Can you tell me about the Dead Or Alive movie coming out? And about your character.
Yeah, it's already done - it's coming out in August - end of August. We did the movie last year around
this time. My character is Hayate. Before I did this movie - this is a very popular game... after I got a phone
call about this project, and I remembered that this was a very popular game in Japan.
Have you ever played the game?
No, I don't play games. I prefer to watch
movies in my spare time. Even though I've done a couple of them - "Enter The Matrix" and "Matrix
Online", but I don't play games right now.
You
started as a stuntman, how did you get to where you are now?
With a lot of hard work - I started
as a stuntman when I was twelve years old. At eighteen I got my first leading role in film, so I consider myself to
be an actor with martial arts skills.
Have you ever suffered
any injuries?
While filming DOA (Dead or Alive) I
suffered a back injury. Almost paralyzed me. I was filming a scene that required me to land on my back - so I
did a few takes, and on the last one I landed wrong. At that time, I knew something was injured, but I was able to get
back to the hotel. The next day I couldn't move my legs, I had to be carried to the hospital. Luckily there
was a very good hospital nearby, and with help... they got me walking again. The major treatment is called Acupuncture.
I was lucky. Being an actor that's almost always in an action movie... it's very common to have injuries.
Has your family life effected your career at all?
They have been really supportive - my wife is really supportive.
Is
there anyone in Hollywood that you would like to work with?
Well, as long as the stories attracts
me. I'm afraid of doing roles that are the same. The sequels are the exception. I have turned down a
lot of Matrix type movies - I prefer to do something... for example, comedy. Or drama. So the audience can see
my other side.
Is there any talk for another Matrix movie?
No. When I finished it - if you have seen the third one, you will see me and The Oracle... and supposedly they
have an idea based on The Oracle the matrix. But I don't think they are going to do part four - maybe twenty years
later.
How do you keep in shape? What kind of routines do
you do daily?
I just go work out at the gym. Do some weight training and cardio. Then
come back home and do some stretching and martial arts. But it's not as much as before - because my age is gaining.
(laughs) Plus I don't want to do just that, I want to be able to do some different stuff. Martial arts, if
you have foundation... it's easy to pick it up. If they require me to do some certain stuff... in DOA my character
was required to use a different style... northern style, but my foundation was more southern style. So I needed to go
back a week before and learn - it only took a couple days... then I picked it up.
What's one of your most memorable experiences while working on a movie?I must say that working
on The Matrix movies were very memorable for me. It opened my eyes to the way Hollywood makes movies. I was extremely
satisfied with the working conditions and general atmosphere on the set of the Matrix. During the shooting, the
Wachowski brother were very nice to everyone and created a harmonious work place. That was the first experience of it's
kind for me because up until then, all the movies I have worked on had very demanding and stressful atmospheres.
The leads in the film were also extremely kind to me and often offered good advice to me about everything.
What was the video game making process like for you (for the Matrix games)?
Did you enjoy it?
I did some motion capture, which involved some action sequences, and some voice-over,
that’s it. But the most memorable part was when I filmed a fight sequence with Roy Jones Jr. This was definitely
the most enjoyable of all. Since my character and Roy's character don't meet in the movie the scene of boxing
versus martial arts was
especially filmed for the game as a "gift" for the game players.
Do you have any other projects that you're working on?
Right
now I'm just doing the pre-production for John Woo's new movie called Battle Of Red Cliff. It's
based on the Three Kingdoms - it's a drama. Our idea is to trying to create a new genre. The Three Kingdoms
have never been made into a movie, so this will be the first. It's John Woo's thirty years dream. So we
are doing the pre-production right now and it's going to be shot next year around March. And another project is
in various stages of development - hopefully between Red Cliff... I can finish this film.
