Celebrities bring something more to our lives than just pure entertainment. They can truly connect us and make us feel like we are all closer than we actually are.
Celebrities from other countries are not always as well-known in some parts of the world, but luckily, movies and music is what connects us easily no matter where we are.
In today’s text, we are going to talk about Tony Jaa, a Thai actor and martial artist.
So, if you would like to learn more about this talented actor, here is an opportunity to do that.
Early Years
Tony Jaa, scene name Panom Yeerum was born in Surin on February 5, 1976. He is a martial artist, actor, stuntman, and Thai director. Specialized in a particular way Muay Thai, in Krabi Krabong, in taekwondo, in the techniques of the sword, the dance and gymnastics.
Tony Jaa, born Panom Yeerum, began practicing Mae Mai Muay Thai 6 years, and more and more, then immersed in the essence of Thai, Muay Kard Chiek study, Krabi Krabong and various Wai Kru and Ram Muay. Young adult enrolled at Maha Sarakham College of Physical Education who then becomes a gymnastics master and further deepen the study of Krabi and That– Silat.
Born in Surin Province, about 200 kilometers from Bangkok, Northeast Thailand, a passion since the childhood martial arts, inspired by movie stars like Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Phillip Rhee and Li jet.
With Panna Rittikrai, a martial arts director and choreographer enrolled at the Maha Sarakham College of Physical Education, where he specializes in many martial arts, particularly in Krabi Krabong, the traditional Thai martial art that involves use of all weapons and taekwondo.
He specializes in Muay Thay, Muay Thay Mae Mai, Kraby Krabong, Taekwondo and Swordsmanship, he also knows karate, judo, Kiusko and Ju-jitsu.
Rittikrai plans to shoot a film on Mae Mai Muay Thai, the oldest version of traditional Thai fights with bare hands. But to do this, he needs exceptional athletes because it pushes Jaa to practice more and more. The project is suspended, but now the same Jaa decides to enter the cinema.
Career Path
His film career began working as a stuntman for John R. Leonetti’s Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (1997). After an advertisement alongside Sammo Hung, China’s star leader, participates again in the Rithikrai project. Together, in fact, managing a demonstration of martial skills to propose to filmmakers and producers in Thailand.
Growing up in a province of Eastern Thailand, almost on the border with Cambodia, Japanon Yeerum (this is the name of the registry office) became passionate about martial arts by watching films by Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Vince Lam and Jet Li.
From the age of 8 onwards he took a Muay Thai lesson at the local temple and at 15 he managed to contact the mythical director, actor and choreographer Panna Rittikrai. The latter becomes his mentor and with his advice and studies at Maha Sarakham’s physical education college, the boy achieves the degree of black belt in Taekwondo and Wushu also specializing in Aikido, Judo, Kung Fu and Krabi Krabong.
The entry into the stunt school for Panna Rittikrai is crucial. Start early to work as a stand-in for Thai film and advertising actors. Always together with his mentor, for four years he trains on the previous version of Muay Thai, used in the fighting before 1930, with the aim of creating a showreel. The idea is to propose a film around this discipline.
The producer and director Prachya Pinkaew is struck by the images and the abilities of the young man, so much to convince himself to produce and direct a film about him: Ong Bak – Born to fight (2003). For this debut Japanon chooses for himself the international art name of Tony Jaa.
Acquiring fame abroad, the actor turns in 2005 another film that highlights the lovers of the martial genre, The Protector – The law of Muay Thai (2005) always directed by Pinkaew, in which he also plays the role of choreographer of fights.
Followed by the sequel of Ong Bak, the second in 2008 and the third in 2010, which he co-directs with his teacher Panna Rittikrai. He still collaborates with Pinkaew for The Protector 2 (2013) and participates in the international low-budget co-production Skin Trade (2014), with Ron Perlman, Dolph Lundgren and Peter Weller.
At this point, the Hollywood call comes in and Vin Diesel is on the phone. Tony Jaa joins the large cast of Fast & Furious 7 (2015). Its presence is rumored in the third chapter of the bloody Indonesian saga of The Raid, while it is certainly the debut in Hong Kong cinema.
