Every martial arts style is represented on screen by some actor. Kyokushin karate is Dolph Lundgren и Michael Jai White, kung Fu - Jackie Chan, wushu – Jet Li, tai chi – Bolo Yen, taekwondo – Philip Rea, there is even an Indonesian silat in the face Iko Uwaisa. But when it comes to powerful Muay Thai, no one can compare to this man who amazed the world in 2003 with the film "Ong Bak", where he showed what he was capable of by combining Muay Thai with acrobatics and stunts.
Bound closely by work with a Thai studio, he did not have the opportunity to demonstrate his abilities in Hollywood, but the offer to play in “Fast and Furious 7” in 2013 finally gave him such a chance. He didn’t get much screen time, but now the whole world has heard about the new action star - Tony Jaa.
Soon after, he was cast in the Hong Kong film "Stars of Destiny 2", as well as together with two titans of the genre, Dolph Lundgren и Michael Jai White, appeared in the action movie "The slave trade", produced by Jaa's new manager, Michael Shelby, in order to attract the attention of Hollywood.
Currently working in Canada filming "Returns of Xander Cage" together with Vin Diesel и Donnie Yen, Tony took the time to chat with me and talk about his film career.
Budomate: At birth you were given the name Panom Yiram, what is the story behind the name Tony Jaa?
Tony: In fact, there is no special story in this. It was just more convenient to take "Ja" from "Japan" and use that as a surname. "Jah" was first pronounced with one "a". And "Tony" is just a screen name. Friends and family call me Jaa or Jaaskey.
B: As far as I know, your teacher was Panna Rittikrai. Tell us how you met him?
Т: I had several teachers, including my father, but Panna was especially important to me. I met him when I was trying to find work as a stuntman. He was making some local action films and invited me to participate. I learned a lot from him in terms of choreography.
Do you remember your first movie stunt? Where, when and how was it?
It was in a local movie, a regular short fight scene. Nothing special.
You got your first opportunity when you became Robin Shue's stunt double in Mortal Kombat 2, which not everyone knows about. Tell us how you did it?
By that time I had a lot of experience as a stuntman, my proportions were right and I was familiar with the style that was chosen for Robin, so I was just right for it and was very happy to do the job.
Is it true that you were Sammo Hungg's stunt double in the commercial?
Yes, I was, I put several pillows on myself.
In 2003, you turned the world upside down with Ong Bak, and fans began desperately seeking information about you as the newest action star. Don't you feel like you've raised the bar for all Thai action films since then?
I think a lot of it is not that “I raised the bar”, but that we were able to bring attention to Thailand and how much talent we have here.
The film "Honor of the Dragon" addresses the topic of animal smuggling, how close is this problem to you? What is the main message of this film?
I am very concerned about environmental protection, nature is part of the world we live in and we must preserve and protect it. Elephants in particular are very important to me. I grew up with elephants; my parents raised elephants. At an early age I learned how to ride, train and care for them.
Do you remember how many world tours and presentations you did to promote Ong Bak and Dragon's Honor?
I don't remember exactly how many, but there were a lot of them, especially for Ong Bak. It was an exciting time.
In Asian films, characters show fighting skills rather than emotions. What has changed for you in this regard since breaking into the Hollywood market?
I have always enjoyed acting and wanted the opportunity to expand my boundaries. I think that in some Asian films, although the action scenes are excellent, the presentation of the plot is lame. I am attracted to full-length films, where not only there is a lot of bright action, but also good acting and an interesting plot.
What was the most dangerous stunt you've ever performed?
The one where my legs were set on fire and I had to do a flying knee strike on a guy on a motorcycle. I felt like I was barbecuing meat.
In Stars of Destiny 2, you play a prison guard who has a sick daughter. Was it difficult to play this role and how did you get it?
The producers approached me and I really liked the script and the cast. I also liked the idea of playing dramatic role combined with a fighting component. “Stars of Destiny 2” is an Asian film exactly to my taste, there is action, plot, and acting.
Stars of Destiny 2 had a very intense fight scene where Max Zhang looked very impressive as the main villain. How long did it take to film this scene, and were there any injuries?
Max Zhang, who played the “bad guy,” is very talented both as an actor and as a film fighter. Max performed his own stunts. Filming this scene took about a week. The choreography was really well thought out. At the same time, great attention was paid to safety, so that there were no injuries.
