Known as one of the first martial arts tricksters in open martial art competitions and early pioneers of non-traditional forms (NASKA), Ho helped to popularize the 540 kick and the Hawkeye Kick in the mid-eighties. Many consider Ho's influence, particularly his 540 kick, to be the beginning of the tricking movement.
Ho was featured as himself on the ABC television reality series The Bachelor, where he directed a series of action scenes for Brad Womack and the contestants. The episode aired on 17 January 2011. He also featured himself on Bachelor Pad in season 3, as he taught and choreographed a fight scene for contestants Chris and Sarah. The episode aired on 13 August 2012.
Ho co-founded Plush Home, Inc., an all-encompassing interior design firm and furniture line, in 2003 with his wife, Nina Petronzio, an American interior and furniture designer known for her high-end Transitional Style designs.[1]
After eight years of intensive martial arts training with Richard King Sensei of the Karate Institute of America and winning local karate competitions in Los Angeles (particularly at Ed Parker's Long Beach International Karate Championships and various meets at the Culver City Civic Auditorium), Ho moved to the National Karate Circuit (North American Sport Karate Association) and was responsible for the American Forms Division of which he was National Champion. Known for his jump kicking techniques and innovative style, Ho quickly established himself as one of the top experts in the United States.[2]
Films
In 1989, Ho was recruited into the film business by action-icon Jet Li to work as his stunt double and "heavy" on a series of Hong Kong films. Jet Li, who was recuperating from injury, was at a National Karate tournament in Irvine, California when he picked Ho to be his stunt double in the finale fight scene of Long zai tian ya, aka Dragon Fight (1989), co-starring Stephen Chow. Ho also worked as a stunt fighter in the film Long xing tian xia, AKA, The Master (1989),[3] which was Ho's second film as a stunt-actor with Li. The Master was directed by Hong Kong New Wave director, Tsui Hark.
Roger Corman gave Ho his Screen Actors Guild card for his supporting role in the sequel to Rock 'n' Roll High School, titled Rock & Roll High School Forever, starring Corey Feldman. Ho was the bass player in the new music band, "The Eradicators" fronted by Feldman (the original cult film featured The Ramones). In the film he delivered the famous line, "Hey, this no my pee!" Corman recorded an original soundtrack for "The Eradicators", but the film was not a success and the band never made it further than the film.
Steven Ho with Oscar De La Hoya at the Westside Boxing Club in Los Angeles in 2009
Ho went on to work in many film projects as an actor, action choreographer, fight trainer, stuntman, director, writer, and producer including his role as "Chan" in Mortal Kombat (1995).[5] Through the mid-nineties, Ho guest-starred in many television series, highlighting his martial arts skills. Among them were Walker, Texas Ranger, Nash Bridges, Diagnosis Murder, High Tide. Ho also suffered many stunt-related injuries during this time, including a crushed foot that took five surgeries and two years of rehabilitation to overcome.
Ho was a regular and popular guest of The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien. On the well-received segments, Ho would typically inflict apparent pain to Conan O'Brien while he aggressively taught the host the basics of stunt fighting.
On the 8th episode that originally aired on 10 June 2009, Ho opened the show by sucker-punching Conan to "give him a sense of what a real hit feels like". The duo continued with a choreographed fight scene in which Conan portrayed the "thug fighter" and Ho the "hero fighter". A theatrical property ("prop") fire extinguisher and shovel were incorporated into the fight choreography and the segment ended with Ho ratcheting Conan through a breakaway glass window. Comedian Dane Cook was also a guest that night.[14]
Five weeks after his appearance, Ho was back for the 30th episode on 17 July 2009, making him the first returning guest of the show. This time Ho taught Conan the basics of sword fighting and using breakaway props. When he did not evade Ho's strike fast enough, Conan was hit by Ho with a bamboo sword in the ribs. Ho then proceeded to break a handful of breakaway bottles over Conan's head, sending him comically running to hide behind Andy Richter. The segment ended with Ho dragging Conan backwards in a sitting position across the stage and through a picket fence, chicken coop, breakaway mirror, and large scaled bowling pins. Seth Green was the second guest that night.[14]
Ho made a third appearance on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien for the 65th episode on 14 September 2009, the first night the show shared the evening with Jay Leno's 10:00pm prime time show.[15] Ho's segment ran for 13 minutes, 27 seconds. Charlize Theron was also a guest that night and Dave Mathews Band was the musical performance.[14] In terms of audience, The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien jumped 22% to 4.3 million viewers that night, compared to the shows typical Monday average that summer of 3.5 million viewers. There were also nice gains in adults 18–49 and adults 25–54.[16] This episode also re-ran on 22 October 2009. Ho's third appearance on the show won an online poll for "Favorite Guest Moment" on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien's main website.[14]
All of Ho's appearances were included in the montage of the finale show of The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien on 22 January 2010.
