Gary Daniels

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.[1]

In 1980, Daniels decided to leave England and move to the state of Florida in the United States to continue his career.

Daniels had an amateur kickboxing record of 31 wins, 30 by knockout and 4 defeats.

In 1988,Daniels began his film career in the Philippines, with the release of his first two lead roles in the action martial arts films Final Reprisal by Teddy Page, and The Secret of King Mahis Island.

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 kick-boxer.

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.

On 3 December 1991 in Birmingham, England, Daniels fought a 3-round, No Decision, exhibition match with 11-time World Kickboxing Champion Don "The Dragon" Wilson (also an action film star) at the World Martial Arts Extravaganza.

Daniels retired with an undefeated professional kickboxing record of 4-0-0 with 2 knockouts.

Shortly after, he had a supporting role in Ring of Fire (1991) starring Don "The Dragon" Wilson.[2] His second release that year was his first starring role in an American film. It was David Huey's Capital Punishment co-starring David Carradine, Tadashi Yamashita, Mel Novak, and Ava Fabian.[3] The final movie he was in that year was In Between in a supporting role alongside Robert Forster, Wings Hauser, Robin Mattson, and Alexandra Paul.

On 7 February 1992, Final Impact starring Lorenzo Lamas started its theatrical run where Daniels played the supporting role of a fighter.[4] Daniels appeared in two other supporting roles that year with Deadly Bet with Jeff Wincott, Charlene Tilton, and Michael Delano, also Bloodfist IV: Die Trying his second film collaboration with Don "The Dragon" Wilson.[5][6] After these releases he was the lead in the action film American Streetfighter.[7]

The following year, he played a villain alongside Richard Norton in the film adaptation of City Hunter starring Jackie Chan; he was particularly known for a fight scene where he and Chan transform into various characters from the video game Street Fighter II.[8] Afterward, Daniels had a supporting role in Albert Pyun' Knights a science fiction film with Kathy Long, Kris Kristofferson, Lance Henriksen, Scott Paulin, Nicholas Guest, and Vincent Klyn.[9] He was also the lead in the action film Full Impact. Daniels played cop turned bounty hunter, who is asked to investigate a serial killer's case.[10] Finally for 1993, he shared the top billing with Chad McQueen in science fiction film Firepower. The film takes place in futuristic world where gangs control certain neighbourhoods where cops can't go, however two officers played by Daniels and McQueen are sent to investigate undercover.[11]

In 1994, he starred in Deadly Target am action/martial arts film co-starring Max Gail, and Byron Mann. Daniels stars as a Hong Kong police detective Charles Prince arrives in Los Angeles to extradite a notorious Chinese gangster back to Hong Kong for trial. But soon, his suspect escapes. He gets caught in the middle of an explosive Triad Gang War.[12]

In 1995, Daniels played the role he is still best known for, the heroic Kenshiro, which he portrayed the American live-action version of in the movie adaptation of the Japanese manga Fist of the North Star. Directed by Tony Randel, and co-stars Costas Mandylor, Isako Washio, Malcolm McDowell, Chris Penn, Melvin Van Peebles, and many others. The film adapts parts of the first story arc of its source, which centers on Ken (Daniels), the lone master of the "North Star" martial art school, who wanders the post-apocalyptic Earth in search of his nemesis Lord Shin (Mandylor), a ruthless dictator, who killed his master and kidnapped his fiancée Julia (Washio).[13][14] Also in 1995, Daniels played Xao a bio-enhanced kickboxing champion in Albert Pyun's science fiction-martial arts film Heatseeker against leading men Keith Cooke who plays Chance O'Brien the only completely human fighter. The CEO (Norbert Weisser) of the fight division forces O'Brien against his will to participate in a tournament.[15] In a third film that year, Daniels got a producer credit as well as being the lead actor in Joseph Merhi's Rage. In the film Daniels plays a school teacher, who accidentally gets captured for a scientific experiment. He escapes and is chased by authorities.[16]

