“In the UK, stunt people generally are still regarded as grunts, which is a real shame. In Hong Kong, they are seen as filmmakers.”

On his very first day working on a Hong Kong action film set, Jude Poyer saw someone rushed to hospital when a stunt went badly wrong. Instead of seeing this as a bad omen, Jude – who had relocated to Hong Kong at the age of 18 to follow his dreams of working in martial arts movies – stayed in Hong Kong, where he would be based for the next eight years, working with some of the biggest names in kung fu cinema: people like Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, Yuen Biao, Jet Li, Corey Yuen, Tony Ching, Stephen Tung Wei and Vincent Zhao. The decline of Hong Kong cinema saw Jude return home to the United Kingdom, where his credits as a stunt coordinator, action director, fight choreographer and stunt performer now number in the hundreds; from Free Fire to Final Score, Star Wars to Transformers. In more recent years, it has been his work with the Welsh-born director of The Raid, Gareth Evans, which has seen him operate in an entirely new and refreshing context, particularly for UK independent cinema; from the twisted gothic horror of Apostle (2018) to the upcoming HBO series, Gangs of London. Their new film together, Havoc, is currently in pre-production and will see Evans return to the type of action which made him an international name. In this wide-ranging conversation, we discuss the enduring legacy and power of classic Hong Kong action films, how to sustain a career in the stunt industry, the ups and downs of working in the UK, and just how the heck they made that relentless gun-fu church fight in Kingsman. For all the latest Jude Poyer news and information, follow him on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, and visit reelpowerstunts.com. For a full list of Jude’s film credits, visit IMDb.

Jude Poyer making the short film, Tiger Claws (2019).

Jude Poyer with Jessica Henwick filming the 2010 BBC TV series, Shadow Warriors.

Jackie Chan fights Jude Poyer in the 2003 film, The Medallion.

Yuen Biao gives Jude Poyer a hiding in A Man Called Hero (1998).

Jude Poyer and Jet Li in the film, Hitman (1998).

Jude with Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast host, Ben Johnson.