After the announcement of the cancellation of The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien, Ho was instrumental in supporting and rallying fans for the "I'M WITH COCO" movement spearheaded by artist Mike Mitchell through Facebook. At the 18 January 2010 rally held in Los Angeles in front of NBC studios, Ho portrayed "Asian Conan" in a popular sketch for the website Funny or Die in which "Asian Conan" fights "Asian Jay Leno" in a street fight. Funny or Die and Ho then produced the comedy-action short, "Asian Conan, Episode 1", released as an exclusive on their website in April 2010.[17]
Ho returned as a guest on O'Brien's TBS show, Conan, on 25 January 2011. In the segment, Ho placed a watermelon on O'Brien's stomach, and then sliced it in half with a katana sword. Patton Oswalt was the second guest that night, with Wanda Jackson as the musical guest.
Ho's 8 June 2011 appearance on Conan made him the first main guest invited back for a second appearance on the TBS show. Ho taught O'Brien how to develop his Qi power through martial art breathing technique. He proceeded to teach Conan a proper martial art Horse stance and Sanchin, before kicking him with multiple Roundhouse kicks and hitting him with various wood dowels and a 2×4. The episode ended with Conan breaking three wood pieces held by Ho's assistants.
On 9 June 2011, O'Brien and George Lopez attempted a feat never before accomplished by two back-to-back late-night hosts. Both funnymen scheduled one another as guests on the other's program. In his interview on Lopez Tonight, O'Brien discussed his recent stunt segment with Ho and showed highlight clips. In particular, he talked about a 2x4 that did not break on his thigh when Ho hit him with it.[18]
For Ho's 12 October 2011 appearance on Conan, the martial artist gave Conan a lesson in basic self-defense. He taught the late night host the fine art of palm strikes, elbows, knees, groin kicks, and head butts. Ho also taught Conan how to escape from a full mount position by "bucking" up while grabbing a handful of Conan's "love handle" at the same time.[19]
1 March 2012 marked Ho's fourth appearance on Conan, and Ho's seventh time on television with the host (including The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien). This segment focused on Ho teaching Conan how to utilize everyday home items as weapons for self-defense. Ho's lesson focused on hairspray, a plastic comb, coffee in a cup, a Sharpie pen, and a baby stroller.[20]
Ho appeared on Conan for a fifth time on 13 September 2012, to teach the host self-defense against a gun, and how to defend himself against an attack inside a men's bathroom, while sitting on a toilet.[21]
For a holiday sketch on 8 December 2012, Ho played himself at a Conan Christmas party where he and Andy Richter throw a drunk and belligerent Conan out a stage window.[22]
"Occupy Conan" special ran on 31 January 2013. In addition to Conan and Andy Richter, the original show's guests, Anne Hathaway and Steven Ho were all recreated by fan submissions.[23]
Ho and his stunt team accompanied Nina Dobrev on her 12 March 2013 guest appearance on Conan, by helping her showcase her fighting abilities to the host.[24]
Ho returned as Conan's first guest on 25 July 2013 in a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle themed episode, where Ho taught the host the tricks of the trade on how to become an action hero.[25]
Stand-up comedy
Ho performed his first stand-up comedy sketch at Comedy Zen to a sold out 220 seat audience at The Downtown Independent in Downtown Los Angeles on 3 December 2010. He opened for veterans Jay Phillips and Joe Wong in a successful 30-minute set that included material on his experiences as a Hollywood stuntman and having Italian in-laws. A highlight of the show was when Ho brought out the original head from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze, and incorporated that into his set.[26]
Ho dropped out of Business School at Pepperdine University just a few classes shy of earning his bachelor's degree so that he could pursue his stunt career with Li. Shortly after meeting his wife, Nina Petronzio (an American interior designer and furniture designer), the couple established a boutique interior design firm in 2001.[27]
In 2001–2003, Ho was hired as a creative consultant by Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) to aid in their in-house presentations of new products developed.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, commonly abbreviated as TMNT, is a media franchise created by the comic book artists Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. It follows Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael and Michelangelo, four anthropomorphic turtle brothers trained in ninjutsu who fight evil in New York City. The franchise encompasses printed media, television series', feature films, video games, and merchandise.