In 1996, Daniels starred in the martial art movie White Tiger. In it he plays a DEA agent who's partner's death leads him to investigate in the Chinese criminal underground.[17] That year Daniels also acted in Hawk's Vengeance, in it he plays a cop who's partner has been killed by a skinhead. He decides to make his own investigation while the official one in ongoing.[18] Also that year, Daniels shared the top billing with Sugar Ray Leonard in Joseph Merhi's urban crime thriller Riot. Daniels plays a British SAS officer and Leonard a major, who must go through a riot in order to save the daughter of a British ambassador.[19]

In 1997 he had a supporting role in Pocket Ninjas.[20] Following this he was the lead in Bloodmoon, co-starring Chuck Jeffreys and Darren Shahlavi. In the film Daniels plays a fighter who's being chased by a serial killer who's victims are all fighters.[21]

In 1998, he starred and was an associate producer in Art Camacho's Recoil. It's an action thriller, where Daniels plays a police officer, who with some of his colleagues kill a young bank robber after a brutal bank heist. The slain criminal's father is a mob boss who vows revenge with everyone involved with his death.[22] Also that year he starred in Spoiler an American action sci-fi film directed by Jeff Burr and co-starring Meg Foster. It is set in a futuristic, cyber-punk New York City, convicted felon Roger Mason (Daniels) is serving a sentence and is locked away in a high security prison facility, where Cryonics are applied to some of the inmates, including Mason, to keep them in a state of suspended animation. Mason, despite all the security measures applied at his confinement, manages to escape repeatedly to see his daughter, while he remains practically the same age and she grows older.[23]

On 20 March 1999, Daniels acted in the episode Daddy's girl of TV show Sons of Thunder.[24] He was also one of the leads in Master P's No Tomorrow co-starring Pam Grier, Gary Busey, and Jeff Fahey.[25] His last lead role that year was in Isaac Florentine's Cold Harvest. In a post apocalyptic world, Daniels plays a pair of twin brothers who grow up to be different, one is stable married medical researcher and the other a bounty hunter. The married one is eventually killed on his way to share a plague vaccine that would cure many, which leads the bounty hunter to bring the cure to safety.[26][27]

In 2000, he starred alongside Jeff Fahey and Traci Lords in the disaster film Epicenter.[28][29] That year he followed up with lead roles in action oriented film such as Fatal Blade, City of Fear, and Delta Force One: The Lost Patrol.[30][31][32][33]

In 2001, he starred in three action films Black Friday, Queen's Messenger, and Witness to a Kill.[34][35][36]

In 2004 Daniels acted in the Dolph Lundgren film Retrograde.[37][38]

In 2005, Daniels was seen in the Steven Seagal project Submerged (2005), directed by Anthony Hickox.[39][40]

In 2006, Daniels starred in Reptilicant.

In 2008, Daniels made a one-fight comeback in Thailand at the age of 45 and he lost by decision after 5 rounds.[41] Also in 2008, he played the role of Ed Parker in biographical mini series The Legend of Bruce Lee. It stars Hong Kong actor Danny Chan as Bruce Lee. Other martial artists such as Mark Dacascos, Ray Park, Ernest Miller, and Michael Jai White are also featured. Later in 2008 he acted in the film Cold Earth.[42]

In 2009, Daniels acted in Kiss of the Vampire.[43] Also that year, in La Linea an action-crime film directed by James Cotten, Daniels was among an ensemble cast that includes Ray Liotta, Armand Assante, Valerie Cruz, Esai Morales, and Andy García.

