1 00:00:18,760 --> 00:00:21,119 Speaker 1: So I didn't talk about it when we were interviewing 2 00:00:22,040 --> 00:00:28,040 Speaker 1: Alisa but Alisa Donovan Alisa Donovan from Clueless and many 3 00:00:28,080 --> 00:00:30,720 Speaker 1: other things. Uh, because I was I had to like 4 00:00:30,800 --> 00:00:33,560 Speaker 1: think it through and like try to remember. But Clueless 5 00:00:33,640 --> 00:00:37,320 Speaker 1: is one of those movies that I was such an 6 00:00:37,360 --> 00:00:41,239 Speaker 1: idiot about and completely misread when I was a teenager, 7 00:00:42,159 --> 00:00:45,080 Speaker 1: Like I walked out of the theater going, what a 8 00:00:45,280 --> 00:00:50,400 Speaker 1: dumb like superficial, vapid, Like I just missed all the irony. 9 00:00:50,479 --> 00:00:52,839 Speaker 1: I don't know what was going on. I was probably 10 00:00:52,840 --> 00:00:56,120 Speaker 1: what fifteen sixty, like super serious rider mode and it's 11 00:00:56,160 --> 00:00:59,120 Speaker 1: so embarrassing, and I didn't I should have just probably 12 00:00:59,120 --> 00:01:01,120 Speaker 1: talked to her about it because I don't know. But 13 00:01:01,160 --> 00:01:02,320 Speaker 1: now i've been thinking about it, I'm like, you, no, 14 00:01:02,400 --> 00:01:04,920 Speaker 1: I have to admit this because here's what happened. So 15 00:01:04,959 --> 00:01:08,080 Speaker 1: I saw it back then and I hated it, and 16 00:01:08,120 --> 00:01:10,080 Speaker 1: I remember kind of just always rolling my eyes, like 17 00:01:10,120 --> 00:01:13,880 Speaker 1: completely not getting it. And then whatever. Three years later 18 00:01:14,440 --> 00:01:18,040 Speaker 1: in college, I signed up for a class. I ended 19 00:01:18,120 --> 00:01:20,120 Speaker 1: up not sticking through it, but I signed up for 20 00:01:20,120 --> 00:01:22,880 Speaker 1: a class called women in Film, and it. 21 00:01:22,840 --> 00:01:23,800 Speaker 2: Was actually through that one. 22 00:01:23,880 --> 00:01:25,800 Speaker 1: Huh, No, I wanted. 23 00:01:25,480 --> 00:01:28,839 Speaker 3: To it was just my but what happened also discriminated against. 24 00:01:29,440 --> 00:01:32,440 Speaker 1: Well here's the thing. It was really interesting. So there's 25 00:01:32,959 --> 00:01:36,200 Speaker 1: a sister college, Barnard to Columbia, which is an all 26 00:01:36,280 --> 00:01:39,679 Speaker 1: girls school, and it's right across the street from the campus. 27 00:01:39,680 --> 00:01:41,720 Speaker 1: It's the campus right across the street, and we can 28 00:01:41,760 --> 00:01:44,039 Speaker 1: share classes, so you can take BARNERD classes, Barnard can 29 00:01:44,120 --> 00:01:46,640 Speaker 1: take Columbia classes. It's kind of ridiculous that it's a 30 00:01:46,640 --> 00:01:49,320 Speaker 1: separate Why are they calling it because it's like it's 31 00:01:49,400 --> 00:01:51,240 Speaker 1: the idea is that it's like a safe space for women. 32 00:01:51,440 --> 00:01:54,880 Speaker 1: It's like only no, not into that school, but you 33 00:01:54,920 --> 00:01:57,320 Speaker 1: can take classes there. Classes, So like I could sign 34 00:01:57,400 --> 00:01:58,640 Speaker 1: up for a class there, and they could sign up 35 00:01:58,640 --> 00:02:00,520 Speaker 1: for classes at Columbia. So it's like they you know, 36 00:02:00,680 --> 00:02:03,360 Speaker 1: but as far as dorms, as far as like greens 37 00:02:03,400 --> 00:02:06,280 Speaker 1: and all the like school stuff, it's completely separate. Yeah, 38 00:02:06,280 --> 00:02:09,320 Speaker 1: it's a bizarre system. But I signed up for this 39 00:02:09,360 --> 00:02:11,720 Speaker 1: women in Film class and I get there at Barnard 40 00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:14,720 Speaker 1: and of course I am the only guy in a 41 00:02:14,800 --> 00:02:17,639 Speaker 1: class of maybe like fifty. 42 00:02:17,320 --> 00:02:19,079 Speaker 2: Women fifty and it sounds ideal. 43 00:02:19,440 --> 00:02:21,720 Speaker 1: Yeah, well no, it was super interesting. But what I 44 00:02:21,760 --> 00:02:25,519 Speaker 1: realized is like very quickly I was like, gonna become 45 00:02:25,600 --> 00:02:28,120 Speaker 1: the voice of the man, like the voice of a 46 00:02:28,160 --> 00:02:29,919 Speaker 1: male in the room, and I was like, I don't 47 00:02:29,919 --> 00:02:31,320 Speaker 1: know how to play like I don't know how to 48 00:02:31,320 --> 00:02:34,640 Speaker 1: play against that or into that. Anyway. I only lasted 49 00:02:34,680 --> 00:02:38,600 Speaker 1: like three classes. But the first movie we watched was Clueless, 50 00:02:39,200 --> 00:02:41,880 Speaker 1: and it was so funny because I'm sitting there going, oh, 51 00:02:41,960 --> 00:02:44,920 Speaker 1: I hated this movie. This is this is gonna be awful. 52 00:02:45,080 --> 00:02:47,320 Speaker 2: I can't believe these women who want to study film, 53 00:02:47,440 --> 00:02:49,160 Speaker 2: this is the movie they pick. 54 00:02:49,400 --> 00:02:51,240 Speaker 1: But I just didn't get it right exactly. And then 55 00:02:51,440 --> 00:02:53,720 Speaker 1: watched it and fell in love with it, and I 56 00:02:53,800 --> 00:02:57,000 Speaker 1: was like, this movie is brilliant. What the hell was 57 00:02:57,040 --> 00:02:59,040 Speaker 1: I thinking? And of course it is sort of this 58 00:02:59,080 --> 00:03:01,320 Speaker 1: feminist master piece. It has all this life, you know, 59 00:03:01,360 --> 00:03:04,320 Speaker 1: so we're The discussion was incredible, and like hearing all 60 00:03:04,320 --> 00:03:06,880 Speaker 1: these smart college women like talking about how much this 61 00:03:07,080 --> 00:03:09,440 Speaker 1: movie meant to that it was like but anyway, it 62 00:03:09,480 --> 00:03:12,079 Speaker 1: was like one of those examples of like and don't 63 00:03:12,120 --> 00:03:14,760 Speaker 1: I don't have many of these where I've completely misread 64 00:03:14,800 --> 00:03:17,400 Speaker 1: something and gone back and been like, oh, I was 65 00:03:17,480 --> 00:03:19,400 Speaker 1: so wrong about that book for that movie. Have you 66 00:03:19,440 --> 00:03:22,200 Speaker 1: guys ever had this experience I got a great one. 67 00:03:22,440 --> 00:03:23,640 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, tell us. 68 00:03:23,800 --> 00:03:28,480 Speaker 4: So uh it was not long after nine to eleven, 69 00:03:28,919 --> 00:03:30,360 Speaker 4: and everybody's just trying to get. 70 00:03:32,560 --> 00:03:35,560 Speaker 3: And everyone's yeah, some their life. 71 00:03:35,360 --> 00:03:38,680 Speaker 4: Kind of back a little bit, and and so Greg 72 00:03:38,720 --> 00:03:40,680 Speaker 4: and I were like, let's go to the movies. You know, 73 00:03:40,760 --> 00:03:42,120 Speaker 4: I was living with my brother at the time, Like, 74 00:03:42,160 --> 00:03:43,680 Speaker 4: let's get out, go to the movies and try to 75 00:03:43,680 --> 00:03:45,520 Speaker 4: have some semblance of normalcy again. 76 00:03:46,120 --> 00:03:47,840 Speaker 3: And we sat in there and. 77 00:03:48,080 --> 00:03:51,120 Speaker 4: Watched this movie staring at each other like, this is 78 00:03:51,480 --> 00:03:54,480 Speaker 4: the worst thing I've ever seen in my life. 79 00:03:55,240 --> 00:03:58,200 Speaker 3: How does anyone find this funny? 80 00:03:58,240 --> 00:04:00,680 Speaker 4: And then when we watched it again at home, were 81 00:04:00,800 --> 00:04:03,000 Speaker 4: howling and we're like, this is one of the funniest 82 00:04:03,040 --> 00:04:03,800 Speaker 4: movies I've ever seen. 83 00:04:04,520 --> 00:04:05,160 Speaker 3: Zoolander. 84 00:04:05,640 --> 00:04:06,760 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, yeah. 85 00:04:06,920 --> 00:04:09,000 Speaker 3: The first time we saw Zoolander, we were looking at 86 00:04:09,000 --> 00:04:11,400 Speaker 3: each other like, what is happening? 87 00:04:11,520 --> 00:04:14,160 Speaker 1: This which a lot that way because it bombed right 88 00:04:14,200 --> 00:04:16,400 Speaker 1: like it didn't do it. It's a classic. No, It's 89 00:04:16,440 --> 00:04:18,480 Speaker 1: like one of those films that like I remember if 90 00:04:18,520 --> 00:04:20,800 Speaker 1: you get the DVD for it, because I love that movie. 91 00:04:20,839 --> 00:04:24,480 Speaker 1: I remember watching the DVD and it's the like when 92 00:04:24,520 --> 00:04:27,200 Speaker 1: you click on the extras page, you hear Ben Ziller 93 00:04:27,200 --> 00:04:29,640 Speaker 1: as Zoolander go like, if you're watching this page, you're 94 00:04:29,680 --> 00:04:34,440 Speaker 1: one of hundreds of people who wanted more from Yeah, 95 00:04:34,520 --> 00:04:35,000 Speaker 1: but it. 96 00:04:34,960 --> 00:04:35,920 Speaker 3: Is, I mean it is. 97 00:04:36,800 --> 00:04:39,680 Speaker 4: The second time we saw it, we were fun crying, laughing, 98 00:04:39,800 --> 00:04:42,279 Speaker 4: like howling and look at each other going how did 99 00:04:42,320 --> 00:04:42,960 Speaker 4: we not get this? 100 00:04:43,000 --> 00:04:43,800 Speaker 3: And we figured it. 101 00:04:43,760 --> 00:04:46,160 Speaker 4: Was I can tell you exactly how because we were 102 00:04:46,200 --> 00:04:47,920 Speaker 4: it was. We were in a weird headspace. We were 103 00:04:47,920 --> 00:04:49,560 Speaker 4: in the theater. There's like the first time kind of 104 00:04:49,560 --> 00:04:54,200 Speaker 4: out in public, and somebody left a backpack near us 105 00:04:54,320 --> 00:04:56,800 Speaker 4: and then got up and left the theater, probably to 106 00:04:56,839 --> 00:04:57,840 Speaker 4: go to the bathroom. 107 00:04:57,560 --> 00:04:58,800 Speaker 3: Or killing candy or something. 108 00:04:58,800 --> 00:05:02,080 Speaker 4: You're just like finding each other and like staring at 109 00:05:02,080 --> 00:05:04,280 Speaker 4: this whole thing going on. So there was a lot 110 00:05:04,360 --> 00:05:05,920 Speaker 4: going on. So the next time we saw it, though, 111 00:05:05,960 --> 00:05:07,120 Speaker 4: we were just yeah, crying. 112 00:05:07,120 --> 00:05:09,200 Speaker 1: I feel like this happens with comedy though, right, Like 113 00:05:09,960 --> 00:05:12,680 Speaker 1: sometimes you just miss it and then other times you're 114 00:05:12,720 --> 00:05:14,520 Speaker 1: like in the right head space or the right age 115 00:05:14,600 --> 00:05:15,880 Speaker 1: or whatever and you just love it. 116 00:05:15,960 --> 00:05:16,159 Speaker 5: Yeah. 117 00:05:16,279 --> 00:05:20,200 Speaker 2: Jensen walked out of the movie Step Brothers. It was 118 00:05:20,360 --> 00:05:22,520 Speaker 2: like this is so bad, I'm walking out of it. 119 00:05:23,080 --> 00:05:26,320 Speaker 2: And now it is one of his all time favorite comedies. 120 00:05:28,040 --> 00:05:30,479 Speaker 3: I have we're not just talking about films and stuff. 121 00:05:30,520 --> 00:05:30,680 Speaker 5: Though. 122 00:05:30,800 --> 00:05:33,520 Speaker 3: I found something very strange lately where all of. 123 00:05:33,440 --> 00:05:39,680 Speaker 4: A sudden, out of nowhere, I love fish. 124 00:05:40,080 --> 00:05:46,760 Speaker 3: Never before always like watching eating fish. I never like. 125 00:05:46,839 --> 00:05:48,400 Speaker 3: I was like, oh, I'm not a fish guy. 126 00:05:48,400 --> 00:05:50,320 Speaker 4: I could eat salmon and I could eat sushi and 127 00:05:50,320 --> 00:05:52,720 Speaker 4: that was it, some tuna fish. But now somebody puts 128 00:05:52,720 --> 00:05:54,720 Speaker 4: fish in front of me, and I'm like, it's oh 129 00:05:54,760 --> 00:05:55,479 Speaker 4: my god, I'd love it. 130 00:05:55,520 --> 00:06:00,800 Speaker 1: What about fish? The band a little bit anti so 131 00:06:00,800 --> 00:06:03,919 Speaker 1: I'm at the Greek Yeah, and you're wrong. 132 00:06:04,040 --> 00:06:07,360 Speaker 2: You were wrong about fish, and now yeah fish. I've 133 00:06:07,360 --> 00:06:09,359 Speaker 2: never been wrong about anything, so I can't participate in 134 00:06:09,360 --> 00:06:10,000 Speaker 2: this conversation. 135 00:06:10,080 --> 00:06:19,839 Speaker 3: But that's that's fair. Sorry, it's so weird. 136 00:06:26,200 --> 00:06:27,480 Speaker 2: You know what. I don't like a lot of Bill 137 00:06:27,560 --> 00:06:30,680 Speaker 2: Murray movies, and I don't think. I don't think I'm 138 00:06:30,720 --> 00:06:32,120 Speaker 2: wrong about them though, that's like. 139 00:06:32,360 --> 00:06:35,920 Speaker 4: Yeah, not even old Bill Murray movies like Rousebusters and. 140 00:06:36,520 --> 00:06:39,960 Speaker 2: Ghostbusters is fine. Like The Life Aquatic, No, I wasn't. 141 00:06:40,000 --> 00:06:42,160 Speaker 3: I don't enjoy that movie. I wasn't a huge fan 142 00:06:42,160 --> 00:06:42,640 Speaker 3: of those either. 143 00:06:43,120 --> 00:06:46,200 Speaker 2: What's the other movie where he's like chasing after Scarlet 144 00:06:46,279 --> 00:06:49,800 Speaker 2: Johansson or something. I didn't like that movie translation. 145 00:06:49,520 --> 00:06:52,320 Speaker 1: Doesn't age very well. I like it at the time, 146 00:06:52,440 --> 00:06:54,200 Speaker 1: but I've tried to watch it since, and I'm like, 147 00:06:54,440 --> 00:06:58,400 Speaker 1: this feels very two thousand and two wish or whatever. 148 00:06:58,760 --> 00:07:00,320 Speaker 1: I just like it felt very. 149 00:07:00,279 --> 00:07:02,240 Speaker 2: Two thousand and two. In two thousand and two, I 150 00:07:02,279 --> 00:07:05,719 Speaker 2: was like, this is just not for me, so like, yeah, 151 00:07:05,760 --> 00:07:07,640 Speaker 2: and that I know there are a lot of people 152 00:07:07,640 --> 00:07:10,680 Speaker 2: who love those movies, and I haven't watched them since 153 00:07:10,720 --> 00:07:13,480 Speaker 2: I watched them the first time, because it's hard enough 154 00:07:13,520 --> 00:07:15,280 Speaker 2: to get me to watch a movie. You try to 155 00:07:15,280 --> 00:07:17,680 Speaker 2: get me to watch a movie again that I already 156 00:07:17,680 --> 00:07:18,120 Speaker 2: didn't like. 157 00:07:18,280 --> 00:07:20,400 Speaker 3: Oh my god. Yeah, I couldn't imagine. 158 00:07:20,440 --> 00:07:21,720 Speaker 4: Well, here's what I would say, because I kind of 159 00:07:21,720 --> 00:07:23,480 Speaker 4: agree with you, and I bet you'd probably agree with 160 00:07:23,520 --> 00:07:28,120 Speaker 4: me in this. I much prefer blockbuster Bill Murray to 161 00:07:28,280 --> 00:07:29,720 Speaker 4: independent Bill Murray. 162 00:07:29,560 --> 00:07:32,760 Speaker 2: One hundred percent. But you know me, I'm miss blockbuster. 163 00:07:32,880 --> 00:07:37,280 Speaker 3: Yeah, I love a blockbuster the same way I prefer 164 00:07:37,320 --> 00:07:40,200 Speaker 3: Ghostbusters Bill Murray to Life and Film. 165 00:07:40,240 --> 00:07:40,720 Speaker 2: Totally. 166 00:07:40,800 --> 00:07:42,320 Speaker 3: Yeah, totally, I'm the same way. 167 00:07:42,960 --> 00:07:45,679 Speaker 2: Welcome to Pod Meets World. I'm Daniel Fischhel, I'm writer Strong, 168 00:07:45,800 --> 00:07:46,760 Speaker 2: and I'm wil Fordell. 169 00:07:47,560 --> 00:07:52,480 Speaker 4: Dunk Dunk Dunk, Got dunk, I start doing this, iHeart music, 170 00:07:52,760 --> 00:07:53,680 Speaker 4: Start doing the iHeart music. 171 00:07:53,960 --> 00:08:09,280 Speaker 2: We often talk about what it takes to be a 172 00:08:09,400 --> 00:08:14,160 Speaker 2: child star. Determination, a bubbly personality, a family willing to 173 00:08:14,160 --> 00:08:16,960 Speaker 2: give up a large chunk of their personal lives, and, 174 00:08:17,120 --> 00:08:19,640 Speaker 2: in the case of this week's guest, the ability to 175 00:08:19,800 --> 00:08:22,720 Speaker 2: kill another man with his bare hands. At the ripe 176 00:08:22,720 --> 00:08:26,440 Speaker 2: old age of eleven, Yep, the martial arts prodigy went 177 00:08:26,480 --> 00:08:29,640 Speaker 2: straight from the karate mat at his dad's studio to Hollywood, 178 00:08:29,680 --> 00:08:32,680 Speaker 2: first appearing in the nineteen eighty five cult classic The 179 00:08:32,880 --> 00:08:33,840 Speaker 2: Last Dragon. 