Tony Jaa

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Tony Jaa

Tony Jaa prepares for a martial arts demonstration at the American Museum of the Moving Image on August 20, 2006.
Born Jaa Panom Yeerum
February 5, 1976 (1976-02-05) (age 32)
Surin, Thailand
Official website

Panom Yeerum (Thai: พนม ยีรัมย์; IPA: [pʰanom jiːrɑm]) born on February 5, 1976 in Surin Province, Thailand, better known in the West as Tony Jaa and in Thailand as Jaa Panom, is a Thai martial art film actor, choreographer and director. His films include Ong-Bak: Muay Thai Warrior and Tom-Yum-Goong (also called Warrior King or The Protector).

Contents

[edit] Biography

[edit] Early life

Tony Jaa was born in the Surin Province of the Isan region of Thailand. Jaa grew up in a rural area and watched films by Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Jet Li at temple fairs. While doing chores or playing with friends, he would imitate the martial arts moves he had seen in the films. He would practice in his father's rice paddy or, when bathing the family's elephants, he would somersault off their backs into the river.

In Tom-Yum-Goong, Tony Jaa demonstrated a style of muay Thai that has moves that imitate an elephant. Jaa was able to draw on his childhood for experience, because his family raises elephants.
In Tom-Yum-Goong, Tony Jaa demonstrated a style of muay Thai that has moves that imitate an elephant. Jaa was able to draw on his childhood for experience, because his family raises elephants.

"What they did was so beautiful, so heroic. I wanted to do it, too," Jaa told Time in a 2004 interview. "I practiced until I could do the move exactly as I had seen the masters do it."[1]

At age 15, he looked up Panna Rittikrai, begging the veteran Thai stuntman and action-film director to take him on as a protege. Panna instructed Jaa to attend Maha Sarakham College of Physical Education in Maha Sarakham Province.

[edit] First films

He initially worked as a stuntman on Panna's team, Muay Thai Stunt, appearing in many of Panna's films. He doubled for Sammo Hung when the martial-arts actor made a commercial for an energy drink that required him to grasp an elephant's tusks and somersault onto the elephant's back.[2] He also appeared in Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, as a stunt double for Robin Shou (Liu Kang), and was a stunt double in the Thai television series Insee Daeng (Red Eagle).[3]

Together, Panna and Jaa developed an interest in Muay Boran, an ancient style of Muay Thai and worked and trained for 1 year at the art with the intention of developing a film around it. Eventually they were able to put together a short film showing what Jaa could do. One of the people they showed it to was producer-director Prachya Pinkaew, who was duly impressed.

This led to Ong-Bak: Muay Thai Warrior (องค์บาก) in 2003, Jaa's break-out role as a leading man. Jaa did all the stunts without mechanical assistance or computer-generated effects and it showcased his style of extreme acrobatics and speedy, dance-like moves. Injuries suffered in the filming included some kind of injury to one of his ligaments and a sprained ankle. One scene in the film involved fighting with another actor while his own trousers were on fire. "I actually got burned," he said in a 2005 interview. "I really had to concentrate because once my pants were on fire the flames spread upwards very fast and burnt my eyebrows, my eyelashes and my nose. Then we had to do a couple more takes to get it right."[4].

With the film, he was hailed as Asia's next martial-arts film superstar. And as Jaa has gained popularity, older films he made with Panna began to be released on DVD and VCD and become available internationally. These include Spirited Killer and Mission Hunter 2.

[edit] Rise to fame

Tony Jaa and his mentor, Panna Rittikrai, check the playback on the Sydney, Australia location of Tom-Yum-Goong.
Tony Jaa and his mentor, Panna Rittikrai, check the playback on the Sydney, Australia location of Tom-Yum-Goong.

His second major movie was Tom-Yum-Goong (ต้มยำกุ้ง; also the name of a hot and sour soup, Tom yum kung (ต้มยำกุ้ง)). This movie enjoyed even greater success in Thailand and Hong Kong than Ong-Bak when released, and was subsequently picked up for release in the United States by the Weinstein Company, which retitled the film as The Protector.