In 2010, Gary portrayed Bryan Fury in the film version of the popular video game series Tekken. He also that year he co-starred in Sylvester Stallone's The Expendables, many of the cast includes some of his action film star contemporaries such as Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Steve Austin, and Randy Couture. As well as fellow actors Terry Crews, Eric Roberts, David Zayas and Mickey Rourke.[44][45] The film is about a group of elite mercenaries called The Expendables (Stallone, Staham, Li, Lundgren, Couture, and Crews) who are on a mission to overthrow dictator General Garza (Zayas) in Vilena, an island in the Gulf of Mexico. It is revealed that an ex-CIA officer James Munroe (Roberts) is keeping Garza in power as a figurehead for his own profiteering operations. With his two deadly bodyguards Dan Paine (Austin) and The Brit (Daniels), they become a major obstacle in the way of our heroes.[46] Shortly after Daniels re-teamed with Steve Austin and Eric Roberts in Hunt to Kill. The next film he co-starred in was Across the Line: The Exodus of Charlie Wright is a 2010 action film starring Aidan Quinn, alongside Andy García, Mario Van Peebles, Jordan Belfi, Corbin Bernsen, Luke Goss, Bokeem Woodbine, etc. The film follows a banker (Quinn) who escapes the U.S. with billions after he is revealed to be a fraud, as well as the authorities (Van Peebles and Belfi) and mercenaries (Daniels and Woodbine) tracking him down. His last film that year was the supernatural thriller The Lazarus Papers, where he played the main villain who maliciously captures girls from small village and leads them into sex trafficking. It featured an ensemble cast that included Danny Trejo, Bai Ling, and Tom Lister Jr.[47]

In 2011, he played the main villain in the Wesley Snipes vehicle Game of Death, co-starring Zoë Bell, Robert Davi, Aunjanue Ellis, Ernie Hudson, etc.[48][49] Following this release he had a small part in the film Johnny's Gone. His third role that year was a leading part in the action film Forced to Fight co-starring Peter Weller.

In 2012 he played a role The Encounter: Paradise Lost the second instalment in The Encounter franchise.[50] Shortly after he was the main villain in The Mark with Craig Sheffer, Eric Roberts, and Sonia Couling. The film is about Chad Turner (Sheffer) who is implanted with a biometric computer chip called the Mark of the Beast. The Rapture occurs, and Joseph Pike (Daniels) searches for Turner in hopes of gaining control of the chip. His third release that year was a role in Angels. In his final release that year, he played in the David DeCoteau's Christmas movie Santa's Summer House with an ensemble cast that also includes Cynthia Rothrock, Daniel Bernhardt, Christopher Mitchum, and Kathy Long.

In 2013, he returned to his role of Joseph Pike in The Mark 2: Redemption, taking place right after the ending of the first film. The plot follows the main cast from the first film right after the events of the last film. His second release that year played a supporting role in A Stranger in Paradise alongside Colin Egglesfield, Catalina Sandino Moreno and Stuart Townsend.[51]

Finally for 2013, he played the role of Hector in the video game and television series Payday 2.

In 2014, he returned to the role of Bryan Fury in Tekken 2: Kazuya's Revenge. Shortly after he was the lead in the thriller Misfire. The film centers around a seasoned Drug Enforcement Administration agent Cole (Daniels), who descends into the underworld of Tijuana drug mafia in search of his journalist ex-wife who he believes has been abducted by a charismatic drug cartel boss with aspirations for public office.

In 2015 he acted in Zero Tolerance alongside. Dustin Nguyen, and Scott Adkins. Following this he played the lead protagonist in Skin Traffik with Mickey Rourke, Daryl Hannah, Eric Roberts, Michael Madsen, Jeff Fahey, Dominique Swain, and Alan Ford. It's about a jaded former hitman (Daniels) who encounters a savage pimp (Rourke) and a desperate woman under his control, he embarks on a quest to save a young girl from the clutches of the brutal gangsters who trade human beings as currency. In his third release that year he played a supporting role in Quyên. Finally that year, he played a supporting role in David Winters' Dancin': It's On! in the musical dance romance film starring Witney Carson. The film is about a young passionate dancer named Jennifer (Carson). She is set to spend the summer in Florida in a hotel owed by her distant father Jerry (Daniels), who disapproves of a relationship she starts with another dancer.[52][53]

In 2016, he played in David DeCocteau's The Wrong Child with Vivica A. Fox.[54]

In 2018, he played a supporting role in I Am Vengeance starring Stu Bennett. The story is about a British military veteran (Bennett) who goes to a small town to investigate the death of his friend. He finds out that a group of former soldiers turned drug dealers who work under a man named Hatcher (Daniels), may be behind it.[55] He followed it with the science fiction film Astro.[56] His third role that year was the lead role in the action film Rumble.