180 00:08:34,040 --> 00:08:36,720 Speaker 3: Don't Get Me started, a movie. 181 00:08:36,920 --> 00:08:41,440 Speaker 2: That Will has repeatedly professed his love for, and then 182 00:08:41,559 --> 00:08:44,320 Speaker 2: he turned that role into a run of movies that 183 00:08:44,400 --> 00:08:47,520 Speaker 2: cemented him as the kid you called when you needed 184 00:08:47,559 --> 00:08:50,200 Speaker 2: a karate master. Whether it was sharing the screen with 185 00:08:50,280 --> 00:08:53,559 Speaker 2: Arnold Schwarzenegger and Red Sonja, or starring in the TV 186 00:08:53,600 --> 00:08:57,439 Speaker 2: show Sidekicks, or yes, hanging out with the freaking teenage 187 00:08:57,520 --> 00:09:01,640 Speaker 2: mutant Ninja Turtles as their human best friend. The industry 188 00:09:01,679 --> 00:09:04,840 Speaker 2: found a little action star and audiences fell in love 189 00:09:04,880 --> 00:09:07,320 Speaker 2: with him. You'd also see him on TV shows like 190 00:09:07,360 --> 00:09:11,439 Speaker 2: Highway to Heaven, Mcgiver, Charmed and Superstore, and movies like 191 00:09:11,520 --> 00:09:16,280 Speaker 2: Rush Hour too, the Rundown and Say It with Me serves. 192 00:09:22,679 --> 00:09:26,280 Speaker 2: This week we welcome the toughest person we have ever 193 00:09:26,480 --> 00:09:29,880 Speaker 2: had on the show. Sorry, Bonnie Bartlett, it is Ernie 194 00:09:30,040 --> 00:09:35,680 Speaker 2: Reyes Junior. Ye, how are you. 195 00:09:37,760 --> 00:09:38,080 Speaker 5: Guys? 196 00:09:38,440 --> 00:09:41,360 Speaker 2: Oh man, we are great. It's so good to see 197 00:09:41,360 --> 00:09:44,360 Speaker 2: you again. Writer was not with Will and I when 198 00:09:44,400 --> 00:09:49,480 Speaker 2: we ran into you at the Austin Comic Con. Yes, 199 00:09:49,520 --> 00:09:55,200 Speaker 2: and you were the absolute highlight of that weekend for us. 200 00:09:57,600 --> 00:10:00,280 Speaker 2: So we are so happy that you decided to us 201 00:10:00,320 --> 00:10:03,840 Speaker 2: on our podcast today. Uh, as far as we're aware, 202 00:10:04,120 --> 00:10:07,640 Speaker 2: you are the first black belt to ever be on 203 00:10:07,720 --> 00:10:10,320 Speaker 2: pod Meets World. But I do have to warn you. 204 00:10:11,400 --> 00:10:16,080 Speaker 2: Will and I recently went to about two karate classes 205 00:10:16,800 --> 00:10:19,160 Speaker 2: and then we and then we quit at the same time. Yeah, 206 00:10:19,360 --> 00:10:21,320 Speaker 2: I'm just I'm just putting that out there. 207 00:10:21,360 --> 00:10:22,880 Speaker 3: For I realized my self defense. 208 00:10:22,920 --> 00:10:26,720 Speaker 4: I just had to outrun Danielle and so that that 209 00:10:26,840 --> 00:10:28,200 Speaker 4: was pretty easy. After this, I was like, why am 210 00:10:28,240 --> 00:10:29,679 Speaker 4: I paying for this? I just had to push her 211 00:10:29,720 --> 00:10:30,600 Speaker 4: down and run that way. 212 00:10:30,679 --> 00:10:35,880 Speaker 5: So yeah, right, Well, I appreciate you guys having me 213 00:10:36,600 --> 00:10:37,760 Speaker 5: and nice to meet. 214 00:10:38,120 --> 00:10:38,720 Speaker 1: Yeah you too. 215 00:10:39,640 --> 00:10:42,760 Speaker 2: So let's talk martial arts before we get into your acting. 216 00:10:43,080 --> 00:10:47,320 Speaker 2: So your father is a legendary taekwondo champion, and he 217 00:10:47,400 --> 00:10:50,199 Speaker 2: had Ernie Raya's West Coast World Martial Arts Studio here 218 00:10:50,240 --> 00:10:52,760 Speaker 2: in La right, it's. 219 00:10:52,640 --> 00:10:55,240 Speaker 6: Actually based in northern California as San. 220 00:10:55,160 --> 00:11:00,640 Speaker 2: Jose in San Jose, Okay, So did you did you 221 00:11:00,679 --> 00:11:03,320 Speaker 2: always feel as a kid like you had to live 222 00:11:03,320 --> 00:11:05,800 Speaker 2: in his shadow or had had to grow up to 223 00:11:05,840 --> 00:11:08,880 Speaker 2: be like him. 224 00:11:09,280 --> 00:11:10,280 Speaker 6: I don't think so. 225 00:11:10,600 --> 00:11:12,800 Speaker 5: You know, when I was a kid, you know, and 226 00:11:12,880 --> 00:11:16,880 Speaker 5: still my hero was Bruce Lee, and so from a 227 00:11:17,000 --> 00:11:19,400 Speaker 5: very early age, you know. 228 00:11:20,200 --> 00:11:23,040 Speaker 6: He kind of set the blueprint for what I wanted 229 00:11:23,040 --> 00:11:24,079 Speaker 6: to do for the. 230 00:11:24,040 --> 00:11:27,839 Speaker 5: Rest of my life, and that was to be, you know, 231 00:11:27,880 --> 00:11:31,400 Speaker 5: a martial arts action star like Bruce Lee. And my 232 00:11:31,559 --> 00:11:35,520 Speaker 5: dad was the one that facilitated making that happen because 233 00:11:35,559 --> 00:11:39,680 Speaker 5: I actually had the lifestyle that it would take in 234 00:11:39,800 --> 00:11:42,240 Speaker 5: order for me to accomplish that. So I didn't feel 235 00:11:42,280 --> 00:11:44,160 Speaker 5: like I was living in a shadow, but I definitely 236 00:11:44,240 --> 00:11:48,120 Speaker 5: felt like, you know, he was supporting me in basically 237 00:11:48,160 --> 00:11:49,080 Speaker 5: my lifelong dream. 238 00:11:49,679 --> 00:11:51,160 Speaker 2: Oh, I love that. 239 00:11:51,360 --> 00:11:53,960 Speaker 4: Can I ask when's the first time Bruce Lee came 240 00:11:54,000 --> 00:11:55,880 Speaker 4: on your radar? Was it a movie or were you 241 00:11:55,920 --> 00:11:58,400 Speaker 4: a Green Hornet fan? When's the first time you saw him? 242 00:11:59,360 --> 00:12:02,040 Speaker 6: No, Greenhorn, it was a little bit before my time. 243 00:12:02,120 --> 00:12:05,920 Speaker 5: I think the first time was actually seeing you know, 244 00:12:06,120 --> 00:12:08,280 Speaker 5: Enter the Dragon, and I think I actually saw it 245 00:12:08,280 --> 00:12:09,600 Speaker 5: in the drive in movie theater. 246 00:12:12,880 --> 00:12:15,040 Speaker 2: And so how old were you when you first got 247 00:12:15,040 --> 00:12:15,480 Speaker 2: on the mat? 248 00:12:17,400 --> 00:12:19,680 Speaker 5: Well, I mean, my father had a martial arts school 249 00:12:19,720 --> 00:12:25,880 Speaker 5: prior to me being born, so I literally came out kicking. 250 00:12:28,160 --> 00:12:31,800 Speaker 5: But you know, so prior to actually taking formal classes, 251 00:12:31,840 --> 00:12:35,120 Speaker 5: you're just arounded all the time, so you're just running 252 00:12:35,160 --> 00:12:39,480 Speaker 5: while everybody else is you know, practicing basically. But I 253 00:12:39,520 --> 00:12:42,800 Speaker 5: think that I actually started like formally training and around 254 00:12:42,960 --> 00:12:45,000 Speaker 5: six six years old. Seven years old. 255 00:12:46,120 --> 00:12:49,839 Speaker 2: That's amazing. And so your was your family's introduction to 256 00:12:49,880 --> 00:12:52,680 Speaker 2: Hollywood when your father appeared in and was then subsequently 257 00:12:52,760 --> 00:12:56,240 Speaker 2: hired to choreograph the martial arts sequences in The Last Dragon. 258 00:12:57,720 --> 00:13:00,520 Speaker 5: Well, no, actually, so what you know, we my father 259 00:13:00,600 --> 00:13:04,800 Speaker 5: had a kind of famous martial arts demonstration team called 260 00:13:04,800 --> 00:13:06,240 Speaker 5: the West Coast Demo Team. 261 00:13:06,320 --> 00:13:07,280 Speaker 6: And what we would do. 262 00:13:07,320 --> 00:13:10,440 Speaker 5: Is is we would travel every weekend all across the 263 00:13:10,480 --> 00:13:13,520 Speaker 5: country competing in martial arts tournaments. 264 00:13:13,960 --> 00:13:17,120 Speaker 6: But we also would be you know, at the nighttime finals. 265 00:13:17,120 --> 00:13:20,040 Speaker 5: We would also do a demonstration, so we would compete 266 00:13:20,120 --> 00:13:22,880 Speaker 5: during the day, and how it works in martial arts 267 00:13:22,880 --> 00:13:25,760 Speaker 5: tournaments back then was is you would compete during the day. 268 00:13:25,800 --> 00:13:29,240 Speaker 5: If you won your division, then everybody would come back 269 00:13:29,360 --> 00:13:33,000 Speaker 5: for the nighttime finals to compete for like a grand championship. 270 00:13:33,440 --> 00:13:34,760 Speaker 6: So we would compete. 271 00:13:34,440 --> 00:13:37,679 Speaker 5: During the day most of the time, win our divisions, 272 00:13:37,800 --> 00:13:42,839 Speaker 5: come back at night, perform as entertainment, and then also compete. 273 00:13:43,400 --> 00:13:44,319 Speaker 6: And so we did. 274 00:13:44,200 --> 00:13:49,280 Speaker 5: That, you know, every weekend for probably five years before 275 00:13:49,280 --> 00:13:54,800 Speaker 5: I even got into movies or television. And they were 276 00:13:54,840 --> 00:14:00,000 Speaker 5: filming the Barry Gordy's The Last Dragon, and they were 277 00:14:00,080 --> 00:14:03,880 Speaker 5: about three weeks away from finishing production and they were 278 00:14:04,280 --> 00:14:06,760 Speaker 5: they had yet to film the climactic fight scene and 279 00:14:06,760 --> 00:14:08,760 Speaker 5: they were looking to kind of bump up the action. 280 00:14:09,679 --> 00:14:14,760 Speaker 5: So we flew out to New York and basically did 281 00:14:14,800 --> 00:14:20,440 Speaker 5: a martial arts demonstration for Barry Gordy, all choreographed to music. Now, 282 00:14:20,480 --> 00:14:22,720 Speaker 5: this is something that we had been doing the last 283 00:14:22,760 --> 00:14:25,840 Speaker 5: five years every weekend in front of live audiences, so 284 00:14:26,360 --> 00:14:30,400 Speaker 5: we were very polished when it came to performing and 285 00:14:30,480 --> 00:14:33,680 Speaker 5: it was all choreographed to music. Prior to I'd say that, 286 00:14:33,840 --> 00:14:38,040 Speaker 5: you know, the late seventies martial arts demonstrations were very sterile, 287 00:14:38,280 --> 00:14:41,160 Speaker 5: very serious. It was very quiet, you know, and then 288 00:14:41,200 --> 00:14:43,560 Speaker 5: we came on and it was like disco music and 289 00:14:43,600 --> 00:14:47,720 Speaker 5: all We're doing skits and wearing wigs and really made 290 00:14:47,760 --> 00:14:51,120 Speaker 5: it more of a show. So we performed for you know, 291 00:14:52,000 --> 00:14:54,600 Speaker 5: Barry Gordy, and on the spot, he was like, Okay, 292 00:14:54,640 --> 00:14:56,360 Speaker 5: we're going to write this kid into the film. 293 00:14:56,600 --> 00:14:58,040 Speaker 4: Oh yeah, so I was going to say, you were 294 00:14:58,120 --> 00:15:01,200 Speaker 4: not just in the final scene, You're a pretty major 295 00:15:01,280 --> 00:15:02,560 Speaker 4: character in the film by the end. 296 00:15:03,680 --> 00:15:06,480 Speaker 5: Yeah. Yeah. They went back and you know, kind of 297 00:15:06,560 --> 00:15:10,840 Speaker 5: figured out different little ways to incorporate me into to 298 00:15:10,960 --> 00:15:13,960 Speaker 5: the movie. And the cool part about that was is 299 00:15:14,000 --> 00:15:18,920 Speaker 5: my first film was a movie that actually Bruce Lee 300 00:15:19,400 --> 00:15:22,320 Speaker 5: was in, and he wasn't even live at that point. 301 00:15:24,360 --> 00:15:25,640 Speaker 5: It was pretty It was pretty wild. 302 00:15:26,080 --> 00:15:27,960 Speaker 2: Who introduced you guys to Barry Gordy. 303 00:15:29,000 --> 00:15:31,560 Speaker 5: So I was doing a martial arts demonstration in Las 304 00:15:31,680 --> 00:15:36,640 Speaker 5: Vegas and after the martial arts after the demonstration, and 305 00:15:36,680 --> 00:15:38,840 Speaker 5: the crowd was kind of going crazy, and a lady 306 00:15:38,880 --> 00:15:50,680 Speaker 5: came up to my dad and said, does he speak English? 307 00:15:52,200 --> 00:15:54,880 Speaker 5: So she produced herself. Her name was Sally Baker. She's 308 00:15:54,920 --> 00:15:59,440 Speaker 5: a long time you know vet in Hollywood. She had shows, 309 00:15:59,640 --> 00:16:03,600 Speaker 5: you know, from the sixties called Hobo Kelly. She's just 310 00:16:03,640 --> 00:16:06,400 Speaker 5: a long time like industry veteran, and she said, you know, 311 00:16:07,360 --> 00:16:10,200 Speaker 5: I'm a manager and my husband and I work in 312 00:16:10,240 --> 00:16:13,240 Speaker 5: the industry. We think that your kid has talent. We'd 313 00:16:13,320 --> 00:16:15,760 Speaker 5: love to represent you know, your kid, to see if 314 00:16:15,800 --> 00:16:17,640 Speaker 5: there was something that we can do for him. At 315 00:16:17,640 --> 00:16:21,040 Speaker 5: that time, I was still competing and we were still traveling, 316 00:16:21,440 --> 00:16:24,000 Speaker 5: so as much as like the dream was there, we 317 00:16:24,000 --> 00:16:28,480 Speaker 5: weren't really in any position to like pursue a Hollywood career. 318 00:16:29,080 --> 00:16:31,360 Speaker 5: And so we said, thank you very much, but you know, 319 00:16:31,440 --> 00:16:34,080 Speaker 5: we're really not equipped to do anything like that at 320 00:16:34,080 --> 00:16:37,400 Speaker 5: this point, you know. And so five years went by 321 00:16:38,120 --> 00:16:40,800 Speaker 5: and we had kind of run our course in terms 322 00:16:40,840 --> 00:16:43,920 Speaker 5: of competing and doing demonstrations, and now it was like, 323 00:16:44,120 --> 00:16:47,960 Speaker 5: we're looking to do the next step. And my dad 324 00:16:48,640 --> 00:16:52,520 Speaker 5: had kept her card and calls her up five years 325 00:16:52,600 --> 00:16:57,560 Speaker 5: later and says, you know, we basically told her, now's 326 00:16:57,600 --> 00:16:59,720 Speaker 5: the time that we would like to, you know, pursue 327 00:17:00,040 --> 00:17:02,440 Speaker 5: you know, an entertainment career. And she was like, well, 328 00:17:02,480 --> 00:17:06,320 Speaker 5: you know, has he grown any And my Dad's like, no, 329 00:17:10,040 --> 00:17:10,960 Speaker 5: five years ago. 330 00:17:12,440 --> 00:17:14,600 Speaker 3: One thing children are known for it's not growing. 331 00:17:17,720 --> 00:17:20,439 Speaker 5: Yeah, And so she was the one who really ushered 332 00:17:20,440 --> 00:17:25,280 Speaker 5: me into Hollywood, had you know, the relationships with Motown 333 00:17:25,800 --> 00:17:29,960 Speaker 5: and Susanda Paz executive over there, and she was the 334 00:17:29,960 --> 00:17:31,119 Speaker 5: one that got the ball rolling. 335 00:17:31,760 --> 00:17:34,399 Speaker 1: I'm so it's so fascinating to me to think about 336 00:17:34,560 --> 00:17:39,520 Speaker 1: martial arts as performance, you know, like because it sounds 337 00:17:39,560 --> 00:17:41,639 Speaker 1: like you didn't really separate the two. You know, you 338 00:17:41,640 --> 00:17:44,439 Speaker 1: were competing and doing shows, and I just feel like 339 00:17:44,480 --> 00:17:46,960 Speaker 1: the like we think about that with dancing, for instance, 340 00:17:46,960 --> 00:17:48,960 Speaker 1: pretty you know, if you're a dancer, you're also an actor. 341 00:17:49,000 --> 00:17:50,879 Speaker 1: If you're a singer, you're also an actor usually, But 342 00:17:51,240 --> 00:17:54,320 Speaker 1: this is so cool that were you were you separating them? 343 00:17:54,320 --> 00:17:57,240 Speaker 1: Were you more into competition before you you started doing 344 00:17:57,240 --> 00:17:58,919 Speaker 1: the film work or was it always kind of just 345 00:17:58,960 --> 00:17:59,679 Speaker 1: the same skill. 