Gary Daniels | |
---|---|
Born | Gary Edward Daniels 9 May 1963 London, England |
Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
Weight | 12 st 9 lb (80 kg) |
Division | Middleweight Light Heavyweight |
Reach | 77.5 in (197 cm) |
Style | Kickboxing, Muay Thai, Taekwondo [1] [2] |
Stance | Southpaw |
Fighting out of | California, United States |
Team | The Jet Center Piston Kickboxing Gym Team Daniels |
Trainer | Mickey Byrne Yuki Horiuchi Benny Urquidez [2] Joe Lewis [2] |
Rank | 2nd degree black belt in Taekwondo |
Years active | 1979–present |
Kickboxing record | |
Total | 5 |
Wins | 4 |
By knockout | 2 |
Losses | 1 |
Amateur record | |
Total | 35 |
Wins | 31 |
By knockout | 30 |
Losses | 4 |
Other information | |
Occupation | Actor, producer, martial artist, fight coordinator, kickboxer |
Gary Edward Daniels (born 9 May 1963) is an English actor, producer, martial artist, fight coordinator and former world light heavyweight kickboxing champion. Born and raised in London, England, Daniels started to take martial arts lessons at the age of eight. By his late teens, he became a competitive kickboxer. In 1980, Daniels moved to the United States to continue the sport. In 1990, he won the WKBA California State Light Heavyweight Championship and the PKA World Light Heavyweight Championship.
Daniels is also an action film leading man, starting with Final Reprisal (1988) and The Secret of King Mahis Island (1988). He followed up with Ring of Fire (1991), Capital Punishment (1991), American Streetfighter (1992), Deadly Target (1994), Fist of the North Star (1995), Bloodmoon (1996), Recoil (1997), Spoiler (1998), Misfire (2014), and Skin Traffik (2015). He also plays supporting roles; some of these credits include City Hunter (1993), The Legend of Bruce Lee (2008), Tekken , (2009), The Expendables (2010), I Am Vengeance (2018), and Kung Fu (2021), etc.
Gary Daniels was born in London, England, on 9 May 1963.[ citation needed ] Daniels said that at the age of eight he was inspired to learn martial arts after seeing the trailer of the Bruce Lee film Enter the Dragon. Following this, Daniels said he joined a kung-fu school for three to four years, after he made the switch to taekwondo where he received a black belt in his mid-teens. [3] He became a 2nd dan and began competing in ITF taekwondo tournaments. His aggressive style did not sit well with British officials, however, and he lost 3 fights by disqualification.[ citation needed ]
Daniels began kickboxing at the age of seventeen under the tutelage of former British Army boxing champion Mickey Byrne. He debuted in 1979, and compiled a record of 13 victories (13 knockouts) and 3 defeats. Daniels early matches in England and in the United States were amateur matches. [4]
In 1980, Daniels decided to leave England and move to the state of Florida in the United States to continue his career.[ citation needed ]
Daniels had an amateur kickboxing record of 31 wins, 30 by knockout and 4 defeats.[ citation needed ]
By the late 1980s, Daniels moved to California and began practicing Muay Thai at Benny Urquidez's Jet Center and Yuki Horiuchi's Piston Kickboxing Gym. He also became a professional kickboxer.[ citation needed ]
In 1988, Daniels starred in the action films Final Reprisal , and The Secret of King Mahis Island.[ citation needed ] According to Daniels, a talent agent introduced him to a production company in the Philippines, with whom he made them. [3] [5]
In November 1990, Daniels won the WKBA California State Light Heavyweight Championship and the PKA World Light Heavyweight Championship in England within the space of a month.[ citation needed ]
In 1991, Daniels acted in Ring of Fire, [6] and starred in Capital Punishment. [7] On 3 December in Birmingham, England, Daniels fought a 3-round, No Decision, exhibition match with 11-time World Kickboxing Champion Don "The Dragon" Wilson at the World Martial Arts Extravaganza.[ citation needed ] Daniels retired with an undefeated professional kickboxing record of 4-0-0 with 2 knockouts.[ citation needed ]
