“I like a fight that feels real, rather than flashy. Every time I work on something, I say, ‘you’ve got to make the fight believable’.”

Joe Taslim always wanted to be an actor, even before he became a martial artist. Growing up poor in South Sumatra, Indonesia, his family only took him to judo lessons because they were free. With his dad as his coach, he would go on to become a national judo champion in a career spanning well over a decade. Ironically, it was his skills in the martial arts which would eventually lead him back to his true passion – acting – when his breakthrough role as the tough special forces sergeant Jaka in Gareth Evans‘ smash-hit film, The Raid: Redemption (2011), saw him become an overnight sensation. Joe has since enjoyed success in multiple territories; in Indonesia, where he has worked consistently with the Uwais fight team on projects including the violent masterpiece, The Night Comes for Us (2018), and the action comedy, Hit & Run (2019); in Hollywood, where he has collaborated with the producer and director, Justin Lin, on Fast & Furious 6 (2013), Star Trek Beyond (2016), and the TV series, Warrior, based on the writings of Bruce Lee; and now in South Korea, where he has made his acting debut in the period martial arts film, The Swordsman (2020). In 2021, Joe will continue to make great strides into the Hollywood action mainstream with his turn as Sub-Zero in the new big-screen adaptation of the hit video game, Mortal Kombat. It is his role as Li Yong in Warrior which is currently bringing Joe the most joy, allowing him the freedom to express his full range of acting and action abilities, as well as providing the opportunity to truly develop his antihero character. He says he would jump at the chance to return to the show, should it be recommissioned for a third season. In the meantime, however, it seems the world is Joe’s for the taking. Warrior Season Two is screening now in the USA on the Cinemax network, with both seasons moving soon onto the streaming platform, HBO Max. Keep up-to-date with all the latest Joe Taslim news by visiting his IMDb page and following him on Instagram and Facebook.

Joe Taslim as Li Yong fighting Ah Sahm (Andrew Koji) in Warrior. Photo: Graham Bartholomew/Cinemax.

Promo image for The Night Comes for Us (2018), via Netflix.

Joe Taslim and Yayan Ruhian in The Raid: Redemption (2011). Image via IMDb.

Actor and martial artist, Joe Taslim. Image via IMDb.