hello Daniel, welcome to Kung Fu Kingdom! It's great to be able to connect with you and we hope you're doing well amid the current pandemic?

Daniel Bernhardt: Hi Brad, I'm doing well, thanks. It is what it is and I am doing everything I can to stay healthy and safe.

Glad to hear it. Have you heard of KFK before? Additionally, our mission is to encourage 100 million people around the world to take up martial arts for all the positive benefits it brings to people, physically, mentally and socially - what do you think about this goal?

Daniel: With both hands in favor. I love everything related to kung fu! So, I support you in this mission 100%. Martial arts have been a part of my life for forty years and they have brought me to where I am, without them I would not be sitting here talking to you right now.

Daniel Bernhardt's Martial Arts Experience

Cool, similar! Okay, let's talk about your beginnings in martial arts. What disciplines did you study?

Daniel: I started practicing kung fu when I was 15. I was born and raised in Switzerland, and martial arts were not very popular there at that time. I accidentally met a guy who taught kung fu with whom I started training and fell in love with it with all my heart. Then I started doing kickboxing, boxing and taekwondo. Then, when I moved to Los Angeles, I did "Bloodsport 2" and met the Grandmaster Hee Il-Cho, who became my mentor and teacher. And it was another amazing experience - training side by side with such a great taekwondo master, I will never forget this in my life.

Bloodsport sequels...

A true taekwondo master! And while we're talking about Bloodsport 2, you're well known for your roles in the Bloodsport sequels. Do you remember any interesting stories from filming? Have there been any injuries or accidents?

Daniel: (laughs) Well, "Bloodsport 2" was my first film, and everything that could go wrong went wrong. Filming delays, time constraints, injuries, everything went wrong, and it still turned out great. So, at the end I said to myself: “If I’ve dealt with this, then now I can do anything.” It was a serious challenge, the film was shot in Thailand, I tore my ribs, got severe food poisoning, there was simply no end to the troubles, but it became a kind of test for me. I was the face of a major franchise, I had a lot of responsibility on my shoulders, I tried my best, and it was very cool.

So, which part of Bloodsport did you enjoy working on the most?

Daniel: Definitely over the second "Blood sport". People often ask, "What's your favorite movie you've been in?" and I think "Bloodsport 2" will always be one of them because it was my first film. Everything was so new, I was so excited, I worked so hard, and it is still something special to me.

The role of Agent Johnson in The Matrix Reloaded

Of course, the second "Bloodsport" was an excellent continuation of the first. Speaking of sequels, you later appeared in The Matrix Reloaded as Agent Johnson. How did you get involved in this film?

Daniel: Well, imagine, they call you and say: “We want you to play Agent Johnson in the Matrix franchise.” I was like, "What? Seriously? Oh my God, incredible!" The first person to call me was Chad Stahelski. He and I are very good friends, we also worked together on Bloodsport (by the way, he played a fighter in it), and then after Bloodsport I starred in a bunch of films where Chad was my fight coordinator, stunt coordinator, so, he was very instrumental in the development of my career.

When did filming begin? "Matrix", he dubbed Keanu Reeves, so he called me and said, "They're looking for agents." I passed the first audition and then another one with Yuen Woo-Ping, since he had the final say on who would be cast as agents, since they all had to fight Keanu. So it was definitely something very, very, very special for me.

So, what was it like, after Bloodsport, to film The Matrix Reloaded with all that CGI and cables?

Daniel: Listen, well, this is generally heaven and earth (both laugh). You're talking about a film with a budget of 150 million dollars, which today is estimated at about 300 million. In Bloodsport we didn't have anything, we just did everything practical. Working with cables required a lot of effort, it was hard, but also fun at the same time. It was a fun and rather lengthy shoot. Of the year and a half that filming lasted, I stayed there for six months. It was a great job.

