This rare interview was conducted in February 2005 in San Francisco during a promotional tour ahead of the film's American release. “Ong-Bak”. Questions were asked alternately during the allotted 30 minutes by two journalists, who subsequently compiled the information received into one article.
retroCRUSH: So, how does it feel to be called “the next Bruce Lee”?
Tony Jaa: Bruce Lee is my hero and my inspiration, so I consider him one of my teachers.
retroCRUSH: I understand there were a lot of injuries on the set of Ong-Bak. What were the most serious injuries you suffered during filming?
Tony Jaa: I tore a ligament, sprained my ankle, didn't act for a month because of it, and burned my eyelashes in the fire scene.
SEANBABY: In that scene, when your leg is on fire... that guy you hit, that actor, he's already dead, isn't he?
Tony Jaa: (laughs) It was one of the stuntmen.
SEANBABY: Yeah, that was a great shot. Which American martial arts stars would you like to act with?
Tony Jaa: With Steven Seagal and Chuck Norris.
SEANBABY: Have you ever watched the TV series “Walker Texas Ranger”?
Tony Jaa: Yes, I was still a kid then. I also watched films with Tom Cruise.
retroCRUSH: Can you tell me a little about the opening sequence where the villagers climb a tree, fight, and fall down? What it was like, it looked very violent... people were actually falling and hitting branches.
Tony Jaa: It comes from a childhood game where you have to climb a tree, but the tree was usually in water, so it didn't hurt as much when you fell.
SEANBABY: Do you think Muay Thai is more difficult to choreograph than Kung Fu?
Tony Jaa: I think it's as difficult as kung fu... but you see the techniques [in this film] clearly, they're real and tough, like that. To participate in the filming, the stuntmen had to use all their skills and train a lot. The people involved in the film know what to do to avoid getting hurt. The blows are real, not with full force, but somewhere with half force. In some episodes, to add reality, you had to fight for real. Sometimes you would get hit and your head would start to feel a little dizzy. It's like boxing, it hurts, but it's a sport.
retroCRUSH: Is it difficult to get insurance before filming these types of films where there are real fights, where there are full contact fights?
Tony Jaa: It’s a bit difficult, after watching all these scenes people were reluctant to agree. We wanted to show the real capabilities of a person, and not use ropes and so on.
SEANBABY: Do you watch K-1 fights?
Tony Jaa: Yes.
SEANBABY: Do you have a favorite fighter?
Tony Jaa: I don't actually know their names, but I like a Thai boxer from Japan. Are you taking part in K-1?
SEANBABY: (laughs) I would love to, but I'm afraid they'll kill me there.
retroCRUSH: In real life, have you ever met people who wanted to fight you and find out how good you are?
Tony Jaa: Usually they just come up and want to meet you. They want me to teach them. When you learn Muay Thai kindness comes out, it is an art for meditation...improving your skills so that you can become a good fighter. It's not so much about fighting as it is about meditation and maintaining your inner strength.
SEANBABY: Of all the stunts in this film, which one are you most proud of?
Tony Jaa: I'm proud of everyone (laughs). The Muay Thai episodes provided an opportunity to introduce the art to the world. In the scene at the market you see real possibilities and strength, without ropes, you yourself are able to repeat this. This is what makes the scene different – there are no real fights in it, but it simply fascinates the viewer.
SEANBABY: I loved the barbed wire part!
retroCRUSH: How many attempts did you manage to perform this trick?
Tony Jaa: From three. Well, we started with a larger diameter, then smaller and smaller. I love the part where I slide under the car.
SEANBABY: And what was the trick?
retroCRUSH: Where do you do the splits...
Tony Jaa: In this episode, Teacher Panna, my teacher who also worked on the film, had to drive the car. If someone else had done this, he might have calculated the time incorrectly. (laughs) I told Panna: “My life is in your hands!”
SEANBABY: Are you currently working on Ong-Bak 2?
Tony Jaa: It's called “Tom-Yum-Goong,” which is actually not a sequel to “Ong-Bak.” But I think it can be called a sequel, since “Ong-Bak” tells about Thai culture through Buddhism, and “Tom-Yum-Goong” through the history of Thai elephants.
SEANBABY: Is there a lot of Muay Thai in it?
Tony Jaa: Quite a lot, and it's a variation of Muay Thai that includes elephants used during wars.
retroCRUSH: Can you give an example of how Muay Thai and elephants can be combined?
