GARY CHOI Mentor in Action When did you first get involved in the film industry? When did I get involved in film… wow, i honestly can’t really say… In HK I was in stunts… I’ve always dabbled here and there whenever I could. I was involved in Lone Ranger as an extra, another short film as a co-star… then people wanted to learn how we did stunts in HK. So, I guess always is the best answer I can have. Who or What inspired you to pursue a career as a stuntman? In the very beginning, it was just something my teacher sorta put me in to teach me how to have a work ethic and appreciate things. As I got older I really looked up to the asian heroes like Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Bruce Lee, Donnie Yen, and Robin Shou. I also realized 2 things, 1.) there was very little asian representation so it was hard to see myself and i wanted that and 2.) the link between Kung Fu and stunts, It made me realize that I could keep my culture alive and show a small part of something I loved and wanted to share.
28
How have your skills improved since you first started as a stunt coordinator? My overall skills have improved and my understanding. I would say the biggest would be in communication
Photography by Patrick Baldonado @BaldonadoPhotohraphy
and with individuals. I definitely improved on how to handle drama and also on how to handle the business side of things. If you were forced to choose only one, which emotion, more than any other, drives you to stay in this tough industry? Is it joy, anger, desire, passion or pride and why? Oh wow, this is a hard one… it’s definitely between pride and passion… but, I think it would have to be Pride. One thing about me, is that I like to be the best and show off the best. I am proud of my heritage and of who I am and where i came from. The number place that has always given the best in Action and fights has been HK, I want to show that to the world and keep it going and be proud of what I have to offer. What has been your biggest challenge as a stunt coordinator? Have you been able to overcome that challenge? If so, how? One of the biggest hurdles so far, has been people who think they know it already and just won’t listen and learn. I’ve been able to in many cases overcome that hurdle, but it’s taken a lot of patience and explaining and even at times showing people on why it doesn’t work the way they think or want.
