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Ray Park

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Ray Park
Park speaking at Star Wars Weekends 2011 at Walt Disney World
Born
Raymond Park

(1974-08-23) 23 August 1974 (age 50)
Glasgow, Scotland
Occupation(s)Actor, martial artist, stuntman
Years active1997–present
Websiteraypark.com

Raymond Park (born 23 August 1974) is a British actor, martial artist and stuntman. He is best known for physically portraying Darth Maul in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace and Solo: A Star Wars Story, along with a motion capture performance in the final season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars,[1] Toad in X-Men, Snake Eyes in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra[2][3] and G.I. Joe: Retaliation, and Edgar in Heroes.[4]

Early life

Park was born on 23 August 1974 in Glasgow, Scotland. At the age of seven, he moved with his family to London, England.[5]

Park was introduced to martial arts by his father, who was a fan of Bruce Lee, and began training martial arts at the age of 7, starting with one year of Hapkido, then traditional Shaolin Kung Fu such as Nam Pai Chuan at UK Chin Woo Northern Shaolin, as well as modern wushu. When he was 15, Park went to Malaysia to improve his skills. From 1991 to 1996, he was a member of the British national wushu team. Park went on to compete in martial arts tournaments around the world including the World Wushu Championships before turning his attention to acting in the late 1990s.[6]

Career

Park began working in films as a stunt double for the film Mortal Kombat Annihilation, doing the stunts for both Robin Shou and James Remar. Park also did some cameos as monsters, including Baraka. All of these were non-speaking roles.[7]

In 1999, Park appeared in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, as the Sith Lord Darth Maul.[8] While the character only had three lines, Park's voice was dubbed over with that of actor Peter Serafinowicz.[9] From his work on Star Wars, Park was cast in a cameo role in Fanboys as a Skywalker Ranch security guard who says, "Time for you to get mauled, boy," as he pulls out two nightsticks.[10]

In addition to this acting work, he has also been Christopher Walken's fight stunt double for the film Sleepy Hollow. Park appeared in the scene where Walken's character, the Headless Horseman, murders the Killian family and Brom Van Brunt, among others.[11]

Park with Vincent Pastore at the 2013 Wizard World New York Experience

Park had his first real speaking part in X-Men as Toad.[12]

In December 2007, Park was confirmed for the role of Snake Eyes in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra and G.I. Joe: Retaliation involving a variation of the international G.I. Joe force who fought the minions of Cobra in the comics.[13][14]

He worked with comic book creator-turned-filmmaker Kevin VanHook in the film Slayer, starring in the dual roles of acrobatic twin vampires.[15] This film also saw him appearing again with Sleepy Hollow co-star Casper Van Dien.

ComiCon 2007 saw the premiere of the teaser trailer for The Descendants, another comic book adaptation based on an independent comic by writer Joey Andrade.[16]

Park appeared as Edgar in the fourth season of the television series Heroes.[17]

Park was also included in the motion capture team of the 2008 James Bond video game adaptation of Quantum of Solace.[18]

In the comic book-styled film Hellbinders, he plays a soulless mercenary who, along with an elite assassin (Johnny Yong Bosch) and the last remaining member of the long dead Knights Templar, Esteban Cueto, must overcome their innate mistrust of each other and join forces to defeat Legion before it opens the gates of hell itself and overruns the entire world. Park narrated on 26 February 2010 the introduction of The FireBreather, a car from Classic Design Concepts in Detroit Autorama 2010, which appears in Park's supernatural thriller Jinn.[19]

In 2011, Park guest starred in the TV series Nikita as the London Guardian, Brendan. He reprised his role as Maul in Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018), with Sam Witwer providing the voice.[20]

In 2019 during Star Wars Celebration, Dave Filoni revealed that Park reprised his role as Maul for the seventh and final season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars through a motion capture performance, with Witwer again providing the voice.[21]

In 2022, Park was reportedly set to originally reprise his role as Maul again in the Disney+ streaming series Obi-Wan Kenobi, but his character's inclusion was dropped late into development; sources claim that Park went as far to perform some stunt training and shoot some footage, though other sources claim that Park's scenes consisted solely on test footage before the character was written out.[22]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1997 Mortal Kombat Annihilation Raptor #3 / Tarkatan (Baraka) #2 Also stunt double for Robin Shou and James Remar
1999 Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace Darth Maul/Naboo Royal Guard Voiced by Peter Serafinowicz;
Nominated—MTV Movie Award for Best Fight (shared with Liam Neeson and Ewan McGregor)
Nominated—MTV Movie Award for Best Villain
Sleepy Hollow Headless Horseman Apart from Christopher Walken scenes
2000 X-Men Mortimer Toynbee / Toad
2002 Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever DIA Agent A.J. Ross
2005 Potheads: The Movie Mr. D.
2006 Slayer Acrobatic Vampire Twins
2007 What We Do Is Secret Brendan Mullen
2009 Fanboys THX Security Guard #2
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra Snake Eyes
Hellbinders Max Lindermann
2010 The King of Fighters Rugal Bernstein
2013 G.I. Joe: Retaliation Snake Eyes
2014 Jinn Gabriel
2018 Accident Man Mac
Solo: A Star Wars Story Darth Maul Cameo; Voiced by Sam Witwer
2021 City Limits Brian Hull