Ernie Reyes Jr. is an American actor and martial artist, known for his acting work in films such as The Last Dragon, Red Sonja (1985), as Donatello's stuntman in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze (1991), Surf Ninjas (1993) and The Rundown (2003). He has also done stunt work in films such as Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, as well as motion capture stunts in films such as Avatar and Alice in Wonderland. His TV work includes season 3 episode 4 of Highway to Heaven, dramas such as the short-lived Sidekicks, and NCIS: Los Angeles and reality TV series such as Final Fu.
Conan is an American variety and late-night talk show that aired each Monday through Thursday at 11:00 p.m. Eastern time on TBS in the United States for 11 seasons, from 2010 to 2021. The show premiered on November 8, 2010, and was hosted by writer, comedian, and performer Conan O'Brien, accompanied by his long-time sidekick Andy Richter. Running for eight years and identifying as a traditional late-night talk show, Conan drew its comedy from recent news stories, political figures, and prominent celebrities, as well as aspects of the show itself. The hour-long show was akin to O'Brien's previous NBC late-night shows and was directed by Billy Bollotino.
Splinter, often referred to as Master Splinter or Sensei by his students/sons, is a fictional character from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics and all related media. A mutant rat, he is the grave and stoic sage of the Turtles, their ninjutsu and martial arts instructor, and their adoptive father. The character was originally a parody of the Marvel Comics character Stick.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is an American animated television series produced by Fred Wolf Films, and based on the comic book characters created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. Set in New York City, the series follows the adventures of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and their allies as they battle the Shredder, Krang, and numerous other villains and criminals. The property was changed considerably from the darker-toned comics, to make it more suitable for children and families.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze is a 1991 American superhero film based on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles characters created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. Directed by Michael Pressman and written by Todd W. Langen, it is the sequel to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990) and the second installment in the original Turtles film trilogy. It stars Paige Turco and David Warner, with the voices of Brian Tochi, Robbie Rist, Adam Carl, and Laurie Faso. Resuming from the events of the first film, the Shredder returns at command of the Foot Clan for revenge on the Turtles. When he learns the secret behind the Turtles' mutation, he becomes more dangerous than ever. The film reveals the origins of Splinter and the Turtles and introduces two new villains, Tokka and Rahzar. Unlike the first film, the Turtles mostly fight bare-fisted, to tone down the violence.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III is a 1993 American superhero film based on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles characters created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. Written and directed by Stuart Gillard, it is the sequel to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990) and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze (1991), and the third installment in the original Turtles film trilogy. It stars Elias Koteas, Paige Turco, Vivian Wu, Sab Shimono, and Stuart Wilson with the voices of Brian Tochi, Robbie Rist, Corey Feldman, and Tim Kelleher. The plot revolves around the "Sacred Sands of Time", a mystical scepter which transports the Turtles and April back in time to feudal Japan, where they become embroiled in a conflict between a daimyō and a group of rebellious villagers.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is a 1990 American superhero film based on the comic book characters created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. It is the first film adaptation of the characters and was directed by Steve Barron and written by Todd W. Langen and Bobby Herbeck from a story by Herbeck. It stars Judith Hoag and Elias Koteas with the voices of Brian Tochi, Josh Pais, Corey Feldman, and Robbie Rist. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles follows the Turtles on a quest to save their master, Splinter, with their new allies, April O'Neil and Casey Jones, from the Shredder and his Foot Clan.