In 1992, Daniels acted in Final Impact , [8] Deadly Bet, [9] and Bloodfist IV: Die Trying . [10] Also that year, he starred in American Streetfighter. [11]
In 1993, Daniels acted in Wong Jing's film adaptation of City Hunter starring Jackie Chan, a significant early role for Daniels. [12] [13] Daniels also acted in Albert Pyun's Knights. [14] Daniels said that he was offered the role of one of the villains in City Hunter while filming Knights in Utah, however shooting days overlapped. He went on to ask director Albert Pyun if he could finish his shooting schedule earlier to join the Jackie Chan film in Hong-Kong. Pyun accepted but had to reduce a few of his scenes and use a double. Daniels said he arrived late on the set and the introductory scene of the villains was already shot. He thinks it played to his advantage because the filmmakers edited in parallel a scene of him training and showing his physical prowess to introduce his character. [3] That year, he starred in Full Impact, [15] and co-starred with Chad McQueen in Firepower [16]
In 1994, he starred in Deadly Target. [17]
In 1995, Daniels starred in Fist of the North Star, which offered a notable boost to his career, particularly due to the film's successful home video release in Asian markets. [18] [19] That same year, he would star in White Tiger, [20] and had a role in the movie Heatseeker. [21]
In the mid-to-late 1990s, Daniels found a niche as lead actor in many of PM Entertainment's action movies, including 1995's Rage, [22] 1996's Riot [23] and 1998's Recoil. [24] [25]
In 1996, Daniels acted in Bloodmoon, [26] Hawk's Vengeance . [27]
In 1997, he starred in and acted in Pocket Ninjas. [28]
In 1998, he starred No Tomorrow, [29] Spoiler, [30] and Cold Harvest. [31]
In 1999, Daniels acted in an episode of the television show Sons of Thunder, [32] and the film Delta Force One: The Lost Patrol. [33]
In 2000, Daniels starred in Black Friday, [34] Fatal Blade, [35] and City of Fear. [36]
In 2001, he starred Epicenter, [37] Queen's Messenger, [38] and Witness to a Kill. [39]
In 2004 Daniels acted in Retrograde . [40]
In 2005, Daniels acted in Submerged . [41]
In 2008, he played the role of Ed Parker in biographical mini series The Legend of Bruce Lee . [42] Also, Daniels made a one-fight comeback in Thailand at the age of 45 and he lost by decision after 5 rounds. [43] That year, he acted in Dark Secrets, [44] Cold Earth, [45] and Kiss of the Vampire. [46]
In 2009 he acted in La Linea, [47] and played the character Bryan Fury in the video game adaptation Tekken . [48]
In 2010, Daniels played a supporting role in The Expendables. [49] [50] Also in 2010, Daniels acted in Hunt to Kill, [51] The Lazarus Papers, [52] and Across the Line: The Exodus of Charlie Wright. [53]
In 2011, he acted in Game of Death and Johnny's Gone. [54] [ additional citation(s) needed ]
In 2012, Daniels acted in The Encounter: Paradise Lost, [55] The Mark, [56] and Santa's Summer House. [57] That year he starred in Forced to Fight. [58]
In 2013, Daniels acted in The Mark 2: Redemption, [59] Payday 2,[ citation needed ] and A Stranger in Paradise. [60]
In 2014, he returned to the role of Bryan Fury in Tekken 2: Kazuya's Revenge . [61] Also that year, he played the lead in Misfire . [62]
In 2015 he acted in Zero Tolerance, [63] and Dancin': It's On! . [64] That year, he played the lead in Skin Traffik . [65]
In 2016, he acted in The Wrong Child, [66] and starred in Rumble. [67]
In 2018, he acted in I Am Vengeance, [68] and Astro. [69]
In 2021, he acted an episode of Kung Fu .[ citation needed ].
In 2022, he took the lead role in the indie action film Bring Him Back Dead.