Tony Jaa: The style you'll see in “Tom-Yum-Goong” is called Muay Thai Kotchasan, which uses elephant moves, like the trunk move, which later became a move.
SEANBABY: Are you looking for a job in America?
Tony Jaa: I want to work there, but first I would like to consolidate my position in Thailand.
SEANBABY: Which American stars would you like to work with?
Tony Jaa: With Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks. (laughs)
retroCRUSH: Why do you think Muay Thai is becoming more and more popular in America?
Tony Jaa: For Americans, this is a new style of martial arts, and then, perhaps, for Americans, Muay Thai appears in three varieties at once: one you see in Ong-Bak, one in the ring, and one at the amateur level. And when they look at this style, which is more brutal than most other types of martial arts they have seen before, then maybe that is why they like Muay Thai.
SEANBABY: You starred in the movie “Mortal Kombat 2: Annihilation”, I like it. And you? What do you think about this film?
Tony Jaa: I had the opportunity to audition while still studying at the University of Physical Education and Sports. This is a good way to show off your fighting skills.
SEANBABY: Do you like these types of films? I know that you strive to show physical strength in its purest form, but do you like kung fu films with all sorts of magical flights?
Tony Jaa: Not like the ones where you show your real abilities.
retroCRUSH: On the same topic, there have been a lot of popular martial arts films released in America recently, such as House of Flying Daggers and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Do you think America is ready to accept films like yours, which show real skill and fighting, as opposed to those in which people are pulled up on ropes higher than bamboo trees?
Tony Jaa: Each person has to approach it differently, but someone who really loves martial arts will be able to reach the maximum limit of their capabilities, especially those who liked the early films, for example, with Bruce Lee, the founder of the genre.
SEANBABY: What other types of martial arts do you like? What did you do before? I know that you like Muay Thai and gymnastics...
Tony Jaa: At university I studied all types of martial arts, I like fencing, bushido, aikido, jiu-jitsu.
SEANBABY: Is this a university that trains actors?
Tony Jaa: This is a university of physical education and sports, but usually not everyone gets there; you need to devote yourself entirely to this matter.
retroCRUSH: Which Thai dishes would you recommend, and, first of all, which one is your favorite?
Tony Jaa: (laughs) Tom-Yung-Goong! Do you eat spicy foods?
retroCRUSH: Yes, I really like spicy food.
SEANBABY: What is your high jump record?
Tony Jaa: 2 meters.
SEANBABY: Wow! Can you do a slam dunk?
Tony Jaa: I did high jump (laughs), I didn’t try to do a slam dunk, but I did a trick where I ran over people’s shoulders and threw the ball into the basket.
By: Robert Barry, Sean Patrick Reilly
Source: retrocrush.com
Translation: EvilDollaR
Guys said Tony Jaadied. Is it true?
A certain "Tony Jaa" may have died, but the real Tony Jaa is still alive.
Apparently filming is not easy, injuries are always unpleasant and dangerous
http://www.tonyjaathai-fanclub.com/index.php?lay=show&ac=article&Id=539365037&Ntype=1 New news! Again in Thai, difficult to understand through Google. but it seems it says about 2 months of recovery and torn tendons...
Thank you, I’ll try to combine information from 2 sources into one news.
Who did he play in Mortal Kombat 2???
He dubbed Robin Shu (Liu Kang), and once even dubbed Sammo Hung in a commercial ;)
Thank you very much for the translation EvilDollaR! It was very interesting to read. And your efforts were not in vain, there will always be people here ready to read your translations of interviews/articles!
Thank you. There are still interesting articles in stock. If there is a crisis of good news, I will throw in a little bit.
The fact that the injury is 100%, I clarified, an injury in the knee area...
Many missed it... Filming was slowed down due to flooding in Bangkok, plus Tony may have been injured. Conclusion: you need to shoot in the mountains and without motorcycles (just kidding).
Thanks for the interview.
What about his new film, when should we expect it? I kind of miss Tony Jaa =)
So, this is Reilly (Seanbaby), he’s no joke. ;)
Interesting interview. I was surprised by this moment “he’s already dead, isn’t he?”, I thought something bad, like Jaa is a stuntman killer)))))
Not at all.
I tried to remember how many articles/interviews with Tony Jaa I translated, but I was confused - there are a lot of them, mostly they were not published on this site, and, perhaps, no longer under my authorship, but I have this interview in RuNet Have not found. Anyway, thank you for taking the time to read, it means my effort was not in vain...
Thank you.
Great interview, thanks for the translation.