346 00:18:00,840 --> 00:18:01,119 Speaker 5: Yeah? 347 00:18:01,240 --> 00:18:02,959 Speaker 6: No, I mean I always was. 348 00:18:03,640 --> 00:18:05,639 Speaker 5: Yeah. And again it goes back to Bruce Lee for me, 349 00:18:05,720 --> 00:18:07,320 Speaker 5: you know, it was just like he had set the 350 00:18:07,359 --> 00:18:11,600 Speaker 5: bar so high and he was a real martial artist 351 00:18:11,800 --> 00:18:16,040 Speaker 5: even though he was a performing artist as well, and 352 00:18:16,119 --> 00:18:18,440 Speaker 5: so I was in the beginning, was really just trying 353 00:18:18,440 --> 00:18:20,119 Speaker 5: to be the best martial artist I could be. I 354 00:18:20,160 --> 00:18:22,560 Speaker 5: was like, I want to be like Bruce Lee, and 355 00:18:22,680 --> 00:18:25,400 Speaker 5: it was more about the skill set than it was 356 00:18:25,680 --> 00:18:29,199 Speaker 5: about like performing. But then they all they pretty like 357 00:18:29,320 --> 00:18:33,120 Speaker 5: quickly merged together, and then it was just I need 358 00:18:33,160 --> 00:18:35,639 Speaker 5: to get my skill level to the highest level it 359 00:18:35,680 --> 00:18:39,720 Speaker 5: possibly can be, and then that also supports me as 360 00:18:39,760 --> 00:18:43,760 Speaker 5: a performer entertainer. So it kind of just was all 361 00:18:43,800 --> 00:18:45,280 Speaker 5: one thing pretty early on. 362 00:18:45,880 --> 00:18:49,639 Speaker 4: Well that's I mean, so Last Dragon was hugely important 363 00:18:49,640 --> 00:18:52,879 Speaker 4: in my life. It's massively important to me. It was 364 00:18:52,960 --> 00:18:56,199 Speaker 4: one of the first real martial that and Sho Kasugi's 365 00:18:56,240 --> 00:18:58,280 Speaker 4: movies like Revenge of the Ninja and things like that 366 00:18:58,440 --> 00:18:59,959 Speaker 4: just helped to craft who I was. 367 00:19:00,480 --> 00:19:03,000 Speaker 3: And the thing that was so cool about The Last Dragon. 368 00:19:03,040 --> 00:19:05,600 Speaker 4: It came out, what eighty five, So I was nine, 369 00:19:07,280 --> 00:19:10,280 Speaker 4: you were the best martial artist on screen. 370 00:19:11,240 --> 00:19:14,800 Speaker 3: So there's a kid you were what eleven at the time, twelve? 371 00:19:15,600 --> 00:19:16,000 Speaker 6: Yeah I was. 372 00:19:16,440 --> 00:19:18,040 Speaker 5: I was twelve. Yeah I looked like I was. 373 00:19:19,119 --> 00:19:21,840 Speaker 4: You looked a lot younger, but you're twelve, and so 374 00:19:22,080 --> 00:19:26,240 Speaker 4: I'm watching a kid who's by far the best martial 375 00:19:26,320 --> 00:19:28,120 Speaker 4: artist in the movie. I mean, I still I can 376 00:19:28,200 --> 00:19:30,639 Speaker 4: picture the double kick you do right now where you 377 00:19:30,720 --> 00:19:32,359 Speaker 4: jump off the stage and you kick the two guys 378 00:19:32,400 --> 00:19:34,959 Speaker 4: at the same time, and at nine years old, I'm 379 00:19:35,000 --> 00:19:37,040 Speaker 4: sitting there watching going that's. 380 00:19:36,640 --> 00:19:37,080 Speaker 3: All I want. 381 00:19:37,160 --> 00:19:38,560 Speaker 4: I want to be that guy. I want to be 382 00:19:38,600 --> 00:19:41,080 Speaker 4: that guy right there. And my dad because of this, 383 00:19:41,480 --> 00:19:43,360 Speaker 4: signed me up for my first karate class. 384 00:19:43,400 --> 00:19:46,280 Speaker 3: Like two weeks after. I saw The Last Dragon nine 385 00:19:46,320 --> 00:19:47,520 Speaker 3: times in a row. 386 00:19:47,960 --> 00:19:49,920 Speaker 4: But the thing that was so great is not only 387 00:19:49,920 --> 00:19:51,480 Speaker 4: were you the best martial artist in the film, but 388 00:19:51,520 --> 00:19:53,439 Speaker 4: you're one of the funniest characters in the film. You 389 00:19:53,440 --> 00:19:56,240 Speaker 4: were actually really funny. And the idea that this was 390 00:19:56,320 --> 00:20:00,560 Speaker 4: your first movie is insane to me. So if you 391 00:20:00,600 --> 00:20:02,399 Speaker 4: guys have not seen Last Dragon, you've got to go 392 00:20:02,440 --> 00:20:05,160 Speaker 4: what you have to go watch it. He steals the movie. 393 00:20:05,640 --> 00:20:08,760 Speaker 4: The martial arts is absolutely incredible. And then on top 394 00:20:08,800 --> 00:20:11,399 Speaker 4: of that, I learned how much I love women because 395 00:20:11,480 --> 00:20:14,919 Speaker 4: Vanity walks on screen and my life was forever change. 396 00:20:15,119 --> 00:20:18,919 Speaker 4: So Martial Arts and Vanity and then I'm sure Danielle 397 00:20:18,920 --> 00:20:20,680 Speaker 4: will get into it. But we got a chance to 398 00:20:21,320 --> 00:20:25,240 Speaker 4: work with the great Julius Carrey who was on our show, 399 00:20:25,720 --> 00:20:29,679 Speaker 4: and he must have hated me by the end of 400 00:20:29,720 --> 00:20:32,320 Speaker 4: working together because I was just going, Okay, what then, 401 00:20:32,359 --> 00:20:33,600 Speaker 4: what was it like working on Last Dragon? 402 00:20:33,640 --> 00:20:35,800 Speaker 3: What was the next day like its it. 403 00:20:35,960 --> 00:20:38,639 Speaker 4: So I just wanted to tell you how important that 404 00:20:38,720 --> 00:20:42,320 Speaker 4: movie and you specifically were to me as a little kid. 405 00:20:42,400 --> 00:20:44,600 Speaker 3: It was so awesome change my life. It really did 406 00:20:44,720 --> 00:20:45,320 Speaker 3: change my life. 407 00:20:45,720 --> 00:20:47,800 Speaker 6: That's awesome. Man, I really appreciate that. 408 00:20:48,119 --> 00:20:48,560 Speaker 5: It was great. 409 00:20:48,760 --> 00:20:50,640 Speaker 1: So, Ernie, did you end up did you take any 410 00:20:50,720 --> 00:20:52,639 Speaker 1: sort of acting classes or did you kind of just 411 00:20:52,800 --> 00:20:54,840 Speaker 1: learn that you could do this on the fly. 412 00:20:55,800 --> 00:20:57,760 Speaker 5: Yeah, I mean that was the thing is so when 413 00:20:57,760 --> 00:21:01,760 Speaker 5: we did these martial arts administrations, you know, I was 414 00:21:01,840 --> 00:21:05,680 Speaker 5: kind of like the center of attention when it came 415 00:21:05,720 --> 00:21:07,639 Speaker 5: to that. And so what we would do is we 416 00:21:07,640 --> 00:21:12,000 Speaker 5: would create these fight scenes or skits basically, so I 417 00:21:12,040 --> 00:21:15,320 Speaker 5: had a lot of like live performance where you get 418 00:21:15,359 --> 00:21:17,240 Speaker 5: the feedback instantaneously. 419 00:21:17,280 --> 00:21:20,639 Speaker 6: And we definitely involved. 420 00:21:19,960 --> 00:21:23,000 Speaker 5: A lot of comedy you know in our in our 421 00:21:23,280 --> 00:21:26,480 Speaker 5: you know fight scenes and you know, taking a cue 422 00:21:26,520 --> 00:21:31,200 Speaker 5: from people like Jackie Chan and and and people like that. 423 00:21:31,240 --> 00:21:33,920 Speaker 5: And also even just at a young age, realizing hey 424 00:21:34,000 --> 00:21:39,480 Speaker 5: that Jackie Chan had influences like Charlie Chaplin and Key 425 00:21:40,119 --> 00:21:42,639 Speaker 5: all these so I really got I mean that was 426 00:21:42,720 --> 00:21:44,960 Speaker 5: like where I kind of cut my teeth in terms 427 00:21:44,960 --> 00:21:48,480 Speaker 5: of just performing. And so I knew how to be 428 00:21:48,600 --> 00:21:51,000 Speaker 5: funny and how to do the things that I know 429 00:21:51,280 --> 00:21:54,119 Speaker 5: would get a reaction from the audiences. And that's really 430 00:21:54,600 --> 00:21:57,359 Speaker 5: where it all came from. And uh and then just 431 00:21:57,440 --> 00:21:59,760 Speaker 5: watching movies. Yeah, but and that was a very confident 432 00:22:00,160 --> 00:22:04,520 Speaker 5: so I thought I could pretty much do anything. And yeah, 433 00:22:04,520 --> 00:22:07,119 Speaker 5: I didn't really get into like any kind of formal 434 00:22:07,280 --> 00:22:10,440 Speaker 5: acting training or anything until like way later and probably 435 00:22:10,480 --> 00:22:11,679 Speaker 5: into my twenties. 436 00:22:13,200 --> 00:22:16,640 Speaker 2: So that same year that you were in The Last Dragon, 437 00:22:17,040 --> 00:22:20,560 Speaker 2: you're in Red Sonia with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Brigitte Nielsen, 438 00:22:20,880 --> 00:22:24,119 Speaker 2: a pair of wild action stars in the eighties who 439 00:22:24,680 --> 00:22:27,439 Speaker 2: apparently may or may not have been having an affair 440 00:22:27,720 --> 00:22:32,800 Speaker 2: during the shoot. What memories do you have of filming 441 00:22:32,840 --> 00:22:33,440 Speaker 2: that movie? 442 00:22:35,040 --> 00:22:37,320 Speaker 5: You know what, it was actually like one of my 443 00:22:37,480 --> 00:22:41,879 Speaker 5: favorite movie making experiences. You know, we filmed it was 444 00:22:41,920 --> 00:22:46,040 Speaker 5: Dina Dilarentis Productions, who were filming in Italy at this 445 00:22:46,160 --> 00:22:50,439 Speaker 5: amazing Italian movie studio where the wardrobe designers were like 446 00:22:50,520 --> 00:22:55,080 Speaker 5: these serious craftsmen. And you know, I got to go 447 00:22:55,160 --> 00:22:59,160 Speaker 5: horseback riding every day in the countryside. I got to 448 00:23:00,320 --> 00:23:06,560 Speaker 5: you know, practice sword fights, you know, I uh, after 449 00:23:06,680 --> 00:23:09,600 Speaker 5: work every day. My dad had me really training like 450 00:23:10,280 --> 00:23:14,080 Speaker 5: a man out of a very early age, you know, 451 00:23:14,240 --> 00:23:17,520 Speaker 5: doing he didn't. That was one of the things in 452 00:23:17,640 --> 00:23:20,240 Speaker 5: terms of my training was he never really took into 453 00:23:20,280 --> 00:23:22,919 Speaker 5: consideration like, hey, this is a kid. I just pretty 454 00:23:22,960 --> 00:23:24,720 Speaker 5: much had the same He trained me as if he 455 00:23:25,320 --> 00:23:27,879 Speaker 5: was training. So there was no kind of like, oh, well, 456 00:23:27,920 --> 00:23:29,880 Speaker 5: we're going to modify this to make it a little 457 00:23:29,920 --> 00:23:32,560 Speaker 5: easier for you or less you know, strenuous. I was 458 00:23:32,640 --> 00:23:35,200 Speaker 5: just training all the time. So it was very cool. 459 00:23:35,240 --> 00:23:38,440 Speaker 5: I got to lift weights with Arnold Schwarzenegger every day 460 00:23:38,560 --> 00:23:43,520 Speaker 5: after six months, and I had show him hissing routines 461 00:23:43,560 --> 00:23:46,040 Speaker 5: and like you know, and you get a kick out 462 00:23:46,080 --> 00:23:48,920 Speaker 5: of that. So that was amazing. And then Brigitte Nielsen, 463 00:23:49,040 --> 00:23:51,520 Speaker 5: you know, at nineteen years old, she was about six 464 00:23:51,560 --> 00:23:53,480 Speaker 5: foot two. I think I was a four foot two 465 00:23:53,760 --> 00:23:57,120 Speaker 5: or something, so like it was just like the best 466 00:23:57,160 --> 00:23:59,879 Speaker 5: possible and you know, this is pre cgi, so all 467 00:24:00,080 --> 00:24:03,919 Speaker 5: effects were practical, all the sets were built, and so 468 00:24:04,000 --> 00:24:06,760 Speaker 5: I was literally running around like a you know, a 469 00:24:06,880 --> 00:24:11,080 Speaker 5: tyrant prince with my own castle and servants, and I 470 00:24:11,119 --> 00:24:13,199 Speaker 5: mean it was wild, but it was it was like 471 00:24:13,440 --> 00:24:16,840 Speaker 5: definitely an amazing core memory just growing up as a kid, 472 00:24:17,000 --> 00:24:19,199 Speaker 5: Like you couldn't beat it. In terms of just the 473 00:24:19,240 --> 00:24:21,600 Speaker 5: whole filmmaking process and everything like that. 474 00:24:21,680 --> 00:24:24,679 Speaker 3: Now, was this this was between? Is it between or 475 00:24:24,720 --> 00:24:29,720 Speaker 3: after Destroyer? So is Barbarian then Rensnia then Destroyer? 476 00:24:29,800 --> 00:24:32,720 Speaker 5: Right? I think that it. 477 00:24:33,320 --> 00:24:34,280 Speaker 6: I think that it was. 478 00:24:34,440 --> 00:24:38,000 Speaker 5: I'm not quite sure on that, Yeah, but it was, 479 00:24:38,040 --> 00:24:40,960 Speaker 5: you know, in the early days of Arnold, you know, 480 00:24:41,200 --> 00:24:44,840 Speaker 5: becoming prior to becoming the biggest movie star in the world. 481 00:24:44,840 --> 00:24:49,000 Speaker 5: When They're coming, we had finished work and his mom 482 00:24:49,119 --> 00:24:53,359 Speaker 5: was visiting on the set, and so we went to 483 00:24:53,400 --> 00:24:57,080 Speaker 5: say goodbye in his dressing room and he gave us 484 00:24:57,160 --> 00:25:01,200 Speaker 5: a VHS copy of a v tape and he said, 485 00:25:01,440 --> 00:25:04,920 Speaker 5: you know, I just filmed this movie right before this one, 486 00:25:04,960 --> 00:25:07,000 Speaker 5: and it's coming out this summer. This was in around 487 00:25:07,080 --> 00:25:09,800 Speaker 5: Christmas time, and so my dad and I went back 488 00:25:09,840 --> 00:25:12,639 Speaker 5: to our hotel room and popped in the VHS and 489 00:25:12,760 --> 00:25:17,119 Speaker 5: upcomes Terminator. Oh so we got to see Terminator on 490 00:25:17,240 --> 00:25:20,760 Speaker 5: VHS like six months before the world did. And you 491 00:25:20,800 --> 00:25:24,320 Speaker 5: know that sent him into superstardom. And I was like, 492 00:25:24,400 --> 00:25:26,320 Speaker 5: I want to do movies like that. Dad. 493 00:25:27,320 --> 00:25:29,040 Speaker 3: Yeah, Wow, amazing. 494 00:25:29,560 --> 00:25:32,439 Speaker 2: You mentioned that your dad didn't train you like a 495 00:25:32,560 --> 00:25:36,000 Speaker 2: kid who was training. You were just any old other 496 00:25:36,040 --> 00:25:39,200 Speaker 2: adult he would have trained or himself. Was that hard 497 00:25:39,240 --> 00:25:41,560 Speaker 2: for you or did you love it? Did you want it? 498 00:25:41,680 --> 00:25:43,440 Speaker 2: Or did you ever feel like you were missing out 499 00:25:43,480 --> 00:25:44,320 Speaker 2: on a childhood? 500 00:25:44,640 --> 00:25:47,520 Speaker 5: Oh? I mean I definitely wanted it, but I definitely 501 00:25:47,600 --> 00:25:50,119 Speaker 5: also felt like I was missing out on a child Okay, 502 00:25:50,640 --> 00:25:53,639 Speaker 5: because every weekend we were traveling and that was like 503 00:25:53,680 --> 00:25:56,280 Speaker 5: our focus of life, like it really was, And so 504 00:25:56,359 --> 00:25:59,119 Speaker 5: I did I did miss out on a lot of 505 00:25:59,119 --> 00:26:03,119 Speaker 5: the normal things, maybe all the normal things that childhood 506 00:26:03,160 --> 00:26:06,560 Speaker 5: consists of. And we were just training every day all 507 00:26:06,680 --> 00:26:10,080 Speaker 5: day long, you know, and then traveling on the weekends. 508 00:26:10,160 --> 00:26:11,760 Speaker 5: A lot of times I would miss school on a 509 00:26:11,800 --> 00:26:14,159 Speaker 5: Friday so that we could get to the tournament on 510 00:26:14,240 --> 00:26:19,679 Speaker 5: a Saturday wherever it was. And yeah, so I definitely 511 00:26:19,960 --> 00:26:22,000 Speaker 5: felt like that. It's like, oh I got you know, 512 00:26:22,080 --> 00:26:24,879 Speaker 5: my friend, and there just wasn't any of that. And 513 00:26:24,920 --> 00:26:27,320 Speaker 5: it was also you know, it kind of prepped me 514 00:26:27,400 --> 00:26:29,360 Speaker 5: for the life that I was going to live as 515 00:26:29,400 --> 00:26:33,200 Speaker 5: I continued into Hollywood, because then you again miss out 516 00:26:33,240 --> 00:26:36,919 Speaker 5: on all these kind of normal childhood things. So I 517 00:26:37,000 --> 00:26:40,880 Speaker 5: wanted it, and I definitely felt like I missed out 518 00:26:40,920 --> 00:26:43,480 Speaker 5: on a lot of stuff, you know, as I was 519 00:26:43,520 --> 00:26:47,000 Speaker 5: growing up and you know, I just kind of processed 520 00:26:47,040 --> 00:26:49,160 Speaker 5: it as like that was the sacrifice that I had 521 00:26:49,200 --> 00:26:51,160 Speaker 5: to make in order to do what I wanted to do. 522 00:26:51,760 --> 00:26:54,240 Speaker 5: And you know, my dad was like, you know, all 523 00:26:54,240 --> 00:26:56,440 Speaker 5: the other kids are doing normal things, but they're also 524 00:26:56,520 --> 00:26:58,800 Speaker 5: not getting to do the things that you're getting to do, 525 00:26:58,880 --> 00:27:01,440 Speaker 5: So you have to kind of choose one one way 526 00:27:01,480 --> 00:27:01,880 Speaker 5: or the other. 