Olivier Gruner (Olivier Gruner) was born in France, in Paris. Before becoming a world kickboxing champion, he served in an elite unit of the French Armed Forces. Mister Gruner was noticed at the Cannes Film Festival, and he successfully transitioned from an athlete to an actor. Since 1990 Olivier Gruner appeared in more than 30 films. Thanks to the phenomenal success of films such as "Nemesis" (Nemesis) and “City of Angels” (Angel Town) he has earned worldwide recognition.
You have had experience serving in the armed forces. Can you tell us how you feel about it and what you learned there?
Olivier Gruner: My specialty was capturing ships. Then in France, in 1978-1979, there was a very similar situation to what is happening now in Somalia. Our team sailed up on Zodiac inflatable boats and “recaptured” tankers from pirates. We were very similar to the American Navy SEALs. The good thing about service is that it builds your character very quickly. During training, we were dropped in the middle of the ocean, and we had to figure out how to cope with the situation. This was done so that we understood: “never give up.” Survival skills depend more on the mind than on anything else; the body usually follows the mind. There I also learned how to protect myself. Yes, I had teammates, but if you can't take care of yourself, you can endanger the lives of your team members. When I served, I had the feeling that I would not be crushed.
When did you decide that you would devote yourself to martial arts and kickboxing in particular?
Olivier Gruner: When I was a child, around 11 years old, I was often beaten. Even though I didn't grow up in a bad part of town, I had a hard time. One day, after returning from school, I was attacked, and for the sake of self-defense I decided to study martial arts. I was also very inspired by the Bruce Lee films that were coming out at the time. Until recently, I never thought about becoming a professional fighter. My father was a pediatrician, so he was not very happy about the thought of his son being punched in the face. When I started holding prize fights and winning, entertaining the audience, people began to notice me. I feel like there's a lot of anxiety in the modern fighting world right now. After a loss, some fighters get too upset, but it's not about winning or losing, it's about keeping people entertained. It doesn't matter if you win or win, if you sell tickets, it means you'll fight often. This is business on a professional level. At the amateur level, winning is important because you are fighting for prizes or a place in a tournament. For pros, the main thing is money. Sometimes a guy with an even record of wins and losses who fights to entertain the crowd can make more money than an undefeated fighter.
When are you more nervous going into the ring or standing in front of the camera?
Olivier Gruner: These are completely different types of nervousness. It's one thing to speak in front of three thousand people when your mouth is dry, and another thing to go into the ring where someone is going to beat you up. In order not to relax, you need a feeling of anxiety. If I'm not nervous, I'll get into trouble straight away.
How did you transform from an athlete to an actor?
Olivier Gruner: I was in Cannes at the time, working at a ski resort. My friend and I decided to work part-time in the security service of the Cannes Film Festival, selling tickets and badges. One day a friend of mine said, “Why don’t you make a poster of yourself as a kickboxing champion?” So I did. A company called “Imperial Entertainment” was just looking for a martial arts “star”. At that time, Van Damme had become a real “star”, so they could not involve him in their project. I believe Van Damme's popularity helped many of us get onto the big screen.
Can you tell us about Imperial Entertainment and your contract work with them?
Olivier Gruner: Yes, of course. They released my first film, “City of Angels,” which turned out to be extremely successful. Then we made Nemesis, and it turned out even better. But a problem arose - they didn’t know what to film with me next. Those were difficult times; I waited two or three years to work in a new film. This really hurt my popularity. You need to be visible all the time. It's not good when you disappear for three whole years. So I had to leave them. However, it was an amazing work experience. They know exactly how to create a “star”.
Have you ever been offered to star in the Nemesis sequels?