As he did to promote the release of Ong-Bak, Jaa was again busy travelling the world to promote The Protector. In August 2006, he was in New York to promote the US release of The Protector, including an appearance at the Museum of the Moving Image.[5]

[edit] Next projects

Sahamongkol Film International advertised that Tony Jaa's third film would be called Sword or Dab Atamas, about the art of Thai two-sword fighting, with a script by Prapas Chonsalanont.[6] But due to falling out between Prachya and Jaa, which neither have publicly commented on, Sword has been cancelled.[7]

On March 2006 it was reported that there would be a sequel to Ong-Bak, Ong-Bak 2. With Tony both directing and starring, it started pre-production in fall 2006 and is expected to be released sometime in 2008.[8][9][10][7]

While Tony was working on Ong-Bak 2, director Prachya Pinkaew and action choreographer Panna Rittikrai were working on Chocolate, starring a female martial artist, Nicharee Vismistananda, and also due for a 2008 release.[7] Tony, meanwhile, has been cast in a small role in a third installment of the King Naresuan film series directed by Chatrichalerm Yukol. Filming is expected to begin in early 2008, with Tony in role of a slave.[11]

[edit] Other developments

Tony's name is often included on the "wish lists" of various directors. He was at one time rumored to be the villain in Live Free or Die Hard, gossip that he was quick to deny.

His films captured the attention of his hero, Jackie Chan, who asked director Brett Ratner to cast Tony in Rush Hour 3. "I gave the director videos of Tony Jaa because I think Tony Jaa is the most well-rounded of all action stars," Chan told the Associated Press.[12] "The director liked him a lot," Chan said.[12] However, Tony said he'd be unable to participate because of scheduling conflicts with the shooting of Ong Bak 2.[12][13]

In Ong-Bak: Muay Thai Warrior there is a spray-painted message in the background in one scene that says "Hi Spielberg, let['s] do it together", which states Tony Jaa's wish to work with Steven Spielberg. Tony has further stated a desire to be cast in the upcoming Indiana Jones 4 sequel. [14]

Additionally, veteran Hong Kong martial arts coordinator Lau Kar-leung has mentioned Tony as someone he'd like to work with. [15]

Tony Jaa demonstrates martial arts at the American Museum of the Moving Image on August 20, 2006, during a promotional tour for The Protector.
Tony Jaa demonstrates martial arts at the American Museum of the Moving Image on August 20, 2006, during a promotional tour for The Protector.

[edit] Skills

Tony Jaa is skilled in Muay Thai, Muay Boran, Krabi Krabong, Tae Kwon Do, and gymnastics.[citation needed]



[edit] Languages

Jaa speaks Thai, Khmer, and is learning English.

[edit] Selected filmography

[edit] See also

Tony Jaa in an alternate poster for his break-out film, Ong-Bak.
Tony Jaa in an alternate poster for his break-out film, Ong-Bak.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Perrin, Andrew (October 18, 2004). "Hitting the big time", Time.
  2. ^ Pornpitagpan, Nilubol (February 3, 2003). "Leap into the limelight". Bangkok Post.
  3. ^ Yusof, Zack (November 21, 2003). "Selling a Thai style", The Star (Malaysia) (retrieved from Archive.org on December 15, 2006).
  4. ^ Franklin, Erika. May 2005. "Alive and Kicking: Tony Jaa interviewed", Firecracker Media (retrieved on December 15, 2006)
  5. ^ Hendrix, Grady. August 21, 2006. Tony Jaa in town, kicks people, KaijuShakedown.com (retrieved August 23, 2006).
  6. ^ Kaiju Shakedown, "Next Tony Jaa project announced", May 27, 2005.
  7. ^ a b c Payee, Parinyaporn, A hit of 'Chocolate', The Nation (Thailand); retrieved 2007-11-18
  8. ^ Payee, Parinyaporn. November 30, 2006. High-kicking khon, The Nation.
  9. ^ The Nation, "Soop Sip", May 3, 2006 (print only).
  10. ^ Frater, Patrick (March 27, 2006). "Weinsteins are back with another 'Bak'" Variety (magazine) (subscription-only).
  11. ^ Jaa collaborating with royalty, Hollywood Reporter; retrieved 2007-11-01
  12. ^ a b c Associated Press. Jackie Chan says he plugged Thai Tony Jaa for 'Rush Hour 3,' but he didn't sign on. International Herald Tribune. Retrieved on 2007-08-13.
  13. ^ Grady Hendrix. Brett Ratner's Asian orgy. Kaiju Shakedown via Internet Archive. Retrieved on 2007-08-13.
  14. ^ Duong, Sehn. August 16, 2006. Tony Jaa Says No to "Rush Hour 3," "Yes! Yes!" to Indy 4, and Reveals "Ong Bak 2" Tidbits, Rotten Tomatoes (retrieved August 24, 2006)
  15. ^ Twitch Film,"Martial Arts Director Lau Kar-Leung prepares for his Kung Fu Masterpiece: Heroes of Shaolin", June 16, 2006.

[edit] External links

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