527 00:27:02,760 --> 00:27:05,040 Speaker 2: Right, Yeah, that's a good way of thinking about it. 528 00:27:05,400 --> 00:27:08,600 Speaker 2: Not any not everyone is weightlifting with Arnold Schwarzenegger running 529 00:27:08,600 --> 00:27:10,000 Speaker 2: around an Italian villa. 530 00:27:10,920 --> 00:27:12,439 Speaker 1: That was for you. 531 00:27:12,520 --> 00:27:15,880 Speaker 4: Yeah, you have that opportunity. 532 00:27:16,440 --> 00:27:21,639 Speaker 2: So were you also attending traditional school and auditioning and competing? 533 00:27:21,720 --> 00:27:23,160 Speaker 2: What was your schooling situation? 534 00:27:23,560 --> 00:27:25,399 Speaker 5: So, yeah, I was like up until about the sixth 535 00:27:25,440 --> 00:27:29,479 Speaker 5: grade was like my regular schooling situation, and then after 536 00:27:29,520 --> 00:27:34,120 Speaker 5: that it was just homeschooling. Before homeschooling and a tutor 537 00:27:34,200 --> 00:27:36,160 Speaker 5: when I was on set and everything. 538 00:27:37,000 --> 00:27:39,520 Speaker 2: Okay, wow, Beau Scott, you I mean, how did you 539 00:27:39,520 --> 00:27:40,439 Speaker 2: You were so busy? 540 00:27:41,480 --> 00:27:44,600 Speaker 5: Yeah? I mean I was like busy and working really 541 00:27:44,640 --> 00:27:47,960 Speaker 5: hard too. You know, it wasn't just like busy busy, 542 00:27:48,040 --> 00:27:52,880 Speaker 5: It was like but also very strenuous, you know, Yeah, 543 00:27:52,960 --> 00:27:54,760 Speaker 5: it was. It was a lot of work. I mean 544 00:27:54,800 --> 00:27:56,880 Speaker 5: I worked really hard as a kid. 545 00:27:57,240 --> 00:28:00,359 Speaker 2: Okay, so now we're at around the time of side Kicks, 546 00:28:00,480 --> 00:28:04,520 Speaker 2: and here you enter our world of TV child acting. 547 00:28:05,160 --> 00:28:08,800 Speaker 2: So the synopsis was an ordinary cop tutors a young 548 00:28:08,840 --> 00:28:11,399 Speaker 2: boy who insists on helping him in cases with his 549 00:28:11,480 --> 00:28:15,040 Speaker 2: mastery of martial arts. I mean, this truly feels like 550 00:28:15,080 --> 00:28:17,439 Speaker 2: it was written for you. Was it written for you? 551 00:28:18,080 --> 00:28:21,240 Speaker 5: Yes? So what happened was is after the Last Dragon, 552 00:28:23,359 --> 00:28:27,800 Speaker 5: Motown wanted to develop a television series for me, and 553 00:28:27,880 --> 00:28:30,520 Speaker 5: at that time, you know, they weren't going to be 554 00:28:30,640 --> 00:28:34,359 Speaker 5: able to get a network television deal in Hollywood, so 555 00:28:34,400 --> 00:28:38,080 Speaker 5: they partnered up with Disney and it was a co 556 00:28:38,160 --> 00:28:43,400 Speaker 5: production between Motown and Disney, and so everything was I mean, 557 00:28:43,440 --> 00:28:47,480 Speaker 5: my name was Ernie in the shows. 558 00:28:48,080 --> 00:28:50,360 Speaker 4: You've made it when the show's about you and it's 559 00:28:50,400 --> 00:28:53,520 Speaker 4: like you're raven or you're earning, or it's like they're 560 00:28:53,560 --> 00:28:55,160 Speaker 4: not even changing your name anymore. 561 00:28:55,640 --> 00:28:56,400 Speaker 5: Yeah, exactly. 562 00:28:56,600 --> 00:28:58,400 Speaker 6: So yeah, it was. 563 00:28:58,480 --> 00:29:00,280 Speaker 5: It was there, and we were you know, I was 564 00:29:00,320 --> 00:29:02,600 Speaker 5: there when we were pitching the shows and we were 565 00:29:02,640 --> 00:29:05,960 Speaker 5: going to the exit all the different networks, and I'd 566 00:29:05,960 --> 00:29:09,240 Speaker 5: be in Brandon Tartakoff's office and would move the furniture 567 00:29:09,280 --> 00:29:11,280 Speaker 5: out of the way, and my dad would attack me, 568 00:29:11,400 --> 00:29:14,240 Speaker 5: and then I'd beat my dad up, and the executives 569 00:29:14,240 --> 00:29:20,000 Speaker 5: were like whoa you know, demo in all these executive offices, 570 00:29:20,040 --> 00:29:23,360 Speaker 5: and then the networks, and then we finally landed over 571 00:29:23,440 --> 00:29:24,040 Speaker 5: at ABC. 572 00:29:24,440 --> 00:29:26,240 Speaker 4: So again watching this as a little kid, just sit 573 00:29:26,280 --> 00:29:28,480 Speaker 4: either watching us seeing him do that, I was like that, 574 00:29:28,800 --> 00:29:29,520 Speaker 4: I want to do that. 575 00:29:29,640 --> 00:29:30,280 Speaker 3: I want to do that. 576 00:29:30,640 --> 00:29:33,640 Speaker 2: How were you so good? 577 00:29:35,240 --> 00:29:37,520 Speaker 5: Yeah, I mean it's just honestly, it was like a 578 00:29:37,520 --> 00:29:40,800 Speaker 5: lot of training. You know, obviously I had like physical, 579 00:29:41,240 --> 00:29:45,640 Speaker 5: you know, gifts in terms of just athleticism, but yeah, 580 00:29:45,680 --> 00:29:47,320 Speaker 5: it was just a lot of training. You know. I 581 00:29:47,400 --> 00:29:51,440 Speaker 5: trained and trained and trained and trained, and I was motivated. 582 00:29:51,560 --> 00:29:53,800 Speaker 5: You know, I was inspired by Bruce Lee. So it 583 00:29:53,840 --> 00:29:56,200 Speaker 5: wasn't just like hey, I'm going to karate class or 584 00:29:56,440 --> 00:29:59,200 Speaker 5: whatever I was trying to I was trying to be 585 00:29:59,200 --> 00:30:01,480 Speaker 5: as good as Bruce Lee. I mean, you can see 586 00:30:01,680 --> 00:30:06,520 Speaker 5: my performance that I was generally yes, and it was 587 00:30:06,560 --> 00:30:10,040 Speaker 5: important to me, you know, I at a very early age, 588 00:30:10,080 --> 00:30:13,600 Speaker 5: it was very important to me that you know, I 589 00:30:13,720 --> 00:30:18,840 Speaker 5: represented you know, standard of excellence because that's what Bruce 590 00:30:18,880 --> 00:30:19,440 Speaker 5: Lee meant to me. 591 00:30:19,560 --> 00:30:24,400 Speaker 4: You know, wow, wow, Yeah, did you only study taekwondo 592 00:30:24,520 --> 00:30:27,000 Speaker 4: or because of Bruce Lee? Did you try kundo or 593 00:30:27,040 --> 00:30:28,400 Speaker 4: did you go to hot keto or was it just 594 00:30:28,440 --> 00:30:29,280 Speaker 4: one style mostly? 595 00:30:29,480 --> 00:30:32,920 Speaker 5: Yeah, I mean my primary base was taekwondo. That's where 596 00:30:32,960 --> 00:30:34,920 Speaker 5: you get all the kicking and all of that stuff. 597 00:30:35,360 --> 00:30:38,080 Speaker 5: But you know, we were boxing and kickboxing and doing 598 00:30:38,120 --> 00:30:41,840 Speaker 5: Filipino martial arts, had a little bit of you know, 599 00:30:42,520 --> 00:30:46,440 Speaker 5: training with Dan and Nisantos, you know, who was Bruce 600 00:30:46,560 --> 00:30:50,160 Speaker 5: Lee's student and training partner. 601 00:30:50,720 --> 00:30:53,560 Speaker 6: So I mean, and I was also exposed to. 602 00:30:55,400 --> 00:30:58,880 Speaker 5: I was also exposed to all the greatest martial artists 603 00:30:58,960 --> 00:31:01,880 Speaker 5: at least in our country, so I had a reference point. 604 00:31:01,920 --> 00:31:05,200 Speaker 5: And so we would travel doing seminars with you know, 605 00:31:05,440 --> 00:31:10,240 Speaker 5: a panel of the greatest like martial artists in America 606 00:31:10,320 --> 00:31:12,719 Speaker 5: at the time. So I was exposed to it all. 607 00:31:24,960 --> 00:31:27,800 Speaker 2: So the cop Insidekicks was Gil Gerard better known as 608 00:31:27,840 --> 00:31:30,800 Speaker 2: Buck Rogers, a TV legend. What was that like for 609 00:31:30,880 --> 00:31:33,360 Speaker 2: the karate champ when sharing scenes with him? 610 00:31:34,200 --> 00:31:35,200 Speaker 6: Yeah, that was amazing. 611 00:31:35,320 --> 00:31:38,480 Speaker 5: I mean, you know, first of all, I hadn't seen 612 00:31:38,520 --> 00:31:41,840 Speaker 5: the show, but I knew who Buck Rogers was. Yeah, 613 00:31:42,000 --> 00:31:45,480 Speaker 5: this is pretty cool, you know, and at that time, 614 00:31:45,560 --> 00:31:48,400 Speaker 5: I think he had taken like a hiatus from you know, 615 00:31:49,040 --> 00:31:52,400 Speaker 5: the entertainment business for a while and was like coming back. 616 00:31:52,520 --> 00:31:54,840 Speaker 5: So that was cool. And he, you know, he was 617 00:31:54,880 --> 00:31:57,840 Speaker 5: Buck Rogers. I mean he you know, I mean it 618 00:31:57,960 --> 00:31:59,920 Speaker 5: was like the first time that I kind of fell 619 00:32:00,480 --> 00:32:03,240 Speaker 5: that like, hey, this guy is you know, from in 620 00:32:03,320 --> 00:32:05,720 Speaker 5: it from a TV perspective, like, hey, this is like 621 00:32:06,240 --> 00:32:09,080 Speaker 5: a star and Arnold and all the people prior to 622 00:32:09,120 --> 00:32:11,400 Speaker 5: that were not established at that time. 623 00:32:11,480 --> 00:32:14,720 Speaker 6: So even Arnold, yeah he was a star, but he wasn't. 624 00:32:14,480 --> 00:32:17,440 Speaker 5: Like a superstar. Buck Rogers had already had like an 625 00:32:17,600 --> 00:32:21,160 Speaker 5: entire career, you know, the sidekick. So I definitely was 626 00:32:21,200 --> 00:32:24,160 Speaker 5: able to kind of feel feel that in just his presence. 627 00:32:24,160 --> 00:32:26,440 Speaker 5: But he's a great guy and I really enjoyed working 628 00:32:26,440 --> 00:32:27,440 Speaker 5: with him. 629 00:32:28,000 --> 00:32:29,760 Speaker 2: How is your dad? What is your What was your 630 00:32:29,840 --> 00:32:32,640 Speaker 2: dad's thoughts and feelings? Did he express them to you? 631 00:32:32,880 --> 00:32:36,040 Speaker 2: Seeing you go from you know, a martial artist who 632 00:32:36,080 --> 00:32:38,440 Speaker 2: was training every weekend and working really hard, but then 633 00:32:38,680 --> 00:32:41,880 Speaker 2: all of a sudden accomplishing his other dream of becoming 634 00:32:41,960 --> 00:32:44,960 Speaker 2: a movie star and now a TV star. How was 635 00:32:44,960 --> 00:32:46,360 Speaker 2: your dad feeling through all this? 636 00:32:47,280 --> 00:32:49,000 Speaker 6: You know, I don't know, I don't know exactly. 637 00:32:49,040 --> 00:32:50,920 Speaker 5: I know that He's super proud of me, you know, 638 00:32:51,840 --> 00:32:56,800 Speaker 5: you know, and it was a reflection of his It's 639 00:32:56,800 --> 00:32:59,560 Speaker 5: a reflection of him as a martial arts teacher as well, 640 00:33:00,640 --> 00:33:02,480 Speaker 5: and so that I think that he was very proud 641 00:33:02,520 --> 00:33:05,160 Speaker 5: of that, you know. But my dad, we were on 642 00:33:05,240 --> 00:33:08,520 Speaker 5: a mission, so it was always very like, you know, 643 00:33:08,720 --> 00:33:10,920 Speaker 5: we were very it was very serious. 644 00:33:11,320 --> 00:33:14,400 Speaker 6: You know, we were having I was having fun, but 645 00:33:14,520 --> 00:33:15,720 Speaker 6: it was a very serious thing. 646 00:33:15,720 --> 00:33:19,560 Speaker 5: And then coupled you know, and that's how entertainment business is, right, 647 00:33:19,560 --> 00:33:21,720 Speaker 5: There's a lot going on, but then coupled with it 648 00:33:21,760 --> 00:33:24,320 Speaker 5: is just like I'm this martial arts guy, so it's 649 00:33:24,360 --> 00:33:31,000 Speaker 5: all very like focused and you know, and again that's 650 00:33:31,040 --> 00:33:33,000 Speaker 5: where you miss out on a lot of the other 651 00:33:33,120 --> 00:33:35,320 Speaker 5: things that are just like more fun and that kind 652 00:33:35,360 --> 00:33:39,160 Speaker 5: of stuff. But yeah, I think that he's just generally 653 00:33:39,320 --> 00:33:41,320 Speaker 5: was very proud of me, you know, and what we 654 00:33:41,320 --> 00:33:44,840 Speaker 5: were accomplishing, and we worked you know up and you know, 655 00:33:45,040 --> 00:33:47,440 Speaker 5: we also were Corey, so he was working on the show, 656 00:33:47,480 --> 00:33:49,840 Speaker 5: so it wasn't just like a regular set parent who's 657 00:33:49,880 --> 00:33:51,040 Speaker 5: just like there and whatever. 658 00:33:51,360 --> 00:33:54,280 Speaker 6: He was involved in the production aspect of it. 659 00:33:54,560 --> 00:33:57,400 Speaker 5: So he's going to production meetings as having working with 660 00:33:57,440 --> 00:34:00,840 Speaker 5: the stunt coordinators, and then he was the choreographer for 661 00:34:00,880 --> 00:34:03,280 Speaker 5: Sidekicks as well. So all the stuff that I did 662 00:34:03,280 --> 00:34:06,120 Speaker 5: when I was a kid, you know, he was choreographing 663 00:34:06,200 --> 00:34:07,040 Speaker 5: all of that stuff. 664 00:34:07,280 --> 00:34:09,480 Speaker 6: And I was to a lot of it, to be honest, 665 00:34:10,040 --> 00:34:10,440 Speaker 6: but that. 666 00:34:10,560 --> 00:34:13,719 Speaker 5: Was his position. We would work together and I would say, hell, 667 00:34:13,760 --> 00:34:16,400 Speaker 5: what about this and what about that? But he that 668 00:34:16,520 --> 00:34:19,920 Speaker 5: was his position, was the choreographer. So we were working 669 00:34:20,000 --> 00:34:24,680 Speaker 5: together side Rice versus you know, you know, just being 670 00:34:24,719 --> 00:34:27,920 Speaker 5: a parent and being there just because the child needs 671 00:34:27,960 --> 00:34:30,000 Speaker 5: to have somebody an adult on set. 672 00:34:31,000 --> 00:34:35,600 Speaker 2: Yes, okay, so let's get into teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. 673 00:34:35,960 --> 00:34:40,760 Speaker 2: In the first movie, you are the stunt double for Donatello, right, yes, 674 00:34:41,000 --> 00:34:44,120 Speaker 2: you were in the foam latex costume fighting members of 675 00:34:44,360 --> 00:34:47,680 Speaker 2: the Foot Clan. Please tell us how that came to be. 676 00:34:48,480 --> 00:34:52,320 Speaker 6: Yeah, So Golden Harvest comes back to Bruce Lee again. 677 00:34:53,520 --> 00:34:57,880 Speaker 5: Who's responsible for you know, Bruce Lee, Jet Lee, Jackie Chant. 678 00:34:58,200 --> 00:35:02,520 Speaker 5: So after Sidekicks got you, after Sidekicks Gots canceled, then 679 00:35:02,560 --> 00:35:06,560 Speaker 5: I went back to kind of being like a regular teenager. 680 00:35:06,640 --> 00:35:09,960 Speaker 5: And I actually went to a small school, but it 681 00:35:10,000 --> 00:35:14,080 Speaker 5: was it was for actors and actresses and models and 682 00:35:14,120 --> 00:35:16,720 Speaker 5: people like that that were in the industry and working. 683 00:35:16,760 --> 00:35:19,400 Speaker 5: But I was now in a school again and for 684 00:35:19,600 --> 00:35:22,040 Speaker 5: people there, and I was making friends at least during 685 00:35:22,120 --> 00:35:23,200 Speaker 5: school time, you know. 686 00:35:25,360 --> 00:35:29,839 Speaker 6: Oh yeah, so Golden Harvest and so there was that 687 00:35:29,880 --> 00:35:31,400 Speaker 6: time period where I wasn't working. 688 00:35:31,480 --> 00:35:34,719 Speaker 5: I was just enjoying being like a young teenager. And 689 00:35:35,920 --> 00:35:40,040 Speaker 5: so Pat Johnson, who was the stunt coordinator, So Golden 690 00:35:40,040 --> 00:35:45,240 Speaker 5: Harvest was bringing four Hong Kong stunt guys to work 691 00:35:45,239 --> 00:35:48,000 Speaker 5: on the first American production. And during that time, like 692 00:35:48,040 --> 00:35:51,200 Speaker 5: in the eighties, especially for martial arts films, like the 693 00:35:51,239 --> 00:35:54,359 Speaker 5: Hong Kong guys were like up here in terms of 694 00:35:54,480 --> 00:35:57,799 Speaker 5: like the action output that they were doing. And so 695 00:35:57,880 --> 00:36:01,680 Speaker 5: they were bringing four Golden Harvest was bringing for Hong 696 00:36:01,760 --> 00:36:04,759 Speaker 5: Kong guys to do all the action for the Turtles. 697 00:36:05,120 --> 00:36:09,840 Speaker 5: One of the guys broke his back in pre production. 