Fans of martial arts cinema are likely to have heard of Tony Jaa. He’s a talented action star that made waves in the martial arts film scene with a couple of hit films in the mid-2000s. His amazing fighting skills and creative choreography certainly set him apart from a lot of rivals. Many predicted that he was going to be the successor to Jackie Chan (“Rumble In The Bronx”, “Project A”). However, Jaa has not yet achieved the same global superstar status as Chan.

Jaa’s first big movie was “Ong-Bak: Muay Thai Warrior”, a film that many martial arts fans consider a classic. It showed Jaa’s fantastic Muay Thai fighting skills. Jaa’s film was so impressive that apparently, Steven Seagal (“Under Siege”) offered to shoot scenes with himself as Jaa’s mentor for any American release. Jaa continued to gain a reputation as an important player in the market with “Warrior King”. Again, his physical abilities were on full display.

However, Jaa’s career has not been so great. The “Ong-Bak” sequels received a mixed reception. Some of his other films such as “Triple Threat” and “Skin Trade” failed to generate any buzz except among the hardcore martial arts film fans. However, Jaa has landed himself small roles in Hollywood’s “Furious 7” and “xXx: Return Of Xander Cage”.

His career looks hopeful with roles in the upcoming “Monster Hunter” alongside Milla Jovovich (“Resident Evil”) and “Jiu Jitsu” with Nicolas Cage (“The Rock”). Here’s hoping that Jaa will finally become as widely recognised in Europe and America as he is in Asia.