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Ray Park
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 Ray Park at FedCon XI in Bonn, Germany (2003) |
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| Born: | August 23, 1974 (age 32) Glasgow, Scotland, UK |
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| Occupation: | Actor |
| Website: | RayPark.net |
Raymond Park (born August 23, 1974), better known as Ray Park, is a British stunt man and actor. He is best known for his performance as the Sith Lord Darth Maul in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace.
Park was born in the Southern General Hospital in Glasgow, Scotland, and lived in Govan, Glasgow until moving to London at the age of seven. It was at this age that he started training in Northern Shaolin Kung Fu also known as Chin Woo Kung Fu. Seven years later he would also start training in wushu, and gymnastics. He has since earned his 2nd degree black belt in Northern Shaolin Kung Fu. He has competed many times in martial arts competitions and brought home many awards for them including, at the age of 16, Great Britain's Martial Arts National Championship for his group. He competed as part of the British wushu team at the 1993 World Wushu Games in Malaysia.
He began working in movies as a stunt double for the movie Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, doing the stunts for both Robin Shou (who played Liu Kang) and James Remar (who played Raiden). Park also did some cameos as monsters, including Baraka the Tarkata. All of these were non-speaking roles.
Although his character Darth Maul briefly spoke in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, his voice was dubbed over with that of actor Peter Serafinowicz.
In addition to this acting work, he has also been Christopher Walken's stunt double for the movie Sleepy Hollow. Walken's role was the Headless Horseman, and Park did the mimics in the scenes where the Horseman appears without his head.
His first real speaking part came in X-Men in the part of Toad. Park's Toad was not very similar to the Toad in the X-Men comic books, but nevertheless he caught the public's eye. In one scene of this film, after sending Storm down an elevator shaft, he picks up a length of pipe and swings it around in much the same way he swung his dual-bladed lightsaber as Darth Maul, a signature wushu movement.
He has been asked to become a superhero himself, instead of a villain, in a movie about Marvel Comics character Iron Fist, but the movie has been in preproduction for some years now. Iron Fist deals with an American millionaire who becomes a martial artist with the power of focusing his "life force" or chi into his fist, making it glow with energy and become "like unto a thing of iron" and able to impact with superhuman force.
Along other comic book lines, Ray worked with comic book creator-turned-film-maker Kevin VanHook in the movie, Slayer starring in the dual roles of acrobatic twin vampires. This film also saw him appearing again with Sleepy Hollow co-star Casper Van Dien.
He currently resides in Los Angeles with his wife Lisa, and their daughter, Sienna.
He is left handed, a trait he has shared with all characters he has played.
Fans of the possible Dragon Ball Z live action movie are interested in having Ray Park as Vegeta.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Mortal Kombat: Annihilation | Raiden double/Raptor #3/Tarkata #2 | |
| 1999 | Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace | Darth Maul | |
| 1999 | Sleepy Hollow | fight double: Headless Horseman | |
| 2000 | X-Men | Toad | |
| 2002 | Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever | A.J. Ross | |
| 2005 | Potheads: The Movie | Mr. D | |
| 2006 | Slayer | Acrobatic Vampire Twins | (TV Movie) |
| 2007 | What We Do Is Secret | Brendan Mullen | |
| 2008 | Iron Fist | Danny Rand/Iron Fist | (announced) |