698 00:36:10,239 --> 00:36:14,200 Speaker 5: So Pat Johnson, the stunt coordinator, called me up. And 699 00:36:14,400 --> 00:36:17,080 Speaker 5: I had known Pat from way back in the day. 700 00:36:17,200 --> 00:36:19,320 Speaker 5: He used to be judge me as a young kid 701 00:36:19,480 --> 00:36:22,560 Speaker 5: in my martial arts competitions and things like that. And 702 00:36:22,600 --> 00:36:25,040 Speaker 5: he said, listen, this is not an acting job, but 703 00:36:25,480 --> 00:36:26,520 Speaker 5: this is a stunt job. 704 00:36:26,640 --> 00:36:29,440 Speaker 6: Are you willing to come? And I was like, Golden Harvest, 705 00:36:29,480 --> 00:36:30,120 Speaker 6: are you kidding me? 706 00:36:30,280 --> 00:36:35,080 Speaker 5: Like yes, absolutely, And so now I'm like going and 707 00:36:35,360 --> 00:36:39,720 Speaker 5: immediately I go to They fly me out to London 708 00:36:39,800 --> 00:36:42,520 Speaker 5: to the Jim Henson Creature Shop and I get a 709 00:36:42,600 --> 00:36:46,160 Speaker 5: full cast, and you know, I'm seeing all the stuff 710 00:36:46,160 --> 00:36:49,160 Speaker 5: that they've worked on. I mean, I'm like, this is magical. 711 00:36:49,480 --> 00:36:52,080 Speaker 5: Right then, I actually knew, like, Okay, I'm doing something 712 00:36:52,200 --> 00:36:52,879 Speaker 5: very cool here. 713 00:36:53,160 --> 00:36:55,839 Speaker 6: I wasn't too familiar with the Ninja Turtles in terms 714 00:36:55,880 --> 00:36:57,600 Speaker 6: of the property or whatever. 715 00:36:57,760 --> 00:37:01,200 Speaker 5: I was kind of familiar with the toys. But now 716 00:37:01,239 --> 00:37:03,400 Speaker 5: I'm at the Jim Henson Creature Shop and I'm getting 717 00:37:03,400 --> 00:37:08,240 Speaker 5: a full body cast, you know, and we fly out 718 00:37:08,640 --> 00:37:10,320 Speaker 5: and then I go from there and I go straight 719 00:37:10,360 --> 00:37:15,160 Speaker 5: to North Carolina where we were filming and and started 720 00:37:15,160 --> 00:37:17,640 Speaker 5: working with you know, the Hong Kong guys. 721 00:37:18,080 --> 00:37:20,720 Speaker 6: And that was amazing. It was it was really special. 722 00:37:20,760 --> 00:37:22,960 Speaker 5: But I was really like the really hooked for me 723 00:37:23,200 --> 00:37:26,280 Speaker 5: was Golden Harvest, and it just went back to Bruce 724 00:37:26,320 --> 00:37:28,439 Speaker 5: Lee again. I was like, I'm actually getting to work 725 00:37:28,520 --> 00:37:30,759 Speaker 5: with the company that made me. And you know that 726 00:37:31,080 --> 00:37:33,160 Speaker 5: the Golden Harvest has such an iconic. 727 00:37:32,880 --> 00:37:38,480 Speaker 4: Logo logo right when it pops up you know exactly. 728 00:37:38,600 --> 00:37:41,640 Speaker 3: It's right underneath the Lucasfilm Limited. Like the lucasfilm comes 729 00:37:41,719 --> 00:37:43,879 Speaker 3: up for Star Wars, Golden Harvest comes up. It's like, oh, yes, 730 00:37:43,920 --> 00:37:46,640 Speaker 3: this is going to be a fun ninety minutes. Yeah. 731 00:37:46,680 --> 00:37:49,879 Speaker 2: So were there other kids in the suits or were 732 00:37:49,880 --> 00:37:51,040 Speaker 2: you the only kid? 733 00:37:51,600 --> 00:37:53,239 Speaker 5: I was the only kid. Yeah. The Hong Kong guys 734 00:37:53,239 --> 00:37:56,080 Speaker 5: were just men, and I was. I was so I 735 00:37:56,160 --> 00:37:59,200 Speaker 5: was seventeen in between. It was the summer in between 736 00:37:59,200 --> 00:38:01,200 Speaker 5: my junior and senior year of high school. 737 00:38:01,560 --> 00:38:03,480 Speaker 2: Wow, oh my gosh. 738 00:38:03,680 --> 00:38:06,200 Speaker 5: And I was emancipated, so I could go and work 739 00:38:06,239 --> 00:38:07,400 Speaker 5: and I didn't need an adult. 740 00:38:07,840 --> 00:38:10,000 Speaker 6: And also this was the first. 741 00:38:09,719 --> 00:38:13,719 Speaker 5: Time that my dad wasn't with me, and so this 742 00:38:13,920 --> 00:38:15,160 Speaker 5: was like a big deal for me. 743 00:38:15,400 --> 00:38:16,960 Speaker 6: I was like, okay, I'm a stunt man. 744 00:38:17,000 --> 00:38:20,839 Speaker 5: I was a stunt boy, you say, right, you know. 745 00:38:20,920 --> 00:38:21,720 Speaker 6: I'm away. 746 00:38:22,040 --> 00:38:24,360 Speaker 5: And the cool part about it is is that I 747 00:38:24,400 --> 00:38:27,880 Speaker 5: got to choreograph, you know, all of my own stuff. 748 00:38:27,960 --> 00:38:30,560 Speaker 5: So now I'm doing what I used to do with 749 00:38:30,640 --> 00:38:32,520 Speaker 5: just me and my dad, and I'm getting to do 750 00:38:32,560 --> 00:38:36,560 Speaker 5: it myself. And so basically, you know, the stunt coordinator 751 00:38:37,000 --> 00:38:38,240 Speaker 5: would break down a scene. 752 00:38:38,040 --> 00:38:39,919 Speaker 6: And we're like, okay, we're going to do the rooftop. 753 00:38:39,600 --> 00:38:41,400 Speaker 5: Fight scene or whatever. And then I would go and 754 00:38:41,520 --> 00:38:44,040 Speaker 5: come up with the choreography and then I'd present it 755 00:38:44,080 --> 00:38:47,200 Speaker 5: to the stunt coordinator, and ten out of ten times 756 00:38:47,200 --> 00:38:51,799 Speaker 5: he was like perfect, you know the choreography. So it's 757 00:38:51,840 --> 00:38:53,920 Speaker 5: like all of that, you know, it was a pretty 758 00:38:53,920 --> 00:38:55,000 Speaker 5: special moment for him. 759 00:38:55,080 --> 00:38:57,400 Speaker 1: Yeah, and when you're and when you're doing the choreography, 760 00:38:57,440 --> 00:39:00,239 Speaker 1: are you wearing the suit to like know what you 761 00:39:00,280 --> 00:39:04,800 Speaker 1: can do or can't do or well, preliminary. 762 00:39:04,200 --> 00:39:08,600 Speaker 5: We just go and kind of work stuff out and 763 00:39:08,680 --> 00:39:11,520 Speaker 5: then yeah, then you're going, Okay, now we have to 764 00:39:11,520 --> 00:39:12,360 Speaker 5: try it with a suit. 765 00:39:12,600 --> 00:39:14,799 Speaker 6: It was pretty crazy. The suit was like, you know, 766 00:39:14,920 --> 00:39:15,960 Speaker 6: thirty forty. 767 00:39:15,680 --> 00:39:20,279 Speaker 5: Pounds, Oh my god, home Latex rubber. You know, it's 768 00:39:20,360 --> 00:39:23,799 Speaker 5: like a ball. No. I mean my body first of all, 769 00:39:23,920 --> 00:39:27,840 Speaker 5: is in North Carolina is like one hundred degrees outside. 770 00:39:27,000 --> 00:39:31,400 Speaker 5: Oh my, one hundred percent humidity. And we're you know, 771 00:39:31,480 --> 00:39:34,600 Speaker 5: doing fight scenes all day long, like literally twelve fourteen, 772 00:39:34,800 --> 00:39:39,360 Speaker 5: sixteen hours a day. And imagine like a nerve football. 773 00:39:39,520 --> 00:39:40,959 Speaker 5: You know, you don't get into the water. 774 00:39:41,040 --> 00:39:42,759 Speaker 6: It's just like a giant sponge. 775 00:39:43,160 --> 00:39:46,120 Speaker 5: So you're going your sweating and it's just the suit's 776 00:39:46,120 --> 00:39:49,080 Speaker 5: getting heavier and heavier as the day goes on, and 777 00:39:49,080 --> 00:39:53,840 Speaker 5: you're basically slashing around in your sweat for like fourteen 778 00:39:53,880 --> 00:39:56,120 Speaker 5: hours a day. I mean it was hard work. My 779 00:39:56,120 --> 00:39:58,480 Speaker 5: body temperature got up to one hundred and two degrees 780 00:39:58,520 --> 00:39:58,960 Speaker 5: every day. 781 00:39:59,600 --> 00:40:01,080 Speaker 3: Yeah. No, there's there's. 782 00:40:01,719 --> 00:40:02,800 Speaker 5: Story hey guys. 783 00:40:02,960 --> 00:40:06,840 Speaker 4: Yeah, there's teenage mutant Ninja Turtle stories about the first 784 00:40:06,840 --> 00:40:09,200 Speaker 4: filming of that movie where they were like right on 785 00:40:09,320 --> 00:40:13,600 Speaker 4: the line of safety for a lot of that film apparently. 786 00:40:13,239 --> 00:40:13,920 Speaker 5: Yeah, big time. 787 00:40:14,040 --> 00:40:17,400 Speaker 2: Yeah, oh my gosh, yeah. 788 00:40:17,320 --> 00:40:20,040 Speaker 5: Crazy, But that's where all that training comes in. You know. 789 00:40:20,160 --> 00:40:24,520 Speaker 5: It's just mental and physical that it's like, all right, 790 00:40:24,600 --> 00:40:27,279 Speaker 5: this is like I always kind of looked at it 791 00:40:27,360 --> 00:40:29,160 Speaker 5: on the first movie like it was like a black 792 00:40:29,200 --> 00:40:32,080 Speaker 5: belt test. It was like you always knew what you 793 00:40:32,080 --> 00:40:35,279 Speaker 5: were getting into like every single day, and it was 794 00:40:35,360 --> 00:40:38,560 Speaker 5: just a matter of like controlling your mind basically, because 795 00:40:38,640 --> 00:40:40,360 Speaker 5: a big part of it is just like mental. 796 00:40:40,560 --> 00:40:42,719 Speaker 1: You know, Yeah, how did did you fit in with 797 00:40:42,760 --> 00:40:45,719 Speaker 1: the Golden Harvest guys? Or did it take a little bit? Yeah, 798 00:40:45,840 --> 00:40:48,279 Speaker 1: I mean you must have been nervous, right, yeah. 799 00:40:48,400 --> 00:40:50,280 Speaker 5: No, I mean this was like the dream come true, 800 00:40:50,320 --> 00:40:52,759 Speaker 5: and honestly, in my mind, I was like, this is 801 00:40:52,800 --> 00:40:57,279 Speaker 5: my opportunity to demonstrate what I can do. That was 802 00:40:57,320 --> 00:41:00,360 Speaker 5: like I went into that with that mindset and it 803 00:41:01,320 --> 00:41:04,799 Speaker 5: worked out pretty much like I had hoped for it. 804 00:41:05,000 --> 00:41:07,000 Speaker 4: Yeah, well, I mean it was a smash that when 805 00:41:07,040 --> 00:41:08,600 Speaker 4: it first came out. I remember, I think I saw 806 00:41:08,640 --> 00:41:10,879 Speaker 4: it three times in the theater. Like it was this 807 00:41:11,040 --> 00:41:14,239 Speaker 4: was comic books and martial arts together for the first time, 808 00:41:14,239 --> 00:41:16,520 Speaker 4: but it was also the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, which 809 00:41:16,680 --> 00:41:19,120 Speaker 4: was a little bit more subversive of. 810 00:41:19,040 --> 00:41:19,760 Speaker 3: A comic book. 811 00:41:19,800 --> 00:41:22,160 Speaker 4: Then a lot of people knew, Like if you knew, 812 00:41:22,280 --> 00:41:24,319 Speaker 4: you knew, but if you didn't, I mean, most of 813 00:41:24,360 --> 00:41:27,080 Speaker 4: the actors that were cast in the film didn't know 814 00:41:27,120 --> 00:41:30,440 Speaker 4: what Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was. So it's it's one 815 00:41:30,480 --> 00:41:32,600 Speaker 4: of those things where it was a real if you know, 816 00:41:32,719 --> 00:41:34,920 Speaker 4: you know moment, And so for somebody who was a 817 00:41:34,960 --> 00:41:39,480 Speaker 4: fan seeing it brought to life and and the puppetry. 818 00:41:39,440 --> 00:41:40,720 Speaker 3: Was decent, it was good. 819 00:41:41,280 --> 00:41:43,160 Speaker 4: So it was you figured it was, oh, it's gonna 820 00:41:43,200 --> 00:41:45,480 Speaker 4: look like crappy foam suits or and everybody was worried. 821 00:41:45,480 --> 00:41:47,960 Speaker 4: The fans were worried beforehand, and then the first pictures 822 00:41:48,040 --> 00:41:49,840 Speaker 4: kind of leaked and there was no online, so it 823 00:41:49,920 --> 00:41:51,839 Speaker 4: was just kind of like, you know what's gonna, Well 824 00:41:51,840 --> 00:41:53,279 Speaker 4: I heard this, I heard that, Well, I heard it's 825 00:41:53,280 --> 00:41:55,200 Speaker 4: gonna and then next thing, you know, I have a 826 00:41:55,239 --> 00:41:59,400 Speaker 4: strange connection with the film where the the the human 827 00:41:59,560 --> 00:42:04,680 Speaker 4: Kid played by Michael Turney. Okay, Michael's mom was my 828 00:42:04,840 --> 00:42:07,759 Speaker 4: manager for years, so whenever Michael wanted to get out 829 00:42:07,760 --> 00:42:09,719 Speaker 4: of New York City, she would send him to our 830 00:42:09,719 --> 00:42:13,040 Speaker 4: house in Connecticut. So he was like, he and I 831 00:42:13,080 --> 00:42:15,600 Speaker 4: would hang out together, and so he's telling me all about, yeah, 832 00:42:15,600 --> 00:42:17,400 Speaker 4: I'm doing this teenage mutant ninja Turtle. So I like, 833 00:42:17,400 --> 00:42:18,640 Speaker 4: I already knew it. I was like, oh my god, 834 00:42:18,640 --> 00:42:21,200 Speaker 4: they're doing the Ninja Turtles. And then when it came out, 835 00:42:21,200 --> 00:42:23,560 Speaker 4: it was like a phenomenon right at the time. I mean, yeah, 836 00:42:23,719 --> 00:42:25,160 Speaker 4: massive part the whole thing again. 837 00:42:25,280 --> 00:42:28,080 Speaker 2: Yeah, so was that then? Was there any part of 838 00:42:28,080 --> 00:42:30,759 Speaker 2: it that was hard because that's obviously a massive hit, 839 00:42:31,080 --> 00:42:33,600 Speaker 2: but nobody could see you inside the suit. Did you 840 00:42:33,640 --> 00:42:37,799 Speaker 2: have that feeling of like, I'm a massive reason this 841 00:42:37,840 --> 00:42:40,279 Speaker 2: movie is so successful and yet no one even knows 842 00:42:40,320 --> 00:42:40,640 Speaker 2: it was me. 843 00:42:41,640 --> 00:42:43,280 Speaker 6: Yeah, It's well, it's interesting. 844 00:42:43,400 --> 00:42:46,800 Speaker 5: So, you know, going back to the martial arts community, 845 00:42:47,280 --> 00:42:52,160 Speaker 5: there's a whole martial arts community right all across the country, 846 00:42:52,719 --> 00:42:55,640 Speaker 5: and it's pretty much like a kind of subculture at 847 00:42:55,640 --> 00:42:58,360 Speaker 5: that time. Yeah, you know, but they had been following 848 00:42:58,400 --> 00:43:02,040 Speaker 5: my career since the Last Dragon and so now here 849 00:43:02,080 --> 00:43:04,600 Speaker 5: we are, how many every years later, and so there 850 00:43:04,640 --> 00:43:08,279 Speaker 5: was at least in my martial arts world, they knew that, hey, 851 00:43:08,480 --> 00:43:11,480 Speaker 5: and we were kind of promoting it as such. But 852 00:43:11,600 --> 00:43:15,160 Speaker 5: on the last day of filming, the executive producer from 853 00:43:15,239 --> 00:43:18,960 Speaker 5: Golden Harvest, who you know, they took. 854 00:43:18,760 --> 00:43:19,440 Speaker 6: A liking to me. 855 00:43:19,640 --> 00:43:22,560 Speaker 5: There was four Hong Kong stunt guys, three Hong Kong 856 00:43:22,600 --> 00:43:26,120 Speaker 5: stunt guys and me. The Hong Kong guys couldn't even 857 00:43:26,120 --> 00:43:29,960 Speaker 5: speak English. So when Golden Harvest met me and they 858 00:43:30,000 --> 00:43:32,759 Speaker 5: could see that I could do the martial arts and 859 00:43:32,960 --> 00:43:37,000 Speaker 5: compete with all the best guys at Golden Harvest, and 860 00:43:37,120 --> 00:43:39,960 Speaker 5: I spoke English and was just like a California kid. 861 00:43:40,960 --> 00:43:44,000 Speaker 5: On the last day of filming, the executive producers says 862 00:43:44,040 --> 00:43:46,760 Speaker 5: to me, Hey, we're gonna in the sequel. They already 863 00:43:46,840 --> 00:43:49,240 Speaker 5: knew that they had a smash hit on it their hands, 864 00:43:49,280 --> 00:43:52,359 Speaker 5: and last day they said, hey, we're gonna write you 865 00:43:52,400 --> 00:43:55,279 Speaker 5: into the second movie as a human character. So I 866 00:43:55,440 --> 00:43:56,360 Speaker 5: was like, oh. 867 00:43:58,200 --> 00:44:02,680 Speaker 3: My worked, Yes, oh my god. It's a great segue 868 00:44:02,800 --> 00:44:04,920 Speaker 3: to the Secret of the US Party two. 869 00:44:06,280 --> 00:44:06,680 Speaker 6: Too. 870 00:44:07,600 --> 00:44:10,920 Speaker 2: It's the nineteen ninety one sequel, and you play Keno, 871 00:44:11,239 --> 00:44:14,640 Speaker 2: the smart mouthed pizza delivery boy slash karate kid who 872 00:44:14,640 --> 00:44:19,080 Speaker 2: becomes best friends with the Turtles to fight the evil Shredder. 