When thinking of inspiring martial artists in film and television, the names of many well-established actors come to mind, but there are several recent stars that any fan of the genre would benefit from paying attention to. The 1970s and 1980s propelled now-legendary martial arts actors like Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan into a previously unseen level of fame.
, laying the path for upcoming martial artists that followed in their footsteps. Recent stars like Andrew Koji and Rayna Vallandingham have already proven to be exciting martial artists on screen and are worthy of keeping an eye on as their careers take off.
Netflix's Cobra Kai is a follow-up to the popular The Karate Kid films and stars a handful of actors with martial arts backgrounds, including Jacob Bertrand. Joining the main cast in season 2 as Hawk, .
For four years before being cast in Cobra Kai, . Alongside his cast, Bertrand went through extensive training with stunt coordinator and taekwondo expert Simon Rhee to tune his martial arts skills. While Bertrand's taekwondo experience isn't as vast as other recent martial arts stars, he's still worth paying attention to.
Having , it's Saori Izawa's work as an actor that's most exciting. With quite a few stunt credits to her name, it's no surprise that Izawa has proven herself to be a captivating martial arts lead.
Throughout the years, , which follows their assassin characters as they readjust to society and attempt to move past their violent ways. Izawa is a well-rounded star, as she's not only a dynamic performer in the movies' fight sequences, but she also manages to entertain audiences with her comedic timing.
Watching Olivia Liang as Nicky Shen in The CW's Kung Fu, one might not have guessed the actor had no prior martial arts experience before production began on the series. , as she felt "it was such a typecast for Asian performers" (via E! News).
, making the turn from ordinary college student to the protector of her hometown after it's overrun by corruption. Despite her inexperience before Kung Fu, Liang's growth as a martial artist makes her an exciting star to follow, as her talent and dedication to the craft are evident.
The biggest titles in Max Huang's filmography see the Jackie Chan Stunt Team member as a stunt double and coordinator. However, Huang is slowly but surely becoming an outstanding martial arts actor as well. and winning a gold medal at the 2009 German Nationals.
, but was introduced on a wider scale to action fans in 2021 as Kung Lao in Mortal Kombat. The movie is packed with brutal action sequences, and Huang is a powerful figure who adds to the film's intensity.
With Mortal Kombat 2 set to release later this year, it'll be worthwhile to keep up with Huang to see where he goes next in his career.
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Starring in mostly shorts at the beginning of his career, . Co-starring alongside Michelle Yeoh, Chien portrayed the Sun family's eldest child, Charles.
Though it was short-lived, The Brothers Sun packed quite the punch with its action sequences. For these scenes, Chien trained with stunt coordinator Justin Yu. However, in some of the series' more chaotic fight scenes.
What's highlighted of Chien's abilities in The Brothers Sun is reason enough to follow the trajectory of his career. Chien has a few projects coming up, namely shorts, as well as Avatar: The Last Airbender season 2.
Since she was 10 years old, JuJu Chan has trained in various martial arts styles, including judo, wushu, Muay Thai, and Wing Chun. As an actor, Chan made her film debut in 2008, though she's only begun acting in mainstream films and television series within the past decade.
As seen with several of the other action stars mentioned, . Wu Assassins and Fistful of Vengeance, which is perhaps Chan's best-known work, sees the martial artist take full command of the screen with every scene she's in.
The martial arts series and its follow-up film are lauded for their creative filmmaking and intricate, action-packed plots, and .
Just like her Cobra Kai co-star Jacob Bertrand, . Vallandingham became a standout character in Cobra Kai season 6, partially due to her impressive martial arts skills that helped bring authenticity to her fight scenes. At a young age, Vallandingham became the youngest American Taekwondo Association world champion.
With a fourth-degree black belt in taekwondo, . Though she has a limited number of acting credits to her name, Vallandingham is undoubtedly one of the more refreshing up-and-coming martial arts stars, and it'll be fascinating to see what her acting career brings about.
The introduction of Lewis Tan's Cole Young in Mortal Kombat earned a mixed reception from audiences, as the character hadn't appeared in the video games the film is based on. Still, Tan was an exhilarating force on screen and proved to be a strong martial artist. Tan has since become a notable star, with roles in films like Fistful of Vengeance.
Tan's TV projects see him in more significant roles, such as Gaius Chau in Into the Badlands, Lu Xin Lee in Wu Assassins, and Sensei Wolf in Cobra Kai. , and it'll be rewarding to follow along and see where he goes next.
Lewis Tan's father, Philip Tan, is a martial artist and actor as well, and he began training Lewis at a young age.
Just like a few other martial arts stars mentioned, Joe Taslim has been working as an actor and martial artist for a while now, making his film debut in 2008's Karma. However, , and rightfully so.
, winning bronze, silver, and gold medals in competitions during this time. Taslim's most notable role is as Jaka in one of the best action films of the 2010s, The Raid.
Yet, it's Taslim's recent roles — Gurutai in The Swordsman, Ito in The Night Comes for Us, and Li Yong in Warrior— that truly highlight the extent of his skills as a martial artist. , making following his career a lot more fun.
As is the case with many martial artists, Andrew Koji began his film career with minor supporting roles and working as a stunt performer. Koji's big break came with the lead role of Ah Sahm in the martial arts TV series Warrior. It was through the series that Koji got to shine as a multifaceted performer.
Koji is a captivating presence whenever he's on the screen, and his career is worth following. Having grown up studying taekwondo and Shaolin kung fu, Koji was more than equipped to tackle the series' elaborate martial arts sequences with ease. Koji, too, is a strong dramatic actor, fitting within Warrior's balance of electrifying fight scenes and a tense plot with rival syndicates.