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2008 The Legend of Bruce Lee Chuck Norris 4 episodes
2009 Heroes Edgar
Spartacus: Motion Comic Arkadios / Narrator Voice
2011 Nikita London Guardian, Brendan Episode: "Into the Dark"
Supah Ninjas Harry Episode: "Kickbutt"
2012 Breaking In Todd Episode: "Episode XIII"
2020 Star Wars: The Clone Wars Maul Episode: "The Phantom Apprentice"; motion capture; Voiced by Sam Witwer
2022 Obi-Wan Kenobi Episode: "Part I" (archival material)

References

  1. ^ Wetmore, Jr., Kevin J. (10 August 2017). The Empire Triumphant: Race, Religion and Rebellion in the Star Wars Films. McFarland & Company. p. 127. ISBN 9781476611716.
  2. ^ "GI JOE – YO JOE, The Snake Has Returned". Kung Fu Magazine. Retrieved 22 February 2010.
  3. ^ "Interview: Ray Park on the Set of G.I. Joe". IESB. Archived from the original on 1 October 2009. Retrieved 10 June 2010.
  4. ^ "Ray Park: Unmasked on HEROES". Kung Fu Magazine. Retrieved 24 February 2010.
  5. ^ "Biography". Official Ray Park Website. Retrieved 29 November 2015.
  6. ^ "Martial Arts". Official Ray Park Website. Retrieved 29 November 2015.
  7. ^ "Ray Park and Martial Arts: Part 1". Kung Fu Magazine. Retrieved 24 February 2010.
  8. ^ Maslin, Janet (19 May 1999). "FILM REVIEW; In the Beginning, the Future". The New York Times. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
  9. ^ Simpson, George (5 April 2019). "Star Wars: Darth Maul star reveals why he was CUT at the last minute". Daily Express. Retrieved 5 April 2019.
  10. ^ Persall, Steve (5 March 2009). "'FANBOYS' DOESN'T USE THE FORCE TO FULL EFFECT". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 5 April 2019.
  11. ^ "Ray Park and Martial Arts: Part 2". Kung Fu Magazine. Retrieved 24 February 2010.
  12. ^ Couch, Aaron (7 January 2014). "Toad to Appear in 'X-Men: Days of Future Past'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 7 January 2014.
  13. ^ Weintraub, Steve (30 July 2009). "Ray Park (Snake Eyes) On Set Interview G.I. JOE: THE RISE OF COBRA". Collider. Retrieved 21 March 2017.
  14. ^ Weintraub, Steve (14 March 2013). "Ray Park Talks His New Costume and Weapons, Fight Sequences with Storm Shadow and Working with Elodie Yung on the Set of G.I. JOE: RETALIATION". Collider. Retrieved 21 March 2017.
  15. ^ "Slayer". Kevin VanHook Official Website. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
  16. ^ Butler, Blair (26 July 2007). "g4tv.com-video17177: 'The Descendants'". G4TV. Retrieved on 6 September 2007.
  17. ^ Evans, Chris (17 September 2009). "Ray Park & Robert Knepper Talk "Heroes"". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
  18. ^ Kelly, Kevin (2 July 2008). "Joystiq eyes (only) on: James Bond in Quantum of Solace: The Game". Engadget. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
  19. ^ "Ray Park to Breathe Fire in Jinn; Meet Him This Friday in Michigan". Dread Central. Retrieved 24 February 2010.
  20. ^ Silliman, Brian (13 September 2018). "Darth Maul actor Sam Witwer on Ray Park and never saying goodbye". Syfy Wire. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
  21. ^ Schedeen, Jesse (14 April 2019). "Star Wars: Clone Wars' Final Season Features Return of Darth Maul and Mandalore". IGN. Retrieved 29 June 2019.
  22. ^ Kit, Borys; Couch, Aaron (14 March 2022). "'Obi-Wan Kenobi': Darth Maul Scenes Cut, Luke Skywalker Replaced During Creative Overhaul". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 14 March 2022. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
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