873 00:44:19,920 --> 00:44:23,120 Speaker 2: So this had to be every kid's dream come true. 874 00:44:23,320 --> 00:44:26,799 Speaker 2: You are now best friends with the Ninja Turtles. What 875 00:44:26,920 --> 00:44:30,160 Speaker 2: was it like to go from being in that awful 876 00:44:30,239 --> 00:44:34,279 Speaker 2: suit to now you're you get to be you? What 877 00:44:34,360 --> 00:44:34,880 Speaker 2: was that like? 878 00:44:35,080 --> 00:44:42,200 Speaker 5: Ye, well it was a lot cooler, like literally, yeah, 879 00:44:42,239 --> 00:44:44,719 Speaker 5: I mean it was amazing, you know. And so what 880 00:44:44,880 --> 00:44:48,359 Speaker 5: happened was is after the second movie, I mean after 881 00:44:48,400 --> 00:44:53,440 Speaker 5: the first movie, then they basically one of my friends, 882 00:44:53,640 --> 00:44:57,040 Speaker 5: you know, from the martial arts community, replaced me inside 883 00:44:57,120 --> 00:44:59,799 Speaker 5: the suit and now I'm like a human character. So 884 00:45:00,000 --> 00:45:03,960 Speaker 5: I already knew what the workload was like inside the costumes. Yeah, 885 00:45:04,160 --> 00:45:07,279 Speaker 5: just that alone made me a happy camper, you know. 886 00:45:08,080 --> 00:45:09,680 Speaker 6: And no, it was amazing. 887 00:45:09,719 --> 00:45:12,400 Speaker 5: I mean it was very surreal, and you know, it 888 00:45:12,480 --> 00:45:14,640 Speaker 5: was also kind of like my part of my plan. 889 00:45:14,680 --> 00:45:17,839 Speaker 5: I was like, hey, now I'm actually getting to do 890 00:45:18,080 --> 00:45:18,919 Speaker 5: what I want to do. 891 00:45:19,320 --> 00:45:22,040 Speaker 6: And I'm actually human character. I mean, it was it 892 00:45:22,120 --> 00:45:22,760 Speaker 6: was amazing. 893 00:45:22,840 --> 00:45:25,160 Speaker 5: Now, so it was in between my junior and senior 894 00:45:25,280 --> 00:45:29,359 Speaker 5: year of high school that we filmed the movie came out. Now, 895 00:45:29,400 --> 00:45:35,640 Speaker 5: I just graduated high school and yes, starring in the 896 00:45:35,680 --> 00:45:38,200 Speaker 5: Teenage Being a Ninja Turtle movie. I mean it was like, 897 00:45:39,120 --> 00:45:44,040 Speaker 5: you know, peak just Peak Frenzy good times. It was 898 00:45:44,120 --> 00:45:46,000 Speaker 5: just like the dream come true. Really, it was like 899 00:45:46,040 --> 00:45:48,640 Speaker 5: a dream come true. Like it was amazing, Like there 900 00:45:48,719 --> 00:45:54,759 Speaker 5: was It's just unbelievable really, you know. And yeah, so 901 00:45:55,280 --> 00:45:58,160 Speaker 5: they replaced the Hong Kong guys with the American guys, 902 00:45:58,160 --> 00:46:01,759 Speaker 5: a lot of the guys who we're competing on the 903 00:46:01,800 --> 00:46:04,319 Speaker 5: martial arts circuits because that's kind of where I had 904 00:46:04,360 --> 00:46:07,880 Speaker 5: come from. And so then they brought in all American 905 00:46:07,960 --> 00:46:11,880 Speaker 5: guys and and then again, you know, I got to 906 00:46:11,960 --> 00:46:15,040 Speaker 5: choreograph my own you know, fight scenes, which was like 907 00:46:15,080 --> 00:46:18,480 Speaker 5: for me as the marshal the outside of the acting 908 00:46:18,520 --> 00:46:21,800 Speaker 5: and everybody seeing me really being able to perform martial 909 00:46:21,920 --> 00:46:26,600 Speaker 5: arts choreography that person that I was personally choreographing, and 910 00:46:26,719 --> 00:46:29,480 Speaker 5: we have that opening mall sequence, and I mean it 911 00:46:29,560 --> 00:46:31,719 Speaker 5: was just like I couldn't ask for anything better really, 912 00:46:31,760 --> 00:46:32,840 Speaker 5: to tell you the truth. 913 00:46:33,200 --> 00:46:35,359 Speaker 4: Well, the only thing you could ask for better is 914 00:46:35,400 --> 00:46:44,120 Speaker 4: to also have a song by Vanilla Ice, which is 915 00:46:44,239 --> 00:46:47,680 Speaker 4: I mean cinematic glory is sitting there watching Vanilla Ice 916 00:46:48,239 --> 00:46:49,160 Speaker 4: dancing with the Turtles. 917 00:46:49,239 --> 00:46:50,400 Speaker 3: It's got to be pretty awesome. 918 00:46:50,840 --> 00:46:53,080 Speaker 5: Yeah, I mean it was. It was crazy. I mean 919 00:46:53,280 --> 00:46:54,480 Speaker 5: it was all just kind of like. 920 00:46:54,440 --> 00:46:59,560 Speaker 6: A surreal you know, surreal you know, and I had kind. 921 00:46:59,320 --> 00:47:02,000 Speaker 5: Of you know, I I grew up like in a 922 00:47:02,080 --> 00:47:04,879 Speaker 5: hip hop generation, like the early day days of hip 923 00:47:04,880 --> 00:47:06,640 Speaker 5: hop and seeing where it was and now I was 924 00:47:06,680 --> 00:47:09,520 Speaker 5: in the movie, and yeah, it was just yeah, it 925 00:47:09,600 --> 00:47:12,920 Speaker 5: was pretty wild like Vanilla's and he was like peak, 926 00:47:13,719 --> 00:47:15,120 Speaker 5: the height of his popularity. 927 00:47:15,120 --> 00:47:16,000 Speaker 3: Oh yeah, time. 928 00:47:16,160 --> 00:47:19,120 Speaker 2: So what was Vanilla like on set? 929 00:47:19,600 --> 00:47:21,319 Speaker 5: Uh? No, you know, I didn't get to spend too 930 00:47:21,360 --> 00:47:24,440 Speaker 5: much time with him because the only stuff that I 931 00:47:24,480 --> 00:47:27,880 Speaker 5: did that we were working together was the scene the 932 00:47:28,000 --> 00:47:31,400 Speaker 5: end the sequence where they're in the club and they're dancing. 933 00:47:31,480 --> 00:47:34,000 Speaker 5: But really I just come in towards the end, so 934 00:47:34,040 --> 00:47:36,200 Speaker 5: I didn't actually get a lot of like work. 935 00:47:36,040 --> 00:47:40,919 Speaker 2: Time Okay with him, Okay, cool? How long would you say? 936 00:47:41,000 --> 00:47:45,040 Speaker 2: Rehearsals for big fight scenes usually take. 937 00:47:48,280 --> 00:47:51,760 Speaker 6: Yeah, well, you know in yeah, that's a good question. 938 00:47:52,800 --> 00:47:56,160 Speaker 5: There was probably. I mean, you get probably a few 939 00:47:56,160 --> 00:47:59,480 Speaker 5: weeks ahead of the production, and that's kind of just 940 00:47:59,520 --> 00:48:02,759 Speaker 5: like start planner stuff and like yeah, just kind of 941 00:48:02,800 --> 00:48:07,920 Speaker 5: planning things out. But in my reality, like in my mind, 942 00:48:08,040 --> 00:48:09,920 Speaker 5: as soon as I was reading the script before we 943 00:48:10,000 --> 00:48:12,520 Speaker 5: even got to this, like I was putting it all 944 00:48:12,560 --> 00:48:14,920 Speaker 5: together in my head. As soon as I read the 945 00:48:14,960 --> 00:48:17,680 Speaker 5: script the first time, I was kind of imagining what 946 00:48:17,760 --> 00:48:20,160 Speaker 5: all the stuff could be. So when by the time 947 00:48:20,200 --> 00:48:24,120 Speaker 5: I got to the actual production, like I pretty much 948 00:48:24,200 --> 00:48:26,799 Speaker 5: knew what I wanted to do and had it all 949 00:48:26,880 --> 00:48:29,520 Speaker 5: kind of planned out and written out in my script 950 00:48:29,600 --> 00:48:33,680 Speaker 5: and had it all prepared, you know, beforehand. So for me, 951 00:48:33,960 --> 00:48:37,800 Speaker 5: like the rehearsal time was more for the other people, 952 00:48:37,880 --> 00:48:41,719 Speaker 5: like I'd do I'd grown grown up doing most starts fights, right, 953 00:48:42,160 --> 00:48:44,840 Speaker 5: I can on the spot like do whatever. 954 00:48:44,719 --> 00:48:47,840 Speaker 2: Sure for you, but I'm sure everyone else needs some work. 955 00:48:48,840 --> 00:48:50,600 Speaker 5: Yeah, And it's a it's a you know, it's a 956 00:48:50,680 --> 00:48:54,320 Speaker 5: dance routine. It's a choreography. It's by numbers and beats 957 00:48:54,360 --> 00:48:57,600 Speaker 5: and and that kind of thing. And but the guys 958 00:48:57,600 --> 00:48:59,600 Speaker 5: were great, The stun guys were great. That I got 959 00:48:59,640 --> 00:49:02,319 Speaker 5: to work with, and you know, we didn't have a 960 00:49:02,320 --> 00:49:04,160 Speaker 5: lot of time. I'll put it that way. It wasn't 961 00:49:04,200 --> 00:49:06,279 Speaker 5: like this long, you know, and Golden Harvest, they're not 962 00:49:06,760 --> 00:49:10,960 Speaker 5: you know, it's not like, hey, it's like, you know, right. 963 00:49:14,239 --> 00:49:17,040 Speaker 4: In between the first movie and the second movie, did 964 00:49:17,080 --> 00:49:19,800 Speaker 4: you deep dive the Ninja Turtles? Like by that point, 965 00:49:19,960 --> 00:49:22,759 Speaker 4: were you just grabbing everything you could about the. 966 00:49:24,239 --> 00:49:26,439 Speaker 3: All the comic books, all the books, everything you could say. 967 00:49:27,160 --> 00:49:29,000 Speaker 5: No, not really to tell you the truth. I mean, 968 00:49:29,080 --> 00:49:32,360 Speaker 5: in between after the first movie, I went on like 969 00:49:32,440 --> 00:49:35,880 Speaker 5: a whole promo tour in the martial arts community, and 970 00:49:36,000 --> 00:49:39,360 Speaker 5: so we were I mean, I would be like opening 971 00:49:39,400 --> 00:49:41,680 Speaker 5: martial arts. That was like one of the most special 972 00:49:41,719 --> 00:49:45,319 Speaker 5: parts about being in the Ninja Turtles is how much 973 00:49:45,360 --> 00:49:49,359 Speaker 5: of an impact that it made on the martial arts industry, right, 974 00:49:49,520 --> 00:49:55,720 Speaker 5: you know, thousands and thousands and thousands of kids signed 975 00:49:55,800 --> 00:49:58,400 Speaker 5: up for martial arts because of the Ninja Turtles. And 976 00:49:58,960 --> 00:50:02,880 Speaker 5: we were we're in a we weren't on the you know, 977 00:50:02,960 --> 00:50:05,920 Speaker 5: on the outside, we were we came from that world 978 00:50:06,000 --> 00:50:08,560 Speaker 5: and had a whole long history at that point. 979 00:50:08,840 --> 00:50:10,560 Speaker 6: So we came back to. 980 00:50:10,520 --> 00:50:13,120 Speaker 5: All the tournaments that I used to, all the like, 981 00:50:13,640 --> 00:50:16,840 Speaker 5: you know, five star rated tournaments. We came back and 982 00:50:16,840 --> 00:50:20,760 Speaker 5: I was making appearances and promoting, and martial arts schools 983 00:50:20,760 --> 00:50:23,000 Speaker 5: were popping up all over the country, and I would 984 00:50:23,040 --> 00:50:26,399 Speaker 5: go to grand openings and literally they'll be like on 985 00:50:26,480 --> 00:50:29,400 Speaker 5: the grand opening, the school owner would sign up one 986 00:50:29,440 --> 00:50:32,839 Speaker 5: hundred people like from scratch, just and I was there. 987 00:50:32,880 --> 00:50:34,320 Speaker 6: I mean it was It was really wild. 988 00:50:34,360 --> 00:50:37,120 Speaker 5: So even though I was in the costume the martial 989 00:50:37,239 --> 00:50:41,400 Speaker 5: arts community, once the movie became a hit, they knew 990 00:50:41,440 --> 00:50:43,640 Speaker 5: that I had done all the martial arts for the 991 00:50:43,719 --> 00:50:47,360 Speaker 5: character Don Tello, and so in between the movies, I 992 00:50:47,400 --> 00:50:51,800 Speaker 5: basically was out in the martial arts community, promoting martial arts, 993 00:50:51,920 --> 00:50:55,600 Speaker 5: promoting martial arts for kids as a positive way of life, 994 00:50:55,800 --> 00:50:59,680 Speaker 5: and you know, all of that in between, So there 995 00:50:59,719 --> 00:51:01,680 Speaker 5: wasn't much time to sit down and read a comic. 996 00:51:02,360 --> 00:51:07,120 Speaker 2: Yeah, exactly. Well, here we are in twenty twenty five, 997 00:51:07,320 --> 00:51:11,440 Speaker 2: and after all the popularity of the Ninja Turtles, it 998 00:51:11,560 --> 00:51:14,920 Speaker 2: seems to me that the level of nostalgia is actually 999 00:51:15,040 --> 00:51:19,000 Speaker 2: highest for a movie released three years after Turtles two 1000 00:51:19,719 --> 00:51:25,120 Speaker 2: Surf Ninjas. This was another vehicle for you alongside Rob Schneider, 1001 00:51:25,239 --> 00:51:28,359 Speaker 2: your dad, Philip Tan and a boy Meets World guest 1002 00:51:28,400 --> 00:51:29,680 Speaker 2: star Keoni Young. 1003 00:51:30,480 --> 00:51:33,960 Speaker 1: So oh yeah, yes, So was. 1004 00:51:33,920 --> 00:51:36,520 Speaker 2: This project also built around you? 1005 00:51:37,520 --> 00:51:40,040 Speaker 5: Yeah? So New Line on the first Ninja Turtles, New 1006 00:51:40,080 --> 00:51:42,560 Speaker 5: Line Cinema was not the New Line Cinema that did 1007 00:51:42,600 --> 00:51:45,400 Speaker 5: Lord of Rings or anything like that. Newline Cinema was 1008 00:51:45,440 --> 00:51:49,360 Speaker 5: a small indie film and the first Ninja Turtle movie 1009 00:51:49,400 --> 00:51:52,760 Speaker 5: when you know, when it was released, was the highest 1010 00:51:52,760 --> 00:51:56,080 Speaker 5: grossing independent film of all time in the history of 1011 00:51:56,120 --> 00:52:02,760 Speaker 5: movie making. And so New Line on the Monday after 1012 00:52:03,280 --> 00:52:06,200 Speaker 5: Secret of the Ooze came out, I had like a 1013 00:52:06,239 --> 00:52:09,759 Speaker 5: front cover of the La Times calendar section and it 1014 00:52:09,800 --> 00:52:15,600 Speaker 5: was like Ninja Turtles Mania or whatever. And so Newline called, uh, 1015 00:52:15,920 --> 00:52:17,560 Speaker 5: you know my team, and was like, we want to 1016 00:52:17,560 --> 00:52:21,800 Speaker 5: make movies with Ernie. And so that's how that whole thing, 1017 00:52:22,120 --> 00:52:25,040 Speaker 5: you know transpired. So it went from you know, the 1018 00:52:25,040 --> 00:52:29,680 Speaker 5: first Ninja Turtles in the suit to starring alongside the Turtles, 1019 00:52:30,080 --> 00:52:34,520 Speaker 5: all within the same company, and then New Line developing 1020 00:52:34,640 --> 00:52:37,640 Speaker 5: and producing a movie for me as a vehicle for 1021 00:52:37,680 --> 00:52:39,560 Speaker 5: me to star. Wow. 1022 00:52:39,880 --> 00:52:44,040 Speaker 2: So was it incredibly popular when it came out or 1023 00:52:44,080 --> 00:52:46,080 Speaker 2: did it really get its legs in vhs? 1024 00:52:46,920 --> 00:52:49,600 Speaker 5: It got its legs in VHS, So, like I remember 1025 00:52:49,840 --> 00:52:56,719 Speaker 5: going to the market the Monday, and I could kind 1026 00:52:56,760 --> 00:52:58,719 Speaker 5: of like the writing was a little bit on the 1027 00:52:58,760 --> 00:53:02,919 Speaker 5: wall in terms of well, first of all, we did 1028 00:53:02,960 --> 00:53:03,920 Speaker 5: test screenings. 1029 00:53:04,280 --> 00:53:04,680 Speaker 6: I did it. 1030 00:53:04,880 --> 00:53:08,000 Speaker 5: I showed up to about ten test screenings of Surfing Engine. 1031 00:53:08,040 --> 00:53:11,400 Speaker 5: So in the test screenings, you have a full full house. 