Jaa has the swift-footed, breath-taking pugilistic grace of Lee and the agility of Li. So any fear of injury, that just passes with the dedication you have toward making the film." "Everyone should know about the heart and dedication that went into making the film.
"Yes, you are afraid but we take a lot of safety precautions," Jaa said. Jaa said he does not worry too much about hurting himself or his crewmates during film projects. There is one flame fight scene where Jaa gives new meaning to the term "hot-steppin'." "Ong-Bak" is not Oscar-caliber drama like "Million Dollar Baby," but it is a lot of fun to watch for action flick aficionados. It has won over fans such as director Quentin Tarantino and the RZA of rap's Wu-Tang Clan.ĭon't look for any special effects reminiscent of "The Matrix" trilogy in "Ong-Bak." Jaa, like Chan in his early movies, does his own stunts and fight scenes. Jaa's martial arts performance generated a buzz at various film festivals and on the Internet, leading to its debut in the United States. "Ong-Bak" was a success overseas, becoming the highest-grossing Thai film in 2003 and leading the box office in Hong Kong. "So I finally got a chance to put together a project with my master and present it to the director and now you have 'Ong-Bak.' " No Special Effects Needed "With stunt work, I saw that you're only behind the scenes and people never get to see your true abilities," Jaa said.
He worked as a water boy, cook and crewmember on movie sets until he got his first break in the movie industry when he served as a stunt double for actor Robin Shou in the 1995 movie "Mortal Kombat." Ultimately, Jaa got the attention of director Prachya Pinkaew, who was so impressed with his work on "Mortal Combat" and tapes of his various martial arts demonstrations that he wrote "Ong-Bak" especially for the budding star. He gave demonstrations in northeast Thailand and China. Jaa studied tae kwon do, swordplay and gymnastics, and, ultimately, Muay Thai. We both had the same goal of making Thai films for the world to see." He has taught me so many things - from Buddhism for the spirit to the things you should live for. He is like my brother, he is like my father. "I first got to know him by watching his films, the fact that he was a death-defying stuntman," Jaa said. Rithikrai was a martial arts and stunt choreographer along with Jaa on "Ong-Bak." The Thai movie star and stuntman took Jaa under his tutelage and trained the young teen in kung fu and stunt work. Jaa's father took him to meet Rithikrai when the star was working on a movie. His early film favorites included Chan's "Police Story," Lee's "The Way of the Dragon," "Fists of Fury" and the Thai action flick "Born to Fight." Jaa says initial influences were Chan and Thai action star Phanna Rithikrai, who wrote, directed, produced and starred in "Born to Fight." Born Panom Yee-rum in the small Thai province of Surin, Jaa grew up watching martial arts movies and training in martial arts. From Water Boy to Stuntman to Action Star But when the head of the village's sacred Ong-Bak Buddha statue is stolen by drug dealers, Ting volunteers to retrieve it on a mission to Bangkok and is forced to use his butt-kicking talents. Ting's master makes him promise to never use his skills. In "Ong-Bak," Jaa plays Ting, a kind-hearted orphan who lives in the small village of Nong Pradu in Thailand and is trained in the ancient martial art of Muay Thai.
His predecessors are aging - Chan is 50, while Li is 41 - and the action flick genre needs new blood. Jaa seems poised to become the movie industry's new martial arts poster boy in his first starring role. No matter if it's Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan or Jet Li, they are my inspirations. But to be clear, I don't think I could ever replace Bruce Lee," Jaa said through an interpreter in an interview with.