The ability Jaa not escaped the director Prachya Pinkaew. Jaa says in her first feature film starring: Ong-Bak – Abandoned (2003). JAA performed all the stunts in this movie without mechanical assistance or effects to the computer. The technical Jaa as a martial artist, as evidenced by Ong-bak, He is extraordinary by the standards and has earned him popularity and many fans around the world.
He also starred in another film, this time Panna Rittikrai, The Protector – The Law of Muay Thai (2005) But published in Italian as August 3, 2007. In this film, Jaa has shown great athletic ability and l ‘agility.
In December 2008 It was released and new feature of Thai Asian Jaa Ong-Bak 2 – The Rise of the Dragon, in which the archaic techniques are featured in Muay Thai, Capoeira, Wushu, Taekwondo and Krabi Krabong . This film seems to focus on a Panna Rittikrai project where the ancient fighting dance of the Thai people is shown: the khan. In August 2013 JAA signed for a role in the fast-paced film Furious 7.
The international success of the film in 2003 made him the natural heir of Chan and Li and one of the biggest stars of Asian action cinema. Famous for his inexhaustible acrobatic ability and for not requiring doubles to interpret the most dangerous sequences, Jaa has only fed his legend and prestige with films such as “The Bodyguard”, “Thai Dragon” or the inevitable “Ong-Bak 2”.
Over the next three years, Tony gained a lot of experience by being present on the sets of Panna. He starts as a boy doing everything, then becomes an electrician assistant. In his free time, Tony still finds a way to practice martial arts.
With his baccalaureate in hand, Tony follows Panna’s advice to continue his studies at the Physical Education University of Sarakam province. This is where the future comedian is introduced to different martial arts, such as Taekwondo, Muay Thai and batting and saber fighting, but also gymnastics and many other sports.
Every weekend, Tony finds time to return to Khon Kaen to train with Panna. He understands that Tony has great potential and offers him to become a stuntman on his films.
Tony manages to blend harmoniously the artistic dimension of cinema, the techniques of martial arts that he learned at university. Based on a very simple gymnastics found throughout the action, he gives a second wind to Muay Thai and practice this art using traditional Thai weapons. He forms a team that performs in several high schools in the provinces of northeastern Thailand.
Tony founded and led a sword fighting team, before going to China as part of a university exchange program with a scholarship awarded for his Thai martial arts skills.
He also becomes a representative of the Physical Education University for the northeastern region of Thailand and the city of Bangkok. For many years, he won gold medals in several disciplines, such as batting and saber, gymnastics or athletics (sprint, long jump, high jump …).
Tony Jaa has a net worth of around 10$ million, which makes him one of the wealthiest actors of the Eastern part of the world.
Personal life
Son of two elephant breeders, Tony Jaa grew up admiring the martial arts movie classics and dreaming of emulating the footsteps of his idols: Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Jet Li. He studied all kinds of martial arts: Taekwondo, Judo, fencing and Thai boxing among others. With such training it was not difficult to find work as double action movies.
But it was too good to fit in such a residual role. His incredible performance during the filming of “Mortal Kombat 2” did not go unnoticed. To the point that Tony Jaa was recruited to star in his first solo film, “Ong-Bak” with superstar treatment.
Originally from the rural province of Surin 200 km from Bangkok, Tony Jaa began martial arts in his tenth year. It’s after watching a movie with Jackie Chan that he decides to devote himself entirely to this passion.
During his studies, he became a master in Muay Thai and Taekwondo then got in touch with one of the specialists of Thai action films, Panna Rithikrai (Born to fight). He perceives the potential of the young Tony Jaa and decides to engage him.
Now launched in the film world, he participates as stuntmen in many feature films shot in Thailand including Mortal Kombat, final destruction. His mastery of martial arts coupled with undeniable acrobatic talents quickly make him noticed.
Prachya Pinkaew then proposes to hold the top bill of Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior which will require 4 years of intensive training. Released in 2003, the film will become one of the biggest hits at the Thai box office.
Widely exported around the world, Ong-Bak makes Tony Jaa one of the rising stars of action movies. In 2006, the young prodigy confirmed his athletic talents in The Dragon Honor Tom-Yum-Goong, shot in Thailand and Australia.
For his third feature film, Tony Jaa then passes behind the camera