1032 00:53:11,840 --> 00:53:13,680 Speaker 5: They don't know what they're about to see, but it's 1033 00:53:13,760 --> 00:53:16,560 Speaker 5: packed in there. And I'm sitting next to Bob Shay, 1034 00:53:17,800 --> 00:53:22,120 Speaker 5: you know, the CEO of New Line Cinema, and the 1035 00:53:22,239 --> 00:53:27,160 Speaker 5: kids are going crazy. They're in their chairs, they're jumping 1036 00:53:27,239 --> 00:53:30,480 Speaker 5: up and down, they're singing the song. They're like, it's 1037 00:53:30,520 --> 00:53:36,880 Speaker 5: going crazy. And the test ratings was ninety eight to 1038 00:53:37,000 --> 00:53:41,240 Speaker 5: one hundred percent good to excellent. It was testing higher 1039 00:53:41,280 --> 00:53:46,319 Speaker 5: than both Ninja Turtle movies, and so when it came out, 1040 00:53:46,480 --> 00:53:48,920 Speaker 5: it was definitely So I go to the market, but 1041 00:53:49,000 --> 00:53:50,919 Speaker 5: I could kind of see the writing on the wall 1042 00:53:51,080 --> 00:53:53,480 Speaker 5: just like, and you know, you kind of drive around 1043 00:53:53,560 --> 00:53:56,279 Speaker 5: town on the weekend at the movies and you're kind 1044 00:53:56,280 --> 00:53:58,799 Speaker 5: of like looking around and you. 1045 00:53:58,680 --> 00:54:01,120 Speaker 6: Can feel it, just like you can fill the build up, 1046 00:54:01,239 --> 00:54:01,440 Speaker 6: you know. 1047 00:54:01,520 --> 00:54:04,680 Speaker 5: And so I go to the market, uh, and I 1048 00:54:04,719 --> 00:54:08,120 Speaker 5: open up the Hollywood Reporter and it's like Surf Ninja 1049 00:54:08,160 --> 00:54:16,799 Speaker 5: just wipes out up the box office. Good. Yeah, it was. 1050 00:54:16,840 --> 00:54:20,080 Speaker 5: It was a pretty crazy moment because you know, it's 1051 00:54:20,280 --> 00:54:23,360 Speaker 5: the you have this plan and it's all work and 1052 00:54:23,400 --> 00:54:25,880 Speaker 5: it's all going well, and now the vehicle now this 1053 00:54:26,040 --> 00:54:29,480 Speaker 5: is where if you if you, if if this hits, 1054 00:54:30,080 --> 00:54:34,960 Speaker 5: now you're into what like you really are? That was 1055 00:54:35,000 --> 00:54:38,360 Speaker 5: my goal is like okay, you know, because I grew 1056 00:54:38,440 --> 00:54:40,880 Speaker 5: up in it. By that time, I had already graduated 1057 00:54:41,000 --> 00:54:45,160 Speaker 5: high school, and independent movie making was like it was 1058 00:54:45,160 --> 00:54:49,200 Speaker 5: like the Golden era Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez and you know, 1059 00:54:49,320 --> 00:54:51,239 Speaker 5: all those things, and people are making movies just on 1060 00:54:51,280 --> 00:54:52,759 Speaker 5: there by theirselves, you know. 1061 00:54:53,680 --> 00:54:54,040 Speaker 4: And so. 1062 00:54:55,480 --> 00:54:58,640 Speaker 5: Uh, I was like, this is going to be my opportunity. 1063 00:54:58,680 --> 00:55:00,480 Speaker 5: And I had you know, when I went into New 1064 00:55:00,520 --> 00:55:02,839 Speaker 5: Line to meet with them, I had a vision of 1065 00:55:02,920 --> 00:55:07,480 Speaker 5: making family action martial arts movies. You know. That was 1066 00:55:07,560 --> 00:55:10,360 Speaker 5: kind of my pitch to them. And I've been thinking 1067 00:55:10,400 --> 00:55:13,960 Speaker 5: about this for quite quite some time, and so I 1068 00:55:14,000 --> 00:55:15,719 Speaker 5: was like, man, if this thing hits, I'm going to 1069 00:55:15,760 --> 00:55:17,600 Speaker 5: get to do what it is that I want to do, 1070 00:55:17,640 --> 00:55:22,320 Speaker 5: which is more family action martial arts movies. And so 1071 00:55:22,760 --> 00:55:24,399 Speaker 5: when that didn't happen, it was. 1072 00:55:24,320 --> 00:55:27,359 Speaker 6: Like a huge blow to the whole thing. 1073 00:55:27,960 --> 00:55:33,680 Speaker 5: I was like, oh my god. But you know, as 1074 00:55:33,800 --> 00:55:36,839 Speaker 5: time moves forward, it was a huge hit at Blockbuster. 1075 00:55:37,160 --> 00:55:40,080 Speaker 6: Every weekend it was sold. 1076 00:55:39,800 --> 00:55:45,640 Speaker 5: Out at Blockbuster. And but you don't really know what 1077 00:55:45,840 --> 00:55:49,360 Speaker 5: like what that really means, you know, because there was 1078 00:55:49,400 --> 00:55:51,799 Speaker 5: no internet really, so you don't really get any of 1079 00:55:51,840 --> 00:55:54,799 Speaker 5: that feedback other than, hey, I'm going to my Blockbuster 1080 00:55:55,040 --> 00:55:58,800 Speaker 5: on sunset over here and it sold out every single weekend. 1081 00:55:59,080 --> 00:56:02,359 Speaker 6: Somebody's buying, somebody's renting this thing. 1082 00:56:02,520 --> 00:56:05,600 Speaker 5: Right. Only until I started doing the comic cons that 1083 00:56:05,719 --> 00:56:10,239 Speaker 5: I realize how popular Because then now I'm like, they're 1084 00:56:10,239 --> 00:56:13,880 Speaker 5: promoting me, you know, as you know, from the Ninja Turtles. 1085 00:56:13,920 --> 00:56:18,759 Speaker 5: But then seventy percent of the people are like, hey, yeah, 1086 00:56:18,760 --> 00:56:25,800 Speaker 5: of course Ninja Turtles, but dude, Surf, that's my movie. 1087 00:56:26,080 --> 00:56:29,160 Speaker 5: Like and so only then have I realized like how 1088 00:56:29,200 --> 00:56:31,279 Speaker 5: popular it is. I mean, I go to travel with 1089 00:56:31,360 --> 00:56:34,440 Speaker 5: these comic cons like now almost every single weekend, and 1090 00:56:34,560 --> 00:56:38,040 Speaker 5: Surf Ninja's is like a huge part of what people 1091 00:56:38,080 --> 00:56:41,400 Speaker 5: are like talking to me about Ninja Turtles is is 1092 00:56:41,440 --> 00:56:44,440 Speaker 5: what it is. It's like undeniable. But you know, I 1093 00:56:44,640 --> 00:56:48,279 Speaker 5: was very surprised and continued to be to see how 1094 00:56:48,280 --> 00:56:51,320 Speaker 5: many people like love that movie. And so those kids 1095 00:56:51,360 --> 00:56:54,480 Speaker 5: that were all in those test screenings, you know that 1096 00:56:54,560 --> 00:56:57,160 Speaker 5: we're cheering that. I thought, oh man, we did it. 1097 00:56:57,280 --> 00:56:59,520 Speaker 5: Like that was what our goal was to do. What 1098 00:57:00,120 --> 00:57:03,279 Speaker 5: we did, what I see the kids responding to. In 1099 00:57:03,320 --> 00:57:06,400 Speaker 5: between that and the marketing and the opening of the movie, 1100 00:57:06,480 --> 00:57:09,719 Speaker 5: something happened and there were no kids in the theaters, right, 1101 00:57:10,239 --> 00:57:13,440 Speaker 5: But you know, all those kids ended up watching it 1102 00:57:13,480 --> 00:57:18,880 Speaker 5: on you know, VHS and then DVD, and so it's 1103 00:57:18,920 --> 00:57:21,720 Speaker 5: really cool to be it's kind of like a sweet 1104 00:57:21,840 --> 00:57:26,680 Speaker 5: you know, sweet revenge to know that it's like, oh God, really, 1105 00:57:26,760 --> 00:57:29,680 Speaker 5: actually what we set out to do, we actually accomplished it. 1106 00:57:29,680 --> 00:57:33,280 Speaker 5: It just didn't in the way that traditional you know. 1107 00:57:33,360 --> 00:57:35,800 Speaker 1: So you say something happened, but have you been able 1108 00:57:35,840 --> 00:57:38,000 Speaker 1: to figure out like was it a marketing problem? Did 1109 00:57:38,120 --> 00:57:41,040 Speaker 1: New Line mess up? Did was it another film that 1110 00:57:41,080 --> 00:57:43,600 Speaker 1: came out that weekend? Do you know, like you I 1111 00:57:43,640 --> 00:57:44,280 Speaker 1: think that it was. 1112 00:57:44,200 --> 00:57:47,600 Speaker 5: A marketing thing. You know, it's a few years. You know, 1113 00:57:47,760 --> 00:57:53,920 Speaker 5: all along the way we were kind of constant deliberation 1114 00:57:54,040 --> 00:57:56,320 Speaker 5: of like who the audience was. You know, if you 1115 00:57:56,360 --> 00:57:58,920 Speaker 5: watch the movie, there's a lot of like adult chokes 1116 00:57:58,960 --> 00:58:03,000 Speaker 5: in there too, hidden amongst everything, right, so we were 1117 00:58:03,040 --> 00:58:06,400 Speaker 5: trying to like lock in on the tone, and I 1118 00:58:06,520 --> 00:58:10,280 Speaker 5: just you know, when I initially first saw the poster, 1119 00:58:10,400 --> 00:58:12,760 Speaker 5: I was like, what, I didn't know if that was 1120 00:58:12,840 --> 00:58:16,360 Speaker 5: really the poster that was gonna get the audience. It 1121 00:58:16,480 --> 00:58:19,480 Speaker 5: just seemed a little too camping, a little too geny, 1122 00:58:20,000 --> 00:58:22,520 Speaker 5: and a little bit like it's kind of trying to 1123 00:58:22,640 --> 00:58:27,080 Speaker 5: ride on the back of Ninja Turtles. And I don't 1124 00:58:27,120 --> 00:58:31,320 Speaker 5: know what exactly, but I feel like it's somewhere in 1125 00:58:31,400 --> 00:58:35,800 Speaker 5: the marketing of it, you know, that it didn't happen because, 1126 00:58:35,880 --> 00:58:37,840 Speaker 5: like I said, I saw the kids, like I saw 1127 00:58:37,880 --> 00:58:41,800 Speaker 5: the test ten test screenings when marketing wasn't a thing, 1128 00:58:42,080 --> 00:58:44,240 Speaker 5: and it was just about the kids being in the theater. 1129 00:58:44,360 --> 00:58:47,400 Speaker 5: They were all there, they loved it. And then why 1130 00:58:47,600 --> 00:58:50,400 Speaker 5: was weren't there any you know, why wasn't there an 1131 00:58:50,440 --> 00:58:52,760 Speaker 5: audience inside the theater? That was week that week? 1132 00:58:52,800 --> 00:58:55,120 Speaker 1: And right so to me as you saw it on 1133 00:58:55,120 --> 00:58:57,640 Speaker 1: the other side too, went the video rental. So yeah, 1134 00:58:57,680 --> 00:59:01,240 Speaker 1: it clearly was working and for much and reaching itself 1135 00:59:01,360 --> 00:59:02,800 Speaker 1: was very yeah, and. 1136 00:59:02,720 --> 00:59:05,240 Speaker 5: It's still like people come up to me still and now, 1137 00:59:05,840 --> 00:59:09,360 Speaker 5: like the Ninja Turtles even with Surf Ninjaes, these kids 1138 00:59:09,520 --> 00:59:12,960 Speaker 5: who grew up on these movies are introducing their kids 1139 00:59:13,040 --> 00:59:16,080 Speaker 5: to these movies. And now I've got you know, eight, 1140 00:59:16,200 --> 00:59:19,680 Speaker 5: nine and ten year olds that are going Quanta dude, 1141 00:59:19,840 --> 00:59:24,320 Speaker 5: like they love happening, you know. So I think that 1142 00:59:24,560 --> 00:59:27,240 Speaker 5: for what we set out to accomplish with the movie, 1143 00:59:27,360 --> 00:59:31,320 Speaker 5: we accomplished that. And so it's nice to see that, 1144 00:59:31,520 --> 00:59:33,760 Speaker 5: you know, with the advent of you know, the Internet 1145 00:59:33,760 --> 00:59:37,560 Speaker 5: and social media that it's getting in Literally just last year, 1146 00:59:38,520 --> 00:59:41,360 Speaker 5: uh you know, was it streaming for the first time. 1147 00:59:41,680 --> 00:59:44,560 Speaker 5: It wasn't streaming anywhere either, and just last year, So 1148 00:59:44,720 --> 00:59:48,480 Speaker 5: now we're getting a whole new audience, you know, and 1149 00:59:48,800 --> 00:59:50,600 Speaker 5: a lot of them are kids, So that's cool. 1150 01:00:03,040 --> 01:00:06,160 Speaker 2: How did you avoid burnout? As you know, we talk 1151 01:00:06,200 --> 01:00:08,480 Speaker 2: a lot about burnout as kids that you know, when 1152 01:00:08,520 --> 01:00:12,040 Speaker 2: you're auditioning or you're on a series the way we were, 1153 01:00:12,080 --> 01:00:13,800 Speaker 2: and then like for Will and Wright, they were doing 1154 01:00:13,840 --> 01:00:18,200 Speaker 2: movies every summer in between those seasons when you're consistently working, 1155 01:00:18,320 --> 01:00:20,840 Speaker 2: and none of us worked as hard as you did 1156 01:00:21,360 --> 01:00:25,240 Speaker 2: when you're working seven days a week, three hundred and 1157 01:00:25,240 --> 01:00:30,440 Speaker 2: sixty five days a year, almost competing movies TV. How 1158 01:00:30,480 --> 01:00:34,160 Speaker 2: did you avoid just total burnout and wanting to give 1159 01:00:34,240 --> 01:00:36,440 Speaker 2: up and walk away even though you were successful. 1160 01:00:38,240 --> 01:00:42,000 Speaker 5: Well that's kind of that's you know, so surfing Ninjas 1161 01:00:42,040 --> 01:00:45,120 Speaker 5: wipes out at the box office, you know that was 1162 01:00:45,200 --> 01:00:54,280 Speaker 5: my cue. Okay, all right, you know now it sounds fun. Yeah. 1163 01:00:54,320 --> 01:00:56,680 Speaker 5: So I'd been working my whole life. Now I'm like 1164 01:00:56,760 --> 01:01:00,760 Speaker 5: twenty one years old, and you know, it was time 1165 01:01:00,880 --> 01:01:04,920 Speaker 5: to just put all that behind me, you know, in 1166 01:01:05,440 --> 01:01:10,080 Speaker 5: a certain way. At that point though, also my dream 1167 01:01:10,200 --> 01:01:14,160 Speaker 5: of independent filmmaking and all of that kind of stuff 1168 01:01:14,280 --> 01:01:19,800 Speaker 5: was really fueling me, like artistically, but it wasn't about 1169 01:01:19,840 --> 01:01:24,680 Speaker 5: like popularity and all the things like chasing Hollywood, and 1170 01:01:25,360 --> 01:01:29,760 Speaker 5: it made me even kind of more like you know, 1171 01:01:29,840 --> 01:01:34,560 Speaker 5: gravitate towards independent filmmaking, which is like hey, okay, peace 1172 01:01:34,600 --> 01:01:37,160 Speaker 5: to Hollywood. Let me just go try to do my 1173 01:01:37,200 --> 01:01:40,600 Speaker 5: own thing, or just I'm done with Hollywood. Basically like 1174 01:01:40,880 --> 01:01:44,600 Speaker 5: I've done everything. I've admitted, I sacrificed it. It didn't 1175 01:01:44,840 --> 01:01:46,720 Speaker 5: pan out the way that I wanted, and now I'm 1176 01:01:46,760 --> 01:01:52,240 Speaker 5: just gonna go crazy, you know, live life and figure 1177 01:01:52,280 --> 01:01:54,840 Speaker 5: it out. So like the burnout kind of like it 1178 01:01:56,080 --> 01:01:59,880 Speaker 5: just the process alone stopped it for me okay. So 1179 01:02:00,080 --> 01:02:02,560 Speaker 5: it's like, before I could get to that point, it 1180 01:02:02,600 --> 01:02:05,080 Speaker 5: was like, well, okay, we kind of flopped at the 1181 01:02:05,080 --> 01:02:08,920 Speaker 5: box office. No one's talking to you right now, So 1182 01:02:09,680 --> 01:02:12,200 Speaker 5: I guess it's time to just, you know, leave all 1183 01:02:12,240 --> 01:02:15,200 Speaker 5: of that behind. And so I just kind of went. 1184 01:02:15,120 --> 01:02:18,080 Speaker 7: Into life, and to be honest, like, you know, you're 1185 01:02:18,120 --> 01:02:21,600 Speaker 7: in now in your early twenties, and you've had success, 1186 01:02:21,720 --> 01:02:23,880 Speaker 7: and you know, you're dealing with all the stuff that 1187 01:02:23,920 --> 01:02:26,400 Speaker 7: we deal with having a huge amount of. 1188 01:02:26,360 --> 01:02:29,280 Speaker 6: Success as a child, and now you're struggling and now you're. 1189 01:02:29,120 --> 01:02:31,160 Speaker 5: Trying to figure it out. And now you're like, I 1190 01:02:31,160 --> 01:02:34,000 Speaker 5: can't even get a normal job, like you know what 1191 01:02:34,000 --> 01:02:37,160 Speaker 5: I mean, You're just you go through the insanity, literal 1192 01:02:37,280 --> 01:02:40,800 Speaker 5: insanity of trying to figure out life and all the 1193 01:02:40,840 --> 01:02:45,600 Speaker 5: things that were kind of that weren't developed because you 1194 01:02:45,640 --> 01:02:49,560 Speaker 5: didn't have the normal growing up period. You just have 1195 01:02:49,640 --> 01:02:52,040 Speaker 5: to do it in your twenties now. And so you're 1196 01:02:52,080 --> 01:02:54,720 Speaker 5: just I went through that whole process, which was you know, 1197 01:02:54,840 --> 01:02:57,520 Speaker 5: just crazy basically Wow. 1198 01:02:57,960 --> 01:03:00,680 Speaker 2: So then I want to I so many questions. I 1199 01:03:00,680 --> 01:03:02,200 Speaker 2: could literally talk to you forever, but I have to 1200 01:03:02,200 --> 01:03:04,400 Speaker 2: get to the fact that you are in literally a 1201 01:03:04,400 --> 01:03:06,919 Speaker 2: perfect movie you're in Rush Hour two and you're also 1202 01:03:07,080 --> 01:03:10,320 Speaker 2: in the Great rock movie The Rundown. When you do 1203 01:03:10,400 --> 01:03:13,880 Speaker 2: these movies and you are around stunt teams and martial 1204 01:03:13,960 --> 01:03:18,560 Speaker 2: arts experts, they must be huge fans of you, like 1205 01:03:19,520 --> 01:03:23,240 Speaker 2: you and your dad helped pave the way. So what 1206 01:03:23,360 --> 01:03:25,560 Speaker 2: is that like when you're on the Are they all 1207 01:03:25,560 --> 01:03:26,680 Speaker 2: big fans of yours? 