The role of Kirill in John Wick with Keanu Reeves

Well, since we touched on this topic... you had the opportunity to once again act as an opponent of Keanu Reeves in "John Wick". How was it working with Keanu and what do you remember most from the experience?

Daniel: Keanu is one of my favorite actors, he's a wonderful guy. It's all Chad, we ran into him in 87Eleven and suddenly he asks me: “Hey, Daniel, do you want to work in "John Wick"", I was like, "Of course!", and he offered me the role of Kirill. It was great to fight with Keanu again, and in general I was very lucky to work with such talented, wonderful people.

Oh, definitely. By the way, regarding the action component of John Wick, what was it like adapting to a completely different style of action sequences compared to the rope kung fu of The Matrix Reloaded?

Daniel: Well, you know, Chad has a gift, he's always looking for something new. Plus, Chad has done every martial art you can imagine, he's a master of probably ten martial arts, and I don't know anyone more gifted than him. But when we were working on "John Wick", he wanted to do something completely new, he's one of those people who always finds something new. So, he mixed hand-to-hand combat with weapons and judo, and we have done a lot in this direction over the past few years.

Working on the film "Birds of Prey" with Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn

A winning combination, without a doubt! Most recently, you were also seen in the DC film Birds of Prey, which also featured Chad. What was it like working with Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn (and letting her break your legs!)?

Daniel: Margot is an amazing actress and a wonderful woman, I adore her. Therefore, when I was invited to star in "Birds of Prey", I kept thinking to myself: “Yes, I will work with Margot Robbie!", and I think it was the very first day of filming when we were working on the scene where she broke my legs.

Then I had to come back a few months later to film the scene where I appear in a wheelchair, which was also quite funny. Margot is so liberated, when she broke my legs, I asked her: “Can I swear at you?” - and she was like: “Yes, great, let's go!” She's just great.

Daniel's recent appearance as Owens in the sci-fi hand-to-hand action film Skyline

This scene was painful to watch! Well, let's move on to the main topic, your latest film at the moment was the sci-fi hand-to-hand action thriller "Skyline", in which you play Owens, a military man who looks like a commando. How did you get involved in this film?

Daniel: You know, I'm always very flattered when they invite me, and as for "Skyline", then my agent called me and said, “Hey, Daniel, they want you to be part of this franchise.” "Skyline", meet them." So, I read the script, met with the director (Liam O'Donnell), and he just beamed when he saw me.

He was so happy to see me in the film, and it's always incredibly nice when someone really wants to see you in their film. He had great ideas, he wrote a great script, and he was very clear about what he needed from me, and of course I brought a lot of myself to the role. I completely trusted the director because he spent probably ten times more time on the script than you would have.

It was a funny character, and the director wanted me to start off as a nice guy and then go in a different direction. And I have to say that Lindsey, who played Rose, is such a wonderful actress. She was so sweet, so funny and energetic, and it was great to work with Alexander Siddig, who played my commander.

Director Liam O'Donnell did an amazing job!

Daniel: Liam really did an amazing job on the film. It's not a hundred million dollar blockbuster, but I think his efforts make this franchise, and especially the third installment, really look like a big movie. When you're making a sci-fi movie without a $100 million budget, you think things like, "I wonder what the visual effects will look like?" And Liam came up with something like "Aliens" on Cobalt-1, it was very unusual.

Fight scene with incredible martial artist Cha-Li Yun

Liam really did an incredible job with Skyline. So what was the most physically challenging part of the film for you in terms of fighting?

Daniel: Well, obviously, because of my background, Liam really wanted to see me in a cool fight scene. And in this film I have a fight scene with Zhi, who is played by my friend Cha-Li Yoon, he is incredible, just an incredible martial artist. He was also the fight coordinator, so he came up to me and said, "Hey Daniel, I have an idea, why don't we make a reference to old Chinese kung fu movies, how about fighting in a tight space?" And I said, “Oh God, I love this,” because I haven’t done this for many, many years. So we started playing, chasing each other around the room, and he is very fast, so I had to sweat.