Daniels studied Muay Thai, kickboxing, taekwondo, boxing, ninjutsu, judo, aikido, karate, wing chun, and Northern Shaolin kung fu. [1] [2] In his films, he employs a mixed martial arts style, leading with strong, sweeping kicks and sometimes engaging in close quarters fights with complex hand to hand choreography.[ citation needed ]
Daniels said his main discipline is Siu Lum Wong Gar Kune (Shaolin Wong Family Fist), and studies with Sifu Winston Omega. [3] [2]
Year | Title | Role | Notes | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1988 | Final Reprisal | David Callahan | First lead role | ||
The Secret of King Mahis Island | Chuck | Second lead role | |||
1991 | Ring of Fire | Bud | First time partnered with Don "The Dragon" Wilson | ||
In Between | The Guardian | ||||
Capital Punishment | James Thayer | Lead Role | |||
1992 | Jin san jiao qun ying hui | Martial Artist in Prologue | |||
Final Impact | Nick's Club Fighter | ||||
Deadly Bet | Fletch | ||||
Bloodfist IV: Die Trying | Scarface | Second time partnered with Don "The Dragon" Wilson | |||
American Streetfighter | Jake Tanner | Lead role and also fight choreographer | |||
1993 | City Hunter | Kim | First time partnered with Jackie Chan | ||
Full Impact | Jared Taskin | Lead role and also fight choreographer | |||
Hardcase | Tom Hawke / Hardcase | Lead role | |||
Knights | David | ||||
Firepower | Nick Sledge | Lead role | |||
1994 | Pocket Ninjas | The White Dragon | Lead role, but not released until 1997 | ||
Deadly Target | Charles Prince | Lead role | |||
1995 | Fist of the North Star | Kenshiro | Lead role | ||
Heatseeker | Xao | ||||
Rage | Alex Gainer | Lead role and also associate producer | |||
1996 | White Tiger | Mike Ryan | Lead role | ||
Hawk's Vengeance | Eric "Hawk" Kelly | Lead role and also fight choreographer | |||
1997 | Bloodmoon | Ken O'Hara | Lead role and also associate producer | ||
Riot | Maj. Shane Alcott | Lead role | |||
1998 | Recoil | Det. Ray Morgan | Lead role and also associate producer | ||
Spoiler | Roger Mason | Lead role | |||
1999 | No Tomorrow | Jason | Lead role | ||
Cold Harvest | Roland Chaney/Oliver Chaney | Lead role | |||
Delta Force One: The Lost Patrol | Capt. James Wellford | Lead role | |||
2000 | Epicenter | Nick Constantine | Lead role | ||
The Ides of March | Thomas Cane | Lead role and unreleased to date. Title also changed to Ultimate Target | |||
City of Fear | Steve Roberts | Lead role | |||
Fatal Blade | Richard Fox | Lead role and also associate producer | |||
2001 | Queen's Messenger | Captain Anthony Strong | Lead role | ||
Witness to a Kill | Captain Anthony Strong | Lead role and it's a sequel to Queen's Messenger | |||
2002 | Black Friday | Dean Campbell | Lead role and also producer | ||
2004 | Retrograde | Markus | First time partnered with Dolph Lundgren | ||
2005 | Submerged | Col. John Sharpe | |||
2006 | Reptilicant | Ryan Moore | Lead role | ||
2007 | Immortally Yours | Sebastian | |||
2008 | Dark Secrets | Darryl Van Dyke | Lead role | ||
2009 | La Linea | Martin | First time partnered with Andy Garcia | ||
Tekken | Bryan Fury | ||||
2010 | Game of Death | Zander | |||
The Expendables | Lawrence "The Brit" Sparks | Second time partnered with Dolph Lundgren First time partnered with Jet Li, Stone Cold Steve Austin and Eric Roberts | |||
Hunt to Kill | Jensen | Straight to DVD Second time partnered with Stone Cold Steve Austin and Eric Roberts | |||
Across the Line | Michaels | Second time partnered with Andy Garcia | |||
The Lazarus Papers | Sebastian Riker | ||||
2011 | Johnny's Gone | Unknown | |||
Forced To Fight | Shane | Lead role and fight choreographer | |||
2012 | The Mark | Joseph Pike | Third time partnered with Eric Roberts | ||
A Stranger in Paradise | Derek | ||||
The Encounter: Paradise Lost | Charlie Doles | ||||
The Mark: Redemption | Joseph Pike | Fourth time partnered with Eric Roberts | |||
The Rogue | Kiefer | ||||
Liberty | Agent Gunner | ||||
2013 | Branson's Country | Unknown | rumored | ||
Human Factor | Chad | ||||
Payday 2 Web Series | 2014 | Tekken 2: Kazuya's Revenge | Bryan Fury | ||
Quyên | Hans | ||||
Misfire | Cole | Lead role | |||
2015 | Skin Traffik | Bradley | Lead role. Second time partnered with Mickey Rourke, Michael Madsen and Jeff Fahey. Fifth time partnered with Eric Roberts. | ||
Rumble | David Goran | Lead role | |||
Zero Tolerance | Sammy | aka 2 Guns: Zero Tolerance | |||
Dancin': It's On! | Jerry August | ||||
2016 | The Wrong Child | Charles | |||