1208 01:03:27,040 --> 01:03:27,720 Speaker 6: Yeah? I don't know. 1209 01:03:28,480 --> 01:03:31,880 Speaker 5: I'm not sure. Like definitely the stunt community, you know, 1210 01:03:31,920 --> 01:03:35,640 Speaker 5: I'm not so sure about the stars themselves. Yeah, the 1211 01:03:35,680 --> 01:03:38,160 Speaker 5: people that are surrounding that, people that are in the 1212 01:03:38,160 --> 01:03:41,800 Speaker 5: production that are surrounding the stunt guys, the choreographers, and 1213 01:03:41,840 --> 01:03:45,000 Speaker 5: they definitely have been tracking with me the whole time, 1214 01:03:45,040 --> 01:03:48,680 Speaker 5: and you know, are fans of the stuff that we 1215 01:03:48,760 --> 01:03:51,200 Speaker 5: did from you know, day one. The one thing that 1216 01:03:51,240 --> 01:03:54,080 Speaker 5: I will say is is so after surfing Hinges, I 1217 01:03:54,080 --> 01:03:57,720 Speaker 5: didn't really give up. I went a little crazy, just 1218 01:03:57,760 --> 01:04:00,360 Speaker 5: like trying to figure out life and land yep, being 1219 01:04:00,360 --> 01:04:03,960 Speaker 5: a child actor and all that stuff. But I kept training, 1220 01:04:04,080 --> 01:04:10,880 Speaker 5: you know, in between in between Surf Ninjas and the 1221 01:04:11,000 --> 01:04:15,360 Speaker 5: Rundown that was like fifteen years. 1222 01:04:14,520 --> 01:04:16,200 Speaker 2: Again, wow, Yeah. 1223 01:04:15,840 --> 01:04:19,800 Speaker 5: And I didn't stop training, and I didn't really let 1224 01:04:19,920 --> 01:04:23,320 Speaker 5: go of you know, I'd never really let go of 1225 01:04:23,400 --> 01:04:26,520 Speaker 5: like my dream, you know, I just thought that I 1226 01:04:26,520 --> 01:04:28,560 Speaker 5: would have to figure it out some other. 1227 01:04:28,440 --> 01:04:30,840 Speaker 6: Way, basically making it happen. 1228 01:04:33,040 --> 01:04:38,440 Speaker 5: So yeah, and mind you like no auditions, like fifteen years. 1229 01:04:38,480 --> 01:04:41,320 Speaker 5: Like there are times where, like four or five years, 1230 01:04:41,400 --> 01:04:44,440 Speaker 5: you know, I look a certain way on my whole thing. 1231 01:04:44,480 --> 01:04:46,640 Speaker 5: There's not a lot of stuff that's going to be 1232 01:04:46,680 --> 01:04:50,120 Speaker 5: that I'm perfect for or whatever. And so for fifteen 1233 01:04:50,200 --> 01:04:53,000 Speaker 5: years between Surf Ninches and the Rundown, there was nothing. 1234 01:04:53,200 --> 01:04:57,840 Speaker 5: You know, I entered into the theater company, so that's 1235 01:04:57,840 --> 01:04:59,720 Speaker 5: where it kind of like actually started trying to work 1236 01:04:59,720 --> 01:05:02,520 Speaker 5: on my like acting shops a little bit, because prior 1237 01:05:02,560 --> 01:05:04,360 Speaker 5: to that point, I was like, well, I've just been 1238 01:05:04,480 --> 01:05:08,640 Speaker 5: kind of resting on my Yeah, just my own ability 1239 01:05:08,800 --> 01:05:12,000 Speaker 5: as an entertainer wasn't really like an actor per se, 1240 01:05:12,080 --> 01:05:15,360 Speaker 5: even though I had been acting my whole life. So 1241 01:05:15,400 --> 01:05:17,560 Speaker 5: I got into the theater and I and I did 1242 01:05:17,560 --> 01:05:20,480 Speaker 5: stuff like that, but I was training the whole time, 1243 01:05:21,200 --> 01:05:23,400 Speaker 5: you know, with the idea that you know, I'm going 1244 01:05:23,480 --> 01:05:27,440 Speaker 5: to get another shot. So at some point, and so 1245 01:05:28,520 --> 01:05:30,720 Speaker 5: even as an actor, and you know, sometimes you have 1246 01:05:30,760 --> 01:05:33,160 Speaker 5: bad reputation, you know, you you end up having to 1247 01:05:33,480 --> 01:05:33,959 Speaker 5: you know, all. 1248 01:05:33,880 --> 01:05:35,200 Speaker 6: The people that were working with you. 1249 01:05:35,320 --> 01:05:37,760 Speaker 5: Now nothing's going on, and now you get dropped, and 1250 01:05:37,760 --> 01:05:39,840 Speaker 5: now this and that and next thing, you know, you 1251 01:05:39,920 --> 01:05:43,439 Speaker 5: got some flaky agent trying to like yeah, well there's 1252 01:05:43,480 --> 01:05:46,560 Speaker 5: times where it's like four years, there was a stretch 1253 01:05:46,600 --> 01:05:48,600 Speaker 5: of four years there wasn't even an audition. 1254 01:05:49,280 --> 01:05:52,240 Speaker 6: H crazy, wow, right, and I'm still. 1255 01:05:52,000 --> 01:05:54,920 Speaker 5: Just training all day long and going and I got 1256 01:05:54,960 --> 01:05:58,800 Speaker 5: to be prepared when the moment comes. So you know, 1257 01:05:59,440 --> 01:06:01,800 Speaker 5: when you get to a movie like The Rundown, all 1258 01:06:01,840 --> 01:06:06,640 Speaker 5: the people inside of the uh, inside of the you know, 1259 01:06:06,720 --> 01:06:10,120 Speaker 5: the stunt team and the choreographer and the stunt coordinator, 1260 01:06:10,160 --> 01:06:12,400 Speaker 5: they see you. You know, it's a pretty small community 1261 01:06:12,480 --> 01:06:15,840 Speaker 5: to in La. You know, everyone goes to similar places 1262 01:06:15,840 --> 01:06:18,080 Speaker 5: to train and so they see like, hey, I've been 1263 01:06:18,320 --> 01:06:20,840 Speaker 5: I'm still on the top of my game right now, 1264 01:06:22,560 --> 01:06:25,480 Speaker 5: and so you know that helps, you know, when you 1265 01:06:25,520 --> 01:06:28,800 Speaker 5: get into a situation where like the Rundown, for instance, 1266 01:06:28,840 --> 01:06:31,440 Speaker 5: where it's like, Okay, the stunt coordinator knows me. He 1267 01:06:31,480 --> 01:06:34,000 Speaker 5: sees me training over at Valley College every Tuesday and 1268 01:06:34,000 --> 01:06:36,400 Speaker 5: Friday night. He sees me over here, he sees me 1269 01:06:36,440 --> 01:06:39,919 Speaker 5: over there. So you know that that plays its part, 1270 01:06:40,240 --> 01:06:43,520 Speaker 5: you know, in the process. But you know, I don't know. 1271 01:06:43,600 --> 01:06:45,480 Speaker 6: It's uh, you know, with the Rush Hour thing, it 1272 01:06:45,600 --> 01:06:47,760 Speaker 6: was that's a crazy story too. 1273 01:06:49,000 --> 01:06:51,200 Speaker 5: You know. I was supposed to have this whole fight 1274 01:06:51,280 --> 01:06:55,160 Speaker 5: scene with Jackie Chan and and somehow it just didn't 1275 01:06:55,200 --> 01:06:58,240 Speaker 5: happen for whatever reason. You know, I don't know what 1276 01:06:58,360 --> 01:07:00,600 Speaker 5: the reason is, but I know that I was, you know, 1277 01:07:00,720 --> 01:07:05,120 Speaker 5: at the peak of just my physical prowess, and I 1278 01:07:05,200 --> 01:07:07,160 Speaker 5: was ready to go, like, oh. 1279 01:07:07,120 --> 01:07:09,800 Speaker 3: I got Junkie Chan. I mean, come on, that's crazy. 1280 01:07:10,640 --> 01:07:13,360 Speaker 5: Yeah, I mean so. And at Jackie at that point, 1281 01:07:13,480 --> 01:07:15,760 Speaker 5: to be honest, like, you know, he was a little 1282 01:07:15,800 --> 01:07:18,120 Speaker 5: older from I mean, you know from the time that 1283 01:07:18,200 --> 01:07:20,880 Speaker 5: he was I've been watching Jackie Chan since the eighties 1284 01:07:21,000 --> 01:07:23,800 Speaker 5: or whatever. Now you're talking about like a whole other 1285 01:07:23,880 --> 01:07:24,440 Speaker 5: time period. 1286 01:07:24,880 --> 01:07:27,320 Speaker 6: I was still I was like probably in my somewhere 1287 01:07:27,320 --> 01:07:29,680 Speaker 6: in my thirties or so when we did Rush Hour. 1288 01:07:29,760 --> 01:07:31,440 Speaker 5: But I was ready to go. I was super excited. 1289 01:07:31,480 --> 01:07:33,800 Speaker 5: I was like, man, this is it fight teing with 1290 01:07:33,840 --> 01:07:37,160 Speaker 5: me and Jackie Chan. This is gonna be amazing. And 1291 01:07:38,440 --> 01:07:43,440 Speaker 5: it didn't happen for whatever reason, But you know, I 1292 01:07:43,480 --> 01:07:45,400 Speaker 5: was happy. I'm happy to have had the moment. 1293 01:07:46,720 --> 01:07:52,360 Speaker 2: Well, now the family business continues. Your adorable daughter, Lotus Blossom, 1294 01:07:52,360 --> 01:07:55,000 Speaker 2: who started her career in a very memorable T mobile 1295 01:07:55,040 --> 01:07:58,960 Speaker 2: commercial where she was yelling out hidden costs at her 1296 01:07:59,040 --> 01:08:03,560 Speaker 2: lemonade stand. Did she always want to be a performer 1297 01:08:03,640 --> 01:08:04,760 Speaker 2: like you were as a child. 1298 01:08:05,560 --> 01:08:08,560 Speaker 8: I think so, Like she grew up like you know, 1299 01:08:09,960 --> 01:08:12,640 Speaker 8: at that time, like she had seen all the movies 1300 01:08:12,680 --> 01:08:14,840 Speaker 8: that I'd done, and like we had done like a 1301 01:08:14,920 --> 01:08:18,440 Speaker 8: whole kind of tour at the Alamo Draft Houses. 1302 01:08:18,040 --> 01:08:21,360 Speaker 5: Where you know, they were playing The Last Dragon and 1303 01:08:21,520 --> 01:08:23,880 Speaker 5: Surf Ninjas and Ninja Turtles and all that. 1304 01:08:24,000 --> 01:08:26,080 Speaker 6: So she she was kind of prime for that. 1305 01:08:26,280 --> 01:08:28,920 Speaker 5: And she had done a few demos with me and 1306 01:08:28,960 --> 01:08:33,320 Speaker 5: my dad up in northern California, so she had some experience. 1307 01:08:34,000 --> 01:08:37,679 Speaker 5: And yeah, it just and yeah it at some point, 1308 01:08:37,720 --> 01:08:42,560 Speaker 5: I mean, you know, she she wanted to do commercials, 1309 01:08:42,640 --> 01:08:46,360 Speaker 5: and then we did a commercial. And I think that she, 1310 01:08:46,760 --> 01:08:50,000 Speaker 5: more than my son, was like more influenced by like 1311 01:08:50,120 --> 01:08:51,880 Speaker 5: following in my footsteps. You know. 1312 01:08:52,439 --> 01:08:55,479 Speaker 2: Yeah, is your son also in the business. 1313 01:08:55,680 --> 01:08:57,000 Speaker 6: Uh not yet. 1314 01:08:57,439 --> 01:09:00,160 Speaker 5: He's kind of like on the peripherree, you know what. 1315 01:09:01,400 --> 01:09:03,040 Speaker 5: He will at some point very soon. 1316 01:09:03,520 --> 01:09:07,559 Speaker 2: So this will be three generations of Ray's projects. Yes, yes, 1317 01:09:07,880 --> 01:09:12,400 Speaker 2: that's pretty exciting. Well, Ernie, what an incredible career you 1318 01:09:12,479 --> 01:09:16,960 Speaker 2: continue to have. I know our listeners are huge fans, 1319 01:09:17,160 --> 01:09:19,800 Speaker 2: and so are the three of us of just your 1320 01:09:19,840 --> 01:09:22,840 Speaker 2: career and you as a person. Thank you so much 1321 01:09:22,840 --> 01:09:25,320 Speaker 2: for joining us today. It has been a pleasure to 1322 01:09:25,400 --> 01:09:28,360 Speaker 2: talk to you and learn from you and hear your experiences. 1323 01:09:28,360 --> 01:09:30,320 Speaker 2: So we thank you well. 1324 01:09:30,160 --> 01:09:32,479 Speaker 6: Thank you very much for having me. I really appreciate you, guys. 1325 01:09:33,240 --> 01:09:35,840 Speaker 3: Thank you. I'm sure we'll see you a con Yes, 1326 01:09:36,120 --> 01:09:37,000 Speaker 3: I'll see you soon. 1327 01:09:37,520 --> 01:09:39,759 Speaker 2: Bye bye. What a career. 1328 01:09:40,040 --> 01:09:42,679 Speaker 4: I also didn't realize how much how much he's done 1329 01:09:42,760 --> 01:09:45,680 Speaker 4: that meant so much to me, especially yeah kidding, like 1330 01:09:45,760 --> 01:09:47,840 Speaker 4: one after another of stuff, of projects that I used 1331 01:09:47,880 --> 01:09:50,000 Speaker 4: to just watch over and over and over again. 1332 01:09:51,160 --> 01:09:54,080 Speaker 1: The ups and downs too, like you know, the fact 1333 01:09:54,080 --> 01:09:57,080 Speaker 1: that he didn't work, like they're making TV shows and 1334 01:09:57,120 --> 01:10:00,000 Speaker 1: movies around him, and then he goes through this whole 1335 01:10:00,080 --> 01:10:03,920 Speaker 1: whole period of like, well doesn't mean anything. Yeah, you know. Also, 1336 01:10:04,800 --> 01:10:05,280 Speaker 1: art only. 1337 01:10:05,560 --> 01:10:10,439 Speaker 2: Imagine any other world where you make the Last Dragon, 1338 01:10:10,840 --> 01:10:15,920 Speaker 2: red Sonia, tun Ninja, Turtles movies and then and multiple 1339 01:10:15,960 --> 01:10:17,960 Speaker 2: TV shows that are all successful, and then you do 1340 01:10:18,680 --> 01:10:22,840 Speaker 2: one movie that isn't successful. And for fifteen. 1341 01:10:22,400 --> 01:10:26,479 Speaker 1: Years you're working just as hard the entire time, you 1342 01:10:26,520 --> 01:10:28,320 Speaker 1: know what I mean, Like it doesn't change for you. 1343 01:10:28,800 --> 01:10:29,280 Speaker 3: Changed for you. 1344 01:10:29,600 --> 01:10:33,160 Speaker 1: The experience is still waking up every day, training, focusing 1345 01:10:33,160 --> 01:10:35,919 Speaker 1: on your career, like having the same ambition and committing 1346 01:10:35,960 --> 01:10:38,560 Speaker 1: to it with the same amount of intensity. 1347 01:10:38,680 --> 01:10:44,719 Speaker 2: And also you probably didn't do anything different in that 1348 01:10:44,840 --> 01:10:47,400 Speaker 2: project that you had done in all the successful ones. 1349 01:10:47,400 --> 01:10:51,200 Speaker 2: But somehow you're blamed the blame yeah for and no, 1350 01:10:51,320 --> 01:10:53,840 Speaker 2: everyone's like, wow, he's not the vehicle maker anymore. It's 1351 01:10:53,840 --> 01:10:56,080 Speaker 2: like what it's It's just crazy. 1352 01:10:56,160 --> 01:10:57,599 Speaker 1: It's a maddening industry, guys. 1353 01:10:57,640 --> 01:10:59,839 Speaker 3: It's also but it's also a trendy industry. 1354 01:11:00,040 --> 01:11:03,759 Speaker 4: And for the eighties and early nineties, young martial artists 1355 01:11:03,920 --> 01:11:07,760 Speaker 4: was a big thing. So you have three Ninjas and 1356 01:11:07,840 --> 01:11:11,000 Speaker 4: surf Ninjas and Revenge of the Ninja and Teenage Mutant 1357 01:11:11,040 --> 01:11:11,360 Speaker 4: Ninja chur. 1358 01:11:11,439 --> 01:11:12,960 Speaker 3: I mean, it was like one after that and then 1359 01:11:13,080 --> 01:11:14,599 Speaker 3: it goes away. It's like, oh, we don't do martial 1360 01:11:14,680 --> 01:11:15,519 Speaker 3: arts anymore, and then. 1361 01:11:15,479 --> 01:11:16,960 Speaker 1: It comes back, and then. 1362 01:11:17,840 --> 01:11:22,120 Speaker 4: It does, so it's totally sick siclicur ciclicole. So you 1363 01:11:22,320 --> 01:11:24,439 Speaker 4: just don't know when it's gonna come or what's gonna come? 1364 01:11:24,479 --> 01:11:26,320 Speaker 4: I mean the nineties super hot right now? You just 1365 01:11:26,479 --> 01:11:27,639 Speaker 4: you never know what's coming back. 1366 01:11:28,000 --> 01:11:30,600 Speaker 2: Wow. Well, thank you all for joining us for this 1367 01:11:30,680 --> 01:11:33,000 Speaker 2: episode of Podmeets World. As always, you can follow us 1368 01:11:33,000 --> 01:11:35,240 Speaker 2: on Instagram pod Meets World Show. You can send us 1369 01:11:35,280 --> 01:11:38,040 Speaker 2: your emails pod Meets World Show at gmail dot com. 1370 01:11:38,080 --> 01:11:40,439 Speaker 2: And we've got merch Go. 1371 01:11:40,560 --> 01:11:44,640 Speaker 4: Merchie go Merchie go go Merchie go Merchie go, go 1372 01:11:44,640 --> 01:11:45,120 Speaker 4: go go. 1373 01:11:45,360 --> 01:11:45,680 Speaker 3: Thank you. 1374 01:11:46,280 --> 01:11:50,360 Speaker 2: Wow, pretty good Podmeets Worldshow dot com writer send us out. 1375 01:11:50,720 --> 01:11:55,160 Speaker 1: We love you all, pod dismissed. Pod Meets World is 1376 01:11:55,160 --> 01:11:58,280 Speaker 1: an iHeart podcast producer and hosted by Danielle Fischel, Wilfredell 1377 01:11:58,360 --> 01:12:01,879 Speaker 1: and Ryder Strong. Executive for ducers, Jensen Karp and Amy Sugarman. 1378 01:12:02,040 --> 01:12:05,200 Speaker 1: Executive in charge of production, Danielle Romo, producer and editor, 1379 01:12:05,240 --> 01:12:08,719 Speaker 1: Tara Subachsch producer, Mattie Moore engineer and Boy Meets World 1380 01:12:08,720 --> 01:12:12,080 Speaker 1: superman Easton Allen. Our theme song is by Kyle Morton 1381 01:12:12,120 --> 01:12:15,320 Speaker 1: of Typhoon. Follow us on Instagram at Podmets World Show 1382 01:12:15,479 --> 01:12:22,120 Speaker 1: or email us at Podmeats Worldshow at gmail dot com.