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James Lew Actor, Stuntman, Fight choreographer, and Director. These titles express what he has done in the film industry, but they are only a small part of what defines him as a man. He began his martial arts training in Korean systems and then made the move to Kung Fu, focusing on Shaolin style, which utilized the "Five Animal" method, but also became well versed in the "White Eyebrow" style of Kung Fu. He utilized his training in Martial Arts competitions in the seventies, first with fighting, but soon gained a greater respect for both unarmed and weapon forms.
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During that time, James was expecting to live a normal life, with Martial Arts serving as a foundation for health. But Martial Arts would end up being much more than a foundation. Answering a cattle call for Asians with Martial Arts ability for a television series called "Kung Fu" would be his entrance into the world of film and television. This series created an instant demand for Chinese Martial Arts. With very few schools openly teaching the skills, it was a perfect opportunity for James, along with his good friend Curtis Wong and his brother Doug, to open a Martial Arts facility in San Fernando Valley. These two events rooted James to two industries and he flourished in both. |
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His next big break happened when he was hand-picked by director John Carpenter as an Associate Producer, Martial Arts Choreographer, and Stunt Coordinator for his film "Big Trouble in Little China". By todays standard 20 million seems like a drop in the bucket, but at that time the film had the biggest budget ever allocated to a Martial Arts project. Unfortunately the film didn't take hold at the box office, but it has been embraced as a cult-classic among fans. In the end, this opportunity further entrenched him in the Hollywood industry as a go-to guy for all things fighting. From that point forward, James has been at the front of the pack, known personally or by reputation among his Hollywood peers. |
Looking back, James has fought (and mostly likely been beaten by) by some of Hollywood's biggest stars. Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Steven Seagal, Jean Claude Van Damme, Mel Gibson, Brad Pitt, Ashton Kutcher, Tom Cruise, Dwayne Johnson, David Carradine, Chuck Norris, Dennis Quaid, Steve Carell, Anne Hathaway, Kurt Russell, Madonna, Charlie Sheen, Sylvester Stallone, Brandon Lee, and many more.
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James was voted "Favorite Action Star" by fans of Inside Martial Arts magazine. Internet fans voted him into the Hall of Fame in the Martial Arts History Museum, and Inside Kung Fu magazine inducted him as one of the "Martial Arts Greats" alongside legends such as Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris, Steven Seagal, Jean Claude Van Damme, and his longtime friend Jackie Chan. |
In essence, James Lew's secret to success is diversity. With all his knowledge, he has endeavored to become more involved in creating new projects. To start, he made his directing debut with his own Martial Arts spoof "18 Fingers of Death" which was released by Screen Media Films, but his desire to create is still coupled with his desire to perform. He has maintained his involvement in many high profile projects in recent years, working on such films as PIRATES OF THE CARIBEAN: AT WORLD'S END, RUSH HOUR 3, GET SMART, TROPIC THUNDER, and more recently in KILLERS, INCEPTION, the new MORTAL KOMBAT: REBIRTH, and the upcoming 200 million dollar production of BATTLESHIP.
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