This was probably my favorite fight in the movie and it's a lot of fun to do something different. It was shot by the director of our second team Kan Aydin, and the great thing is that we are all friends and have worked together more than once. So it's kind of shorthand, and Liam was great, we told him about our idea and he said, "Oh, I love it, do it."

Were there any injuries during this fight?

Daniel: No, we are professionals and have been doing this for so many years. The most important thing for us is safety, of course, it happens, you pull your hamstring or get a little injured, but it’s not a big deal, bandage it up and go back into battle!

Working with Yayan “Mad Dog” Rukhyan from the “Raid” duology

By the way, about the martial artists in the film - you still had the opportunity to meet Yayan Ruhian from the "Raid" duology during the filming of "Skyline"?

Daniel: Yes, actually I have met Yayana even earlier in "John Wick 3", but my face is not visible there, because I was wearing a mask, I was one of the ghost soldiers. I actually did an underwater fight with Keanu in the movie. "John Wick 3". I met Yayan on the set, and we immediately liked each other, I’m a big fan of his work, and then we had the chance to work together again on "Skyline".

Yayan is a fighting beast! So, what do you think was the most memorable thing about working on Skyline?

Daniel: What was really nice for me was that over the last maybe ten years I've played a lot of roles, good supporting roles in big films, but I haven't had much dialogue. And in this film, Liam gave me a role that I could, as they say, sink my teeth into. It was really, really fun for me to get into character and get into the fights and hang out with my friends. Therefore, I must say that "Skyline" truly became one of my favorite films in a long time. We had a blast and had such a great time together.

Daniel Bernhardt's Top 3 Favorite Martial Arts Movies of All Time

Ideal lifestyle! So, what are the greatest martial arts films of all time, according to Daniel Bernhardt?

Daniel: I love old classics. "Enter the Dragon" с Bruce Lee, one of my favorite. I think he was probably the person who inspired me to take up martial arts. As for more modern films, I am a big fan of Hong Kong cinema, I love films such as: "Hero" и "Great master", and these two are probably my favorite films, they are just incredible.

Agree. What about your favorite movie fights?

Daniel: Oh, there are so many of them! I should probably mention Bruce Lee again. Even today, no one compares to him. His charisma, technique... isn't it amazing? He's like Elvis Presley. Bruce Lee was a real lump. Also I like Jet Li и Jackie Chan also.

Daniel's favorite fights from his own films

Everyone is a master of their craft. So, Daniel, what would be the top 3 fight scenes from your personal filmography? Which fights are you most proud of and why?

Daniel: I think one of my favorite fights was in "Atomic Blonde". It was a very, very cool fight, and to work with someone like Charlize... well, imagine working with an Oscar-winning actress. And what she does in the fight scenes, I'm not even talking about the fight itself, the acting during the fight scenes is very important to me.

So as I watched her, I said to myself, “Damn, this is incredible.” Fight with Keanu in a nightclub in "John Wick" - also one of my favorites, because it was so fun to shoot, to work with all my buddies, Chad Stahelski и David Leitch. And, I must say, the fight with Morpheus on the truck in "The Matrix Reloaded", still looks very, very cool. I was rewatching it the other day and I thought, “That was something.”

By the way, about the fight scene in Atomic Blonde, filmed in one take - it was really tough! Was anyone hurt during that fight?

Daniel: Like I said, safety comes first and we all train very, very hard to avoid getting hurt. And the same with Charlize, she trained for about three months and was as prepared as possible. She was so talented that David the director decided to do long takes, so we would sometimes do fifteen to twenty moves, and that's very difficult even for me, so hats off to her. I've been doing movie fighting for twenty-five years now, and doing that many moves at once is not that easy.

Returning to the role of Agent Johnson in The Matrix 4 in 2021

Cool! Looking ahead to another sci-fi franchise, you'll be back as Agent Johnson next year in The Matrix 4. How does it feel to return to the role of Agent Johnson and the world of the Matrix? What can audiences expect from The Matrix 4?

