Star Wars I

Background:

“I've always wanted to be in films, that's why I started martial arts. Ever since I was about three, it's been a dream, you know you always want to be in movies, but I never knew how to do it. All I knew was that if I did my martial arts, maybe one day I'd get spotted and maybe do a martial art movie.” Ray Park

Prior to his career in entertainment industry, Scotland-born, London-bred Ray Park made a name for himself in the world of martial arts. Having been involved in the traditional Chinese Northern Shaolin Kung Fu since age 7, he has won a number of championships around the globe, including the the International Wu Shu/Chin Woo Championships in China, the First World Wu Shu Championship in Beijing and the European Championships in London, among others. It was in 1997 that the lissome actor made his big screen debut as a stunt double in “Mortal Kombat 2 – Annihilation,” but he did not score major success until two years later when he was cast in the desirable role of malevolent Darth Maul in the highly successful “Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace.” For his fine efforts, Park was handed two MTV Movie nominations and a Blockbuster Entertainment nomination. He gained additional blockbuster exposure with Bryan Singer's “X-Men” (2000), in which he was cast as the wicked Toad, and has since acted in such projects as “Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever” (2002, with Antonio Banderas and Lucy Liu), “Potheads: The Movie” (2005) and “What We Do Is Secret” (2006, starred Shane West).

Park's admirers should not miss his impressive performances in the upcoming movies “Fanboys” (2008), “Iron Fist” (2008), “Ram” (2008) and “G.I. Joe” (2009).

Martial Arts Champ

Childhood and Family:

Raymond “Ray”Park was born on August 23, 1974, in Glasgow, Scotland. He was raised in Govan, Glasgow, where he was educated at Greenfield Primary School, until age 7. His family then moved to London. Ray has a brother and a sister.

Young Ray 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. A born athlete, he immediately dominated the field and had added kickboxing and wushu to his endeavors by age 14. When he was 16, Ray won Great Britain's Martial Arts National Championship for his class and then went to Malaysia 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.

Left-handed Ray is married to Lisa and has a daughter named Sienna. The family now reside in Los Angeles.

Iron Fist

Career:

“In 1990 I became a fan of Jet Li after I saw him 'Shaolin Temple,' I was blown away by his skills as a martial artist. I learned that he practiced Wushu, I wanted to do Wushu, I wanted to get into doing movies, thats when i seeked out MR. Kim Sen Han, the National British Wushu Team coach. I was a member of the British Wushu team between 1991-1996.” Ray Park

Ray Park left his native land of Glasgow, Scotland, for London when he was seven years old. It was around that same period that he began taking classes in Northern Shoalin Kung Fu and by age 16, he had won Great Britain's martial arts national championship for his category. Thanks to his natural talent, Park became part of a selected group to train in Malaysia and won a number of martial arts tournaments worldwide. He collected two gold medals and a silver medal at the International Wu Shu/Chin Woo Championships in Tian Quin, China, and four gold medals at the European Championships in London. He also nabbed success at the Malaysian National Championships, the First World Wu Shu Championship in Beijing and tournaments in Moscow, Germany and Istanbul. In 1995, at age 21, Park fulfilled his major ambition by contending in the Marital Arts World Championships.

A proficient martial artist, Park supported himself by couching martial arts and gymnastics. While doing these odd jobs, he auditioned as a stunt man and was recruited as the stunt double for James Remar's character Rayden in “Mortal Kombat: The Annihilation” (1997), a film based on the well-liked video fighting game. Next, he auditioned for stunt work on George Lucas' “Star Wars: Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace” (1999), but the impressed director/writer and the film producer Rick McCallum instead offered him a part in the highly-anticipated science-fiction film. As vicious Darth Maul, Park was required to wear red and black face paint and horns and had his voice dubbed. He was also offered the creative freedom to develop his own fight sequences. In addition to popularity, the role brought Park two MTV Movie nominations for Best Fight and Best Villain and a Blockbuster Entertainment nomination for Favorite Villain.

“Everyone treats me like a superstar, which I'm not. I'm a bit overwhelmed, but it's really nice. People recognize you, and you just try to be yourself, but that changes things, 'cos they look at you in a different way, they've seen all the advertising and Darth Maul stuff. Star Wars has done it and put you as a sort of superstar, but I don't see it like that. I'm still the same person as I was several years ago, it's just that I've met a lot more people and I've traveled a lot this year.” Ray Park

After the coveted role, Park returned to his stunt-person roots for Tim Burton's “Sleepy Hollow” (1999), in which he was the double for equine-neurotic Christopher Walken's Headless Horseman. It was a year later that the good-looking actor finally showed his face as the nefarious Toad in the Bryan Singer hit “X-Men,”co-starring with Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Famke Janssen, James Marsden, Halle Berry and Anna Paquin. He next joined Antonio Banderas, Lucy Liu and Gregg Henry for the 2002 action/thriller movie “Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever,” playing A.J. Ross, but did not resurface until three years later in the comedy/crime movie “Potheads: The Movie” (2005), helmed and written by Michael Anton.

Park made his television movie debut as acrobatic twins in “Slayer” (2006), starring one of “Sleepy Hollow” stars, Casper Van Dien. The following year, he appeared as Brendan Mullen in the biopic film “What We Do Is Secret,” about punk legend Darby Crash (played by Shane West) and his band, the Germs. He played Chuck Norris in the TV series “The Legend of Bruce Lee,” which premiered on China Central Television (CCTV) in April 2008.

Recently, Park has completed filming “Fanboys,” a 2008 adventure film directed by Kyle Newman. There he plays a security guard. He will star as Damien Maxwell on the sci-fi/thriller “Ram” and play Snake Eyes in Stephen Sommers' action “G.I. Joe.” Both movies were slated for release December 15, 2008 and August 7, 2009, respectfully. Besides, Park has the titular crime fighter in the Steve Carr-directed “Iron Fist” (2008). The film was lensed during 2001-2002.

Awards:

• Great Britain's Martial Arts National Championship: 1990