Please tell me what it's like to fight Dolph Lundgren and Michael Jai White, fights like these are difficult to choreograph correctly due to the difference in height and weight of the fighters.
Choreography is not difficult, you just have to think about how each character moves and what looks realistic. Michael and I developed our fight scene together over four days. Dolph is a true professional, so directing the scene with him was easy.
“I have mostly physical power, and he has kicks and acrobatics. It's hard to put it together, especially if you want it to look realistic. Rehearsals took us a couple of weeks. We filmed for almost a week. I definitely got a lot of bruises." – Dolph Lundgren
Were you nervous filming Furious 7 alongside stars like Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Jason Statham and The Rock?
This was my first Hollywood film, I was worried every day, like a little child.
Will we see you in Fast & Furious 8 and 9?
I can't answer, time will tell. I was a big fan of the Fast and the Furious series. These films are dynamic and exciting. A great mix of humor and action, something I really appreciate. I could not have imagined a better film for my debut in American cinema.
You are currently working on "Xander Cage"along with Vin Diesel, Donnie Yen and others. How does it feel to be part of such an anticipated project?
Vin and I became good friends. After filming Furious 7, he began to treat me like part of the family. It really is like working in a family. Donnie was great and I really enjoyed my time with him. The rest of the team was just as wonderful, Chris, Deepika, Nina - fantastic people, both on set and in life. Directed by DJ, he's a ton of fun.
Any chance of seeing you on screen with Jason Statham or Scott Adkins anytime soon?
Both of these guys are my friends and I would love to work with them.
Now some movie stars, such as Ron Smoorenburg, Gary Daniels or Brahim Achabakke, have moved to Thailand. More and more films are being filmed there. What is the reason for this?
Thailand is a great place for filming. Tons of talent, tons of possible locations and great local crews.
Do you like superhero films, and have you been invited to star in any of them? Or maybe you're thinking about making your own movie?
I think it would be fun to be in a superhero movie. I have some thoughts about this, but I'll keep them to myself for now.
Which actor would you dream of working with and would agree to no matter what?
There are several such people; it is impossible to single out just one.
Have you watched the movie "Raid"?
Yes, this is a great action movie.
Don't you think it would be cool to make an action-packed movie where you and Iko Uwais play brothers and Michael Jai White plays the villain?
I like Mike as the good guy, but I would love to work with Iko, he's very talented.
We all hope that you are not going to slow down and that you still have everything ahead. What's next for Tony Jaa?
I have two more action films planned for this year. I'll let you know about them in due course.
My traditional question is: which three martial arts films would you consider classics?
There is only one film that stands above all others for me, and that is Enter the Dragon.
Thanks for your time, Tony. When I saw Ong Bak in 2003, I never imagined that I would be talking to you about this and other wonderful projects you have been involved in. Keep it up!
Thank you! All the best.
Source: Budomate
Translation: Viktor Egorov
Home » The Interview »
Tags: Vin Diesel, Dolph Lundgren, Donnie Yen, Ong-Bak, Panna Rittikrai, Tony JAA
Tags: Vin Diesel, Dolph Lundgren, Donnie Yen, Ong-Bak, Panna Rittikrai, Tony JAA
The interview is excellent. Finally, I heard Tony's opinions on the film Raid and Iko in particular. Thanks for the material.
Lindolion, the breadth of this opinion is amazing :)
Wave,
At least we found out that he is familiar with paintings. And the desire to film with Iko gives little hope.
Thanks for the article and additional information. video. It was interesting. It's a pity that Jha switched to Hollywood (except for spl2). After all, age still allows me to act in films like Ongbak.
Xander,
Oh, no more "Ong bak"! What Tony did before he went to Hollywood was terrible. After all, action movies are not cinema. Let him gain a foothold in Hollywood or China.
DIV,
Clarification: in films like ongbak. IMHO. better china than hollywood. There are already a lot of complete scams, but these are high-quality films with bi. not enough, especially in Hollywood)
Xander,
However, a successful career can be built in Hollywood, even if Jha “slides” into serial projects. In China he can get really good roles in interesting films, but he will never belong there. At home, alas, after the failure of his films, no one really needs him. For now he is interesting in the West. Maybe in Europe he will work with the French or Germans.