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Let me start this
interview at the beginning of your career for a change: How did you intitially get into martial arts,
and what can you tell us about your career as a fighter up to your
introduction into the Black Belt Hall of Fame in 1991?
I was into sports all my life, and when my brother got into kung fu, I
thought it was cool and I decided to try martial arts. I started
with Tae Kwon Do, then switched to Kung Fu.
Did a little Tae Kwon Do at 8 years old. Then started Kung Fu at
13 years old.
I practiced 4 to 8 hours a day. My main goal was to compete and
do well. Pacticed Lama Kung Fu, Seven Star Praying Mantis, Tae Kwon Do, Wu Shu,
Shaolin Kung Fu.
Competed on a professional team for a few years and I was fortune it
enough to do well and got inducted into the Black Belt Hall of Fame.
How
did you get into the film business in the first place?
The
people from the Ninja Turtles movies came to a tournament and saw me
compete and asked me to come to LA and audition. I did that and got
the role of Raphael in TMNT II.
You
played a role in the videogames Mortal Kombat and Mortal
Kombat 2 in the early 1990's. What can you tell us about that, you
subsequent career in videogames, and for
all of us not familiar with the videogame world: How do you play a role in
a videogame?
My
friend asked me to do the video game because he knew I was a martial arts
champion and I just got done doing TMNT II. Doing
the game was a great experience. We also toured to promote
the game for the home systems.
I
have done video games since then but now they use motion capturing
movements and draw in the characters.
In MK1 and MK2 we filmed the actors and placed them directly on the screen.
So it is one of the only games in which you play real people. I
think that is one of the reasons it was so popular.
How did you get a role in Jackie Chan's Legend
of the Drunken Master/Drunken Master 2, and a few words about
the film and Mr Chan?
The
director, Lau Kar Leung came to the set of TMNT III and saw me and asked if I
would be in his film. It happened to be Drunken Master 2.
Spent
8 months in Asia doing the movie. Had a wonderful time playing the
role of Henry.
Jackie
is a good guy. This is before he made it big in America but I am
sure he is still the same, very down to earth.
A few words about the WMAC
Masters, in which you participated as Superstar? WMAC
was great. We filmed in Orlando. They got all the great
martial artists at the time and we got the do what we do best. Also,
working with my brother, Hoyoung Pak, was great.
You
have over the years done action choreography on numerous films, but the
most unusual project you have worked on was probably doing some choreography
for Madonna's Drowned World-tour in 2001. What can you
tell us about your work on that one, and how did you get involved with the
whole thing in the first place?
My friend asked me to come
teach Madonna Kung Fu and she liked what I did so I taught her and
choreographed the fight scenes for the tour. I liked working with
her because she is a perfectionist. In Epoch of Lotus
from 2000, you played your first lead in a feature film. What can you tell
us about that one, and how easy was it for you to get into acting in a
lead role? Working with the people in Epoch was a really
wonderful experience. The role was not a difficult one because I
played a warrior.
In 2005, you not only starred in but co-wrote
and co-produced two films, Book of Swords and Fist of the Warrior/Lesser of Three
Evils. What are these two films about?
Fist
of the Warrior is about 3 characters whose lives entangle each others.
I play an assassin that wants to walk away from the mob but they will not
let me. It was a cool character to play.
Book
of Swords is about a guy who finds out his true destiny. Just a good kick
ass fighting film.
What
made you decide to take the step and go into producing these films? I
have an MBA (masters in Business) and I thought I should use it. So
producing these films was part of my business goal.
You
wrote the stories for both Book of Swords and Fist of the Warrior. What were your main inspirations? Characters
that young men would like to see. And characters that have a love
interest. And fights of course. A few words
about GenOne, the production company of Book of Swords and Lesser
of Three Evils, which you are somehow involved in?
We
are hoping to make more films in the next few years.
After
your experiences with Book of Swords and Fist of the Warrior,
what do you see yourself first and foremost, a martial artist, a stunt
choreographer, an actor, a producer or a writer?
Good
question. I like acting and producing the most.
Martial
arts is a part of my life so anything to do with that, I enjoy.
In 2005
you also made two films with the for some reason notorious director Uwe
Boll, Alone in the Dark and BloodRayne. What can you tell us
about these movies and Mr Boll?
Uwe is a really good guy.
I think he has a lot of passion for his films. For some reason his
films do not do well but it is not because of a lack of passion
and love of film making. Had a good experience on his films.
And he is really nice and down to earth.
A few words about the
wonderfully titled 18 Fingers of Death?
Funny film
with James Lew as director and actor.
Speaking
of wonderful titles, what can you tell us about Dead and Deader?
LOL...
the movie is better than the title.
Any
other films or projects I have somehow missed you'd like to mention? I
will let you know about other project soon... thanks for asking. Your website,
MySpace, Facebook, whatever else?
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/profile.php?id=693388968
Thanks
for the interview!
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