Ray Park
| Ray Park | |
|---|---|
 Park in June 2011 |
|
| Born | Raymond Park 23 August 1974 Glasgow, Scotland, U.K. |
| Occupation | Actor, stuntman, martial artist |
| Years active | 1997–present |
| Website | |
| http://www.raypark.com | |
Raymond "Ray" Park (born 23 August 1974) is a Scottish actor, stuntman and martial artist, best known for playing the physical part of Darth Maul in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Toad in X-Men, Snake Eyes in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra,[1][2] and Edgar on Heroes.[3]
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[edit] Early life
Park was born in Glasgow, Scotland. He was brought up in Govan, Glasgow, where he was educated at Greenfield Primary School, until the age of 7. His family then moved to London. Park has a brother and a sister.
Park was introduced to martial arts by his father, who was a fan of Bruce Lee, and began training in the traditional Chinese Northern Shaolin Kung Fu when he was seven years old. He added kickboxing and wushu to his hobbies by age 14. When he was 16, Park won Great Britain's Martial Arts National Championship for his class[citation needed] and then went to Malaysia to try to improve his skills. He went on to compete in martial arts tournaments around the world and brought home awards before turning his attention to acting in the late 1990s.[4][unreliable source?]
[edit] Career
He began working in films as a stunt double for the film Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, doing the stunts for both Robin Shou and James Remar. Park also did some cameos as monsters, including Baraka. All of these were non-speaking roles.[5]
In 1999, Park appeared in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, as the Sith Apprentice Darth Maul. While the character had a few lines, Park's voice was dubbed over with that of actor Peter Serafinowicz. From his work on Star Wars, Park was cast in a cameo role in Fanboys as a Skywalker Ranch security guard who says, "Time for you to get mauled, boy," as he pulls out two nightsticks.
In addition to this acting work, he has also been Christopher Walken's fight stunt double for the film Sleepy Hollow. Park appeared in the scene where Walken's character, the Headless Horseman, murders the Killian family and Brom Bones.[6]
Park had his first real speaking part in X-Men as Toad. In one scene of this film, after sending Storm (Halle Berry) down an elevator shaft, he picks up a length of pipe and swings it around in much the same way he swung his dual-bladed lightsaber as Darth Maul, a signature wushu move.
Park has been asked to become a superhero, instead of a villain, in a film about Marvel Comics character Iron Fist, but the film has been in preproduction for some years now. Iron Fist deals with an American millionaire who becomes a martial artist with the power of focusing his "life force" or chi into his fist, making it glow with energy and become "like unto a thing of iron" and able to impact with superhuman force.
In December 2007, Park was confirmed for the role of Snake Eyes in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, involving a variation of the international G.I. Joe force who fought the minions of Cobra in the comics.
He worked with comic book creator-turned-filmmaker Kevin VanHook in the film Slayer, starring in the dual roles of acrobatic twin vampires. This film also saw him appearing again with Sleepy Hollow co-star Casper Van Dien.
ComiCon 2007 saw the premiere of the teaser trailer for Descendants, another comic book adaptation based on an independent comic by writer Joey Andrade.[7]
Park also appeared as Edgar in the fourth season of the television series Heroes.
Park was also included in the motion capture team of the 2008 James Bond video game adaptation of Quantum of Solace.
In the comic-book-styled film Hellbinders, he plays a soulless mercenary who, along with an elite assassin (Johnny Yong Bosch) and the last remaining member of the long dead Knights Templar, Esteban Cueto, must overcome their innate mistrust of each other and join forces to defeat Legion before it opens the gates of hell itself and overruns the entire world. Park narrated on 26 February 2010 the introduction of The FireBreather, a car from Classic Design Concepts in Detroit Autorama 2010,[8] the vehicle is part of the Supernatural thriller Jinn.[9]
[edit] Personal life
Park now resides in Los Angeles.[10]
[edit] Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Mortal Kombat: Annihilation | Raptor #3/Tarkata #2 | also double for Robin Shou |
| 1999 | Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace | Darth Maul | Nominated – MTV Movie Award for Best Fight (shared with Liam Neeson and Ewan McGregor) Nominated – MTV Movie Award for Best Villain |
| Sleepy Hollow | Headless Horseman | ||
| 2000 | X-Men | Toad | |
| 2002 | Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever | A.J. Ross | |
| 2005 | Potheads: The Movie | Mr. D | |
| 2006 | Slayer | Acrobatic Vampire Twins | (Movie) |
| 2007 | What We Do Is Secret | Brendan Mullen | |
| The Legend of Bruce Lee | Chuck Norris | ||
| 2009 | Fanboys | THX Security Guard #2 | |
| G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra | Snake Eyes | ||
| Heroes | Edgar | Season four, recurring role | |
| Hellbinders | Max | ||
| 2010 | The King of Fighters | Rugal Bernstein | |
| 2011 | Supah Ninjas | Harry | Episode: Kickbutt |
| 2012 | G.I. Joe: Retaliation | Snake Eyes | |
| Jinn | Gabriel | Post-production |
[edit] References
- ^ "GI JOE – YO JOE, The Snake Has Returned". Kung Fu Magazine. http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=833. Retrieved 22 February 2010.
- ^ "Interview: Ray Park on the Set of G.I. Joe". IESB. http://www.iesb.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7200:interview-ray-park-on-the-set-of-gi-joe&catid=44:interviews&Itemid=172. Retrieved 10 June 2010.
- ^ "Ray Park: Unmasked on HEROES". Kung Fu Magazine. http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=840. Retrieved 24 February 2010.
- ^ The Ray Park Picture Pages-Childhood and Family: http://www.superiorpics.com/ray_park/
- ^ "Ray Park and Martial Arts: Part 1". Kung Fu Magazine. http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=258. Retrieved 24 February 2010.
- ^ "Ray Park and Martial Arts: Part 2". Kung Fu Magazine. http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=278. Retrieved 24 February 2010.
- ^ Interview with G4TV: http://www.g4tv.com/pile_player.aspx?video_key=17177
- ^ Ray Park to Breathe Fire in Jinn; Meet Him This Friday in Michigan
- ^ Movie Company Exodus Pictures Announces Actor Ray Park to Unveil Hero Car Debuting at Detroit Autorama 2010
- ^ The Ray Park Pictures Pages-Childhood and Family: http://www.superiorpics.com/ray_park/
[edit] External links
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