Ho-Sung Pak is a South Korean-born American martial artist, actor, stuntman, and filmmaker. He is known for portraying Liu Kang in the Mortal Kombat video game series, and for his role as "Superstar" on the 1990s television series WMAC Masters. He has also been a stunt performer, coordinator, and fight choreographer on numerous film and television productions.
Conan Christopher O'Brien is an American television host, comedian, writer, and producer. He is best known for having hosted late-night talk shows, beginning with Late Night with Conan O'Brien (1993–2009) and The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien (2009–2010) on the NBC television network, and Conan (2010–2021) on the cable channel TBS. Before his hosting career, O'Brien was a writer for the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live from 1988 to 1991, and the Fox animated sitcom The Simpsons from 1991 to 1993. He has also been host of the podcast series Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend since 2018 and starred in the 2024 travel show Conan O'Brien Must Go on Max.
Kenn Troum, also known as Kenn Scott, is an American actor, puppeteer, filmmaker, former stuntman and martial artist.
Leo Howard is an American actor and martial artist. Howard is known for incorporating his karate skills into his feature film and television roles; as "Young Snake-Eyes" in the 2009 action film G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, as "Young Conan" in the 2011 fantasy film Conan the Barbarian, and as Jack on the Disney XD comedy series Kickin' It. Howard was certified as the youngest TV director ever by the Guinness World Records for his work on the episode "Fight at the Museum" in the fourth season of the Kickin' It TV series at age 16. He also played CeCe's rival Logan on Shake It Up in the third season. In 2023, he joined the cast of Days of Our Lives in the role of Tate Black.
Patrick E. Johnson was an American martial artist and actor. He was a 9th degree black belt in American Tang Soo Do and was the president of the National Tang Soo Do Congress, which was originally created by Chuck Norris in 1973.
David Forman is an English actor, stuntman, puppeteer and internet entrepreneur who has played several suit roles in Jim Henson's Creature Shop, notably as the character of Leonardo in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film (1990). He also served as a stunt performer for The Bear (1988), The NeverEnding Story III (1994), The Flintstones (1994) and Muppet Treasure Island (1996).
Daniel Bernhardt is a Swiss actor, stuntman, martial artist, and former model. He is known for his work on various action films. He made his acting debut in the leading role in the martial arts film Bloodsport II: The Next Kumite (1996), and appeared in two of its sequels, Bloodsport III (1997) and Bloodsport 4: The Dark Kumite (1999).
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is an American animated television series developed by Ciro Nieli, Joshua Sternin, and Jennifer Ventimilia for Nickelodeon, based on the characters created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. The series begins with the Turtles emerging from their sewer home for the first time, using their ninjutsu training to fight enemies in present-day New York City. The series ran in the United States from September 28, 2012, to November 12, 2017.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is a 2014 American superhero film based on the characters of the same name created by Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman. A reboot of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film series, it was directed by Jonathan Liebesman and written by Josh Appelbaum, André Nemec, and Evan Daugherty. The film stars Megan Fox, Will Arnett, William Fichtner, Danny Woodburn, Abby Elliott, Noel Fisher, Jeremy Howard, Pete Ploszek, and Alan Ritchson, with the voices of Johnny Knoxville and Tony Shalhoub. The plot follows the Turtles, who, with the help of their new ally April O'Neil, face the evil Shredder and his Foot Clan, as well as protect their New York City home.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows is a 2016 American superhero film based on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles characters created by Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman. The sequel to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014) and the final film in the reboot Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series, it was directed by Dave Green and written by Josh Appelbaum and André Nemec. The film stars Megan Fox, Will Arnett, Laura Linney, Stephen Amell, Noel Fisher, Jeremy Howard, Pete Ploszek, Alan Ritchson, Tyler Perry, Gary Anthony Williams, Brian Tee, and Sheamus. The film follows the Turtles who, after defeating the Shredder, must face an even bigger foe: the dreaded Krang.
Carlos Lopez IV was an American stunt performer.
Nicolas Cantu, known by his internet pseudonyms junky janker and TheCAN2Network, is an American actor, internet personality, video producer, and former animator.
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