Olivier Gruner: Naturally. After Nemesis, they wanted to make another film with me, but there was a small problem. I won't go into detail because that was many years ago and is no longer appropriate. Ultimately, in order to make the next film, I had to leave them. Director Albert Pyun decided to make 2-4 sequels because the franchise was very profitable. Recently, one of my friends and I decided to make another film together, “Nemesis”. I had to take matters into my own hands. I tried to talk to the company that owns the rights to the film, and they're having a disagreement with another company over the rights, so we'll see...
Not long ago you directed and personally financed your first film called “One Night”. Do you enjoy standing behind the camera while filming?
Olivier Gruner: Yes. Everything was great until some production problems started to appear. We had to work with a very small budget. The hardest thing is to create a “big” film on a small budget. There is envy in business, and it is very difficult to work with envious people. One such person was involved in our project, who “put a spoke in my wheels.” However, I enjoyed working with the actors and putting all the scenes together. The film turned out great. I think this is one of the best films I've ever done. I would love to direct again, I love it. I would also like to make films of a different genre.
In films you have excellent physical shape. Can you tell us about your training (daily?) regimen?
Olivier Gruner: For me it's a lifestyle. Some people are obsessed with beautiful cars and take pride in keeping them in good condition. I have the same situation with my body. I am a physically developed person, it just so happens. Every day I spend 3-4 hours doing fairly intense MMA and jiu-jitsu training.
Van Damme recently announced that he will compete in a K-1 bout this year. Have you ever wanted to get back into the ring?
Olivier Gruner: Yes, I train before the fight in the cage. However, now that I am older, it is more difficult to get permission to fight. Therefore, it will take place among the Indians on the reservation, in one of the casinos.
Which films of yours are you most proud of?
Olivier Gruner: I really like Nemesis, The Fighter and Mercenary, in which I worked with the late John Ritter. It was a lot of fun. Albert Pyun and I recently reunited to work on his new film, Tales of an Anicent Empire. I came to the set, they prepared me, and I took part in the filming for a couple of days. Albert Pyun and I have known each other for a long time, since 1992, since “Nemesis”.
What can we expect in the future from Olivier Gruner?
Olivier Gruner: I produce a series of programs about professional athletes called “The Pros”, tracking what is happening in sports arenas around the world. We have already filmed episodes about boxers and surfers, now we want to move on to MMA. This year the premiere of my first full-length film “One Night” should take place. In addition, after the success of “The Expendables,” producers are striving to use as many action stars as possible in their films. I just returned from Germany, where I heard about several upcoming film projects. It's like twelve '90s stars got together to make a movie. Guys like me, Lorenzo Lamas, Jeff Speakman and the rest. As I already said, the project is still at the development stage, but I am sure that it will take place.
Author: Jason Rugaard
Source: moviemavericks.com
Translation: EvilDollaR
Second-rate in game, but not in technique. :)
An excellent film, Nemesis, I first noticed Gruner there, I thought he had given up his career a long time ago. And the fact that they are preparing a project with Lorenzo Lamas and Jeff Speakman is great. They could also squeeze in Billy Blenks, Jalal Marhi, Cynthia Rothrock, Daniel Bernhard and other second-rate action actors)))
And when I first saw “Savat” with Gruner, I missed the beginning and didn’t know the name of the film. I searched for a very, very long time, came across it a couple of times when it was shown on TV, but, again, I missed the beginning... :( (you could only dream about the Internet back then). Only 5-6 years later did I find out exactly what it was was for the movie. :D
I just love the film Savate - this is the film of my childhood :) Olivier is an excellent fighter and actor, but unfortunately he is second tier.... At one time I was very keen on his film "Savage" - I was really hooked by the commercial. In general, with great difficulty I found a video cassette in my city - But the film turned out to be so-so - just right...:)
PS His fight against Sammo in Martial Law was very good.
Offtop: The Karate Kid on DVD and Blu-Ray with an interesting list of extras.
What year is the photo? Above?
2008, if I'm not mistaken.
I immediately thought that “The Fighter” was a phantom project of “Close Combat”, but it turned out that it was “Savat”. :)