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Let’s start with GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra
– what are your thoughts on the film and your time on the set?
I really enjoyed it; my wife and
I got to see a screening of it before it was released, and really enjoyed it. It was really good – I liked it…
and I was over in Chicago the weekend the movie was released at a comic book and sci-fi convention called Wizard – a
lot of fans came up… they loved it. They’ve seen it… they loved what I did in the movie - it was
really good to get the response from the fans as well. Being on the set was a lot of fun too; it meant a lot to me to
play that character. When I heard they were going to do a GI Joe movie… first of all I wanted to try to get myself
in the room; then I found out that they had me in mind anyway - so it was nice to have that connection. Also, it was
a chance for me to show what I could do as a Ninja – even though I’m not a Ninja, but I grew up as a boy wanting
to be a Ninja – so it was a lot of fun. It was tough to wear the costume, but I got used to it and it’s
something I’m looking forward to doing again if we can make a second one.
That was my next question;
do you know if there are plans to make another one?
I hope so. I mean, we’re signed up to
do a sequel… so I hope we get to do it.
 Going into the film; did you know a lot about your character and GI Joe?
I knew about GI Joe, I knew about
Snake Eyes, and I knew about Storm Shadow. I went out and bought a lot of comics and magazines and cartoons –
I went online to a bunch of different fan sites and the Hasbro site… just to get my research in, but I also had my
own ideas about Snake Eyes from being a boy myself. When I was a kid I used to… I had Action Man as a boy and
my younger brother had GI Joe – so I remember him playing… and remember Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow. He
and I talked a lot about Storm Shadow and Snake Eyes, and he knew a lot… so it was good to get that input from him.
I did my research and tried to keep it as true to the
character as I could… as much as I could for the movie.
Is the Snake Eyes in the new movie different at all from the previous versions of Snake Eyes?
Just the way he looks and the costume is a little bit different. It’s just a little bit different, but
it’s true… a lot of the fans said that it’s true to the original character. So that was a big thing;
they were worried about trying to get Snake Eyes right… and me too, like the characters I’ve played in the past
– it’s quite nerve-racking to know that I’m going to play this character… and I want everyone to
like the movie and what I did for the character.
What’s the toughest thing you had to do in the film
when it comes down to the action sequences?
Wearing the costume was tough. Some of the sets were
dark so you couldn’t see with the visor on – I couldn’t really see a lot anyway, but sometimes that would
help with my character and how I play, but as much as I was
concerned about it before shooting – once I was on
set I was in focus and played that out in my character. Being in Prague… being on top of that Hummer and riding
that at thirty miles an hour, but it felt like I was going a hundred miles an hour through the streets of Prague.
And then throwing the sword up and trying to slice through debris; that was hard because the sword work is what I do…
I don’t do stunts riding on cars… in my mind I was telling myself “Well, if I screw up on the car that’s
fine because I’m not the stunt guy, but if I screw up throwing a sword or twisting a sword… that’s my job…
that’s what I do” – so I was more nervous about missing the sword and letting go of it on top of the Hummer.
I know you were able to do your own choreography for the fight scene in Star Wars: Episode I – did they
give you that same freedom on this film?
Not as much. It was a little frustrating at first –
the guys I worked with… I knew of them and they’re good guys. It was frustrating because I wanted to show
more of the stuff I do for Snake Eyes, but it worked out okay… I was able to bend it a little bit. It was good;
they did a good job. You go onto a project with lots of good ideas and what you want to do – and you’ve
been working on those ideas… then not being able to execute those out was a bit frustrating. But I’m
sure for the second one it’ll be different. It worked out okay; the guys knew my style and the strengths I had…
and what they wanted to do, because that was their job… and I understood that. So it wasn’t the same as
Star Wars; Star Wars I was able to do a lot, but you know in Star Wars I did a lot of stuff I wasn’t allowed to do because
it didn’t work for the story – or didn’t work out for the character… so I told myself “Well,
maybe one day I’ll get to do it”. I’m still waiting for that one day.
I also heard
you were co-writing a comic book based on Snake Eyes – can you tell me a little about that?
Yeah,
Kevin Van Hook and myself – he approached me and he’s a friend of mine, and he also writes for comic books.
He said he spoke to the comic company and thought it was a great idea. He said “Now I know you want to write and
be more involved in the writing side… this would be a good opportunity” – and I said “I know, you’re
right… I’d love to do that”. It’s a little bit strange doing something for Snake Eyes, but
he said “You know, I’ve got these great ideas… why don’t we put them from pen to paper?” –
and it’s great; we just got together and just worked out some ideas… and off he went. I want to be more
creative and write a bunch myself – I’m always waiting for a role to pop up that would be great for me.
I took the advice of some of my other friends and started to create my own characters.
Now; is this comic
book going to be only Snake Eyes or GI Joe with Snake Eyes?
No, it’s going to be all about Snake
Eyes – Snake Eyes goes off for a mission and it’s a solo mission, and it’s after the movie.
 Most of your films have a heavily nerdy following; do you consider yourself to be a nerd or geek?
Yeah,
I think so – I think I am. I’m really into movies; I love sci-fi and action films… and I love martial
arts; I love practicing it. When I was a kid I didn’t know about conventions – because in martial arts…
you didn’t let anyone know you liked Bruce Lee or you practiced martial arts… you kept it a secret. Finally
I got older and found out about the conventions – there’s Star Wars and Star Trek… I’m really into
Star Trek as well and a lot of Star Wars fans don’t know that. I just told my wife about it last night; she said
“You like Star Trek?” – I said “Yeah, I love Star Trek – I’d love to do a part in Star
Trek”. My dad was into films; he loves everything about movies. So I get to sort of live out my dreams and
get to be part of it as well.
Out of all the characters you’ve played so far which one has been your
favorite?
I like them all; they’re very good. They’ve all been different; they’ve
all had a little part of what I want to show throughout my physical ability and just acting. Snake Eyes is at the top;
he’s at the top because of the origins of Snake Eyes and myself being a martial artist where I get to live that out,
but I like all of them – even Toad [X-men]… and working on Heroes right now is great – I get to
show off myself. I like them all; and they’re all bits of me.
What’s coming up next for
you?
I’m working on Heroes, a TV show, right now for season four. My character is called Edgar,
I have supersonic speed. We’re “carnies”… part of this carnival. In the carnival I’m
the knife thrower – so I get to show off some of my martial arts and gymnastic abilities with knives as well.
Then I have a movie coming out called King of Fighters; based on the computer game in the early ninety’s… that’s coming out later this year. Gordon Chan
is the director.
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