Daniel: Well I met Lana в 87 Elevens, she was very excited to see me and said, “Oh God, I have a great idea, I want you to come back,” and she again invited me to participate already in "The Matrix 4". That's all I can say for now, but I'm very, very honored to be a part of such a fantastic franchise.

I wonder if this film will turn out to be as prophetic regarding the “virus” as Liam’s film!?

Daniel: Isn't that weird? I mean, we all said in one voice: "Damn!"

We're definitely looking forward to The Matrix 4 next year.

Upcoming projects...

Wow! So, what other projects do you have planned for the future?

Daniel: There are some really cool projects coming up that I can't say too much about yet. I don’t like to talk about any projects when they have not yet been approved; if there are any ambiguities, or my participation in them has not been definitively confirmed.

But there are some really cool guys who are talking to me about projects coming up next year, and I also did a little movie earlier this year that's a World War II drama that I'm really proud of. So, I intend to keep the pace, have a good time - and, of course, practice martial arts, which I dedicate anywhere from two to four hours every day! (both laugh)

Entertainment and leisure

It definitely takes consistency. Well, now, let's move on to entertainment and leisure, tell me, is there anything strange or interesting that people don’t know about you?

Daniel: Oh, I have such a strange thing! I just love technology and I'm a very passionate photographer. Actually, I wanted to be a photographer before I got into the film business. So, yeah, I'm just obsessed with this!

And to stay on topic, if you could be a superhero, who would you be and what superpower would you like to have?

Daniel: Probably, I would like to be able to fly. Just imagine if you could fly through the air. Oh God, how cool that would be!

Ambitions and plans for the future

So, what other dreams, goals and ambitions are you trying to achieve?

Daniel: I'm very lucky to have a job that I love. I love what I do. And while I can work on films - it doesn't matter what it is - people always ask me, "What do you like best?" Well, I love acting, I love doing stunts, I love doing fight scenes, but I also love directing, I love editing things, filming things. I really enjoy it all and am a firm believer that doing a little bit of everything makes you better at everything else.

So, it's good to try yourself in something else. Fourteen years ago I made a short film "Fetch", and had a lot of fun. In the future I would probably like to try my hand at directing, I just enjoy it. I think, "Fetch" looks good even today, and there was a time when I wanted to get into directing a little more, but then my career kind of took me back to acting and performing, although there's nothing stopping me from doing that now or maybe five years from now.

Philosophy of Daniel Bernhardt

Yes, "Fetch" was even included in the anthology film "Blood, sweat and horror", and you did a great job with it! So, what military wisdom quotes or perhaps philosophy helped you become who you are today?

Daniel: You know, when I give seminars or just talk to people, I always say: “Dream” and “Never give up.” If you have a dream and work really, really hard, you can achieve almost anything. I myself have always followed this attitude - if they tell me: “No”... Oh, God, I will prove them wrong! And also listen to yourself and believe in yourself.

Daniel's message to KFK fans and followers

Very correct words. So, as we wrap things up, Daniel, what special message would you like to share now with Kung Fu Kingdom followers and your fans around the world?

Daniel: Well, again, I repeat, be good, kind, respect others, never give up and work hard!

Let's end on this strong note! Thank you so much, Daniel, for this honor. We wish you all the best with Skyline and your upcoming return as Agent Johnson in The Matrix 4, as well as all your other action projects in 2021!

Daniel: Thank you, Brad, and thank you for inviting me to Kung Fu Kingdom today!

Official source: kungfukingdom.com
Date of publication: 23.12.2020
Translation: Black Dragon

Home » The Interview » Interview with Daniel Bernhardt for Kung-Fu Kingdom
Tags: Atomic Blonde, Bloodsport 2, John Wick, Skylines, The Matrix Resurrections, Daniel Bernhard, Margot Robbie

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