Martial artssequences infilmsare often impressive, but they take a lot of work behind the scenes, with a few actors putting in the work to learn martial arts to pull off such scenes. Many of theiconic martial arts films and scenesthat come to mind are carried out bymartial arts legends like Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, and Jean-Claude Van Damme, but these actors had already trained in martial arts years before they got their start in films.
Other actors such as Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, and Michelle Yeoh learned martial arts in preparation for a particular project, withonly a few continuing to be known for their other martial arts films after the fact. The commitment to the physicality that comes with a martial arts role isn’t always necessary. Still, it adds an appreciated layer to the actor’s performance, improving the overall believability of the film’s fight scenes.
10Kevin James
Trained With Professionals ForHere Comes the Boom
Starting his career as a stand-up comedian and first earning attention for his role in the CBS sitcomThe King of Queens, Kevin James isn’t exactly known for action roles. However, the mixed martial arts comedyHere Comes the Boomallowed James to train for his role as a biology teacher turned MMA fighter. The film is still largely comedic, and the action scenes aren’t necessarily demanding.
Here Comes the Boom
Cast
Here Comes the Boom is a 2012 comedy film starring Kevin James as a high school biology teacher who becomes an MMA fighter to raise money to prevent extracurricular activities from being cut at his cash-strapped school. The film also features Salma Hayek and Henry Winkler and is directed by Frank Coraci, aiming to blend humor with an inspirational story of unconventional heroism.
Duringa 2012 interview withESPN, James expressed his love for mixed martial arts and his appreciation for the hard work the trained athletes put themselves through.James' love for the full-contact sport is apparent in his performanceand decision to carry out his own stunts. In the same interview, James explains that he trained with UFC fighters every chance he got in between stand-up performances and press tours.
9John Cusack
Trained In Kickboxing ForSay Anything…
When one thinks of John Cusack, martial arts doesn’t immediately come to mind.Cusack is best known for his rom-com rolesand coming-of-age films likeSay Anything…andBetter Off Dead, which depict the actor as a “guy-next-door.” However, in preparation for Cameron Crowe’sSay Anything…, in which Cusack plays Lloyd Dobler, the actor trained in kickboxing.
The character doesn’t demand as much physical work as other martial arts roles, butCusack’s commitment to the part is commendable. Cusack began his training with famed kickboxer and martial arts choreographer Benny Urquidez.
Say Anything…
Say Anything… is a romantic drama following Lloyd Dobler, an optimistic high school graduate, as he pursues a relationship with Diane Court, an accomplished valedictorian. Despite mutual feelings, their romance is challenged by Diane’s protective father, leading Lloyd to confront various obstacles in his quest for love.
Throughout his career, Urquidez has starred in a few notable films with minor roles, including the Jackie Chan-ledWheels on MealsandRoad Housestarring Patrick Swayze. Urquidez also starred alongside Cusack a decade after their training forSay Anything…, acting as a hitman after Cusack’s character inGrosse Pointe Blank. The two have continued training with each other for over 20 years.
8Jessica Alba
Used Her Learned Skills FromDark AngelFor Future Action Films
Before her breakthrough in film with movies likeHoneyandFantastic Four, Jessica Alba gained attention for her leading role in the Fox series,Dark Angel. In the show, Alba played Max Guevara, a supersoldier on the run from the government following her escape from a military facility.
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Alba took the preparation for the role seriously as the actor trained in martial arts and gymnastics, and she even learned how to ride a motorcycle. Such training early on in her career proved to be beneficial later on, as Alba would return to the action genre with films likeMechanic: ResurrectionandTrigger Warning.
Dark Angel
Dark Angel is a science fiction television series set in a dystopian future, centered on genetically enhanced super-soldier Max Guevara, played by Jessica Alba. Created by James Cameron and Charles H. Eglee, the show follows Max’s quest to find her fellow escaped comrades while evading capture by government forces.
While the films received mostly negative reviews from critics, Alba’s physical performance is still impressive. In preparation forTrigger Warning, Alba relied on her learned martial arts skills fromDark Angeland additionally picked up knife training as well (viaBoston Herald).
7Maggie Q
Learned Martial Arts With The Help Of Jackie Chan
Despite being largely associated with martial arts films, severalactors have had no formal martial arts training, including Michelle Yeoh and Maggie Q. Instead, Q has picked up skills on various action film sets and through her collaboration with Jackie Chan. Known best for his martial arts skills and his commitment to stunt work,Chan met Q early in her career in Hong Kong.
During their time training together, Q learned the importance of performing her own stunts, and it’s something she’d continue to do for the remainder of her career.
Chan saw the potential for Q, who at the time was working as a model, to be an action star. During their time training together, Q learned the importance of performing her own stunts, and it’s something she’d continue to do for the remainder of her career. Q is best known for playing the titular role in the 2010 seriesNikitaand more recently for starring in the action filmThe Protégéalongside Michael Keaton and Samuel L. Jackson.
6Scarlett Johansson
Trained In Mixed Martial Arts ForThe Avengers
Though she’s well-known for films likeLost in TranslationandMarriage Story, the role that provided Scarlett Johansson with worldwide fame was Natasha Romanoff, Black Widow, in the MCU. Throughout her career, Johansson has appeared in a handful of action films, butit’s her Marvel role that allowed her to first explore the world of martial arts. Johansson’s first appearance in the MCU was inIron Man 2, where the actor engaged in typical strength training to get in shape.
The Avengers
The sixth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers is an action superhero film that sees the heroes assembled across the franchise face off with a deadly galactic threat. With the arrival of Thor’s brother, Loki, heroes such as Captain America, The Hulk, Iron Man, and Black Widow are brought together to stop him from unleashing an alien race upon earth.
A few years later, to prepare for the stunts inThe Avengers, Johansson worked with her stunt double and trained in mixed martial arts (viaTODAY). The character ofBlack Widow is skilled in various martial arts disciplines, with Johansson’s behind-the-scenes training helping to bring to life the celebrated character’s fighting skills to the Marvel films.
5Michelle Yeoh
Learned Martial Arts On Various Action Film Sets
Throughout her filmography,Michelle Yeoh has some impressive martial arts scenes, and it’s a sub-genre of film the actor has become highly associated with. However, Yeoh has never had formal martial arts training like the other actors mentioned. Instead, Yeoh picked up martial arts on various sets as the beginning of her career was largely defined by action and martial arts films.
Yeoh’s dance experience from a young age allowed her to easily pick up such movementsand perform her own stunts without worry of being hurt. Yeoh’s first two films saw her in smaller roles, butYes, Madam, her third film, was when she finally led an action film.
As Senior Inspector Ng, Yeoh showed off her physical strength and handled the fight choreography with ease, as she’s continued to do in her film career. Some of Yeoh’s biggest martial arts films includeWing Chun,Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, andEverything Everywhere All at Once.
4Christian Bale
Learned Wing Chun And The Keysi Fighting Method ForBatman Begins
Fight scenes in Batman moviescan get intense, with The Dark Knight Trilogy having some of the most memorable moments of action. Christian Bale leads the trilogy of films as the titular superhero, making his debut inBatman Begins. In preparation for the role,Bale went through an impressive physical transformation. Having built muscle and gained weight following a previous role, Bale began learning Wing Chun. The martial arts style prioritizes hand-to-hand combat and quick punches.
Batman Begins
Batman Begins is the inaugural film in Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy, featuring Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne. Released in 2005, it follows Wayne as he transforms into Batman to combat the pervasive corruption in Gotham City, creating a new identity to fight crime outside the system.
The fight choreographers for the film, Justo Dieguez and Andy Norman, also implemented the Spanish Keysi Fighting Method, which became better known following its use in the film. The fighting method was used once again inThe Dark Knightbut was altered by the time filming began forThe Dark Knight Risesto better accommodate the character’s arc and Bale’s fighting abilities.
3Wesley Snipes
Furthered His Martial Arts Skills WithBlade
An exception among the other actors listed,Wesley Snipes has had martial arts trainingsince he was 12 years old. Snipes has picked up kickboxing, kung fu, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu throughout the years. However, ashe began to establish himself as an action star, Snipes was able to further develop his martial arts skills, learning new styles with every project. One of Snipes' most famous action roles is in the dark superhero filmBlade.
Blade
Blade is a 1998 film featuring Wesley Snipes as the titular character, who is a half-vampire, half-human vampire hunter. The story revolves around Blade’s mission to protect humanity from a secret vampire society that threatens to destroy the world.
InBlade, Snipes plays the titular character, a vampire hunter and skilled martial artist. The Blade movies combined elements of horror and action genres, setting them apart from other superhero movies before it.The impressive fight scenes differentiated the film from othersas well, with Snipes' prior experience in martial arts allowing the creativity and intensity of the choreography to be heightened to its fullest extent.
2Tom Hardy
Learned Jiu-Jitsu In Preparation ForWarrior
Tom Hardy’s lengthy filmographyshows the actor isn’t afraid to explore a variety of genres. The martial arts filmWarrioris a standout in Hardy’s career, providing him with a stable path on his rise to fame. Starring alongside Joel Edgerton,Hardy portrays Tommy Conlon, a U.S. Marine who enters an MMA contest.
When Tommy discovers one of his opponents will be his brother (Edgerton), the two must work through their fractured relationship. Hardy underwent extensive training in preparation for the role and continued building upon his martial arts skills after wrapping the film.
Warrior
Warrior is a 2011 sports drama directed by Gavin O’Connor. The film stars Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton as estranged brothers who enter an MMA tournament, each driven by personal motives, which culminates in an emotional confrontation. Nick Nolte plays their father, a recovering alcoholic whose past actions have fragmented the family. The storyline weaves themes of redemption, forgiveness, and the enduring power of family bonds.
Hardy continues to practice Brazilian jiu-jitsu, winning a handful of competitions over the years and recently being promoted to a purple belt. The actor is also an ambassador for the REORG Foundation, which gives military personnel the chance to learn martial arts as part of their physical and mental recovery (viaTODAY).
1Keanu Reeves
Trained With Yuen Woo-ping ForThe Matrix
The Wachowskis’The Matrixis highly influenced by Hong Kong cinemaand the work of Chinese martial arts choreographers, so it’s only fitting that its stars got involved in the action and learned martial arts as well. To be prepared for the amount of wire-fu in the film, Keanu Reeves, along with his cast mates, trained with legendary martial arts choreographer anddirector Yuen Woo-ping.
The Matrix’s impressive filming techniques and inspired fight sequences made the film highly influential in the action genre.
Adapting to each actor’s physical strength and abilities, Yuen helped develop their unique fighting style.Preparation forThe Matrixwas extensive and often intense, but Reeves insisted on working through his surgery recovery and continuing to train.
The Matrix
The Matrix, released in 1999, is set in the 22nd century and follows a computer hacker, Neo, portrayed by Keanu Reeves. He joins a group of underground insurgents led by Morpheus to combat the domineering computers that control the earth, in a battle that blurs the lines between reality and illusion.
The Matrix’s impressive filming techniques and inspired fight sequences made the film highly influential in the action genre. Taking on the role of the titular character in theJohn Wickfilm series in recent years,Reeves' fighting style has changedbut remains just as dynamic and impressive.