Rumble | David | ||||
2018 | I Am Vengeance | Hatcher | Uncredited | ||
Astro | Jack Adams |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1986 | Miami Vice | Male stripper | Episode: "Walk-Alone" Uncredited |
1999 | Sons of Thunder | Lannark | Episode: "Daddy's Girl" |
2008 | The Legend of Bruce Lee | Ed Parker | 2 episodes |
2013 | Payday | Hector | Episode: "Hector" |
2021 | Kung Fu | Master Drake | Episode: Guidance |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2013 | Payday 2 | Hector |
This section of a biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification .(November 2023) |
Date | Result | Opponent | Event | Location | Method | Round | Time | |
2008 | Loss | Thailand | Decision | 5 | 3:00 | |||
1993-00 | Win | Professional Karate Association | London, England | KO | ||||
1992-00 | Win | Professional Karate Association | London, England | KO | ||||
1991-12-03 | No Decision | Don "The Dragon" Wilson | World Martial Arts Extravaganza | Birmingham, UK | Exhibition | 3 | ||
1990-11 | Win | Professional Karate Association | London, England | |||||
Wins PKA World Light Heavyweight Championship. | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1990-11 | Win | Bob Smith | World Kick Boxing Association | California, USA | ||||
Wins WKBA California State Light Heavyweight Championship. | ||||||||
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... A black belt in taekwondo, Daniels has 23 years of martial arts training, including background in kickboxing, ninjutsu, aikido and shaolin kung fu.
Beginning his martial arts studies at the age of 8, he has a black belt in taekwondo, has studied kickboxing and muay Thai[sic] with world champion Benny (The Jet) Urquidez, has ample knowledge of Chinese weapons, and has trained with former world full-contact champion Joe Lewis. He is currently studying exclusively with sil lum kung fu instructor Winston Omega.
A former world champion Kickboxer with an imperious record, [Gary Daniels'] shift into movies began in earnest. Actually it began in The Philippines in a number of shoestring exploitation films (and offers to do 'adult' material along the way).
A first significant role would come as Daniels found himself cast as Richard Norton's henchmen in City Hunter. Complete with blond flowing locks (an early Daniels calling card), he stood out in this Jackie Chan star vehicle, with the showpiece being a bizarre fight scene where Chan and Daniels transform into Street Fighter characters Chun-Li and Ken respectively. Daniels is still the definitive Ken for me too (where was the call for the JCVD film huh?).
In 1995 Daniels found himself cast in a project which on paper could/should have been the launching pad. By no means lavish, it still marked a significant jump in budget to many of the earlier films he'd appeared in. The live action manga adaptation Fist of The North Star brought with it a ready made fan base, and the addition of an impressive cast to star opposite Daniels (with Malcolm McDowell, Chris Penn and Costas Mandylor). Ending up straight to video in the US, it never quite managed to latch onto that fanbase, nor a growing trend in cyberpunk movies which were popping up with regularity at the time (though almost all were bombing at the box office). [...] Daniel's found his market as a leading man and it was firmly in video, but off the back of Fist of The North Star's popularity (which did well on video and in Asia) he was now on a level with Wilson et al, and a big draw in the market. [...] No longer would he play second fiddle to Chad McQueen for example, he'd be the headliner and given the backing of some of their more ambitiously budgeted films.
It was around the mid-90's that Daniels went from being a PM entertainment also-ran, to being perhaps their star attraction. [...] Recoil, Riot and Rage in particular were all pretty spectacular, representing the pinnacle of a studio with an impish approach to scraping every penny from the coffers and putting it into the stunt department. PM became a breeding ground for stuntmen to indulge, and a good launching pad for stunt specialists like Spiro Razatos (who's overseen the action on several Fast films among an array of huge movies ). In the center of this chaos was Daniels, who never shied away from performing much of the physical work himself (and always the fight sequences). In delivering the fight sequences and physical prowess, he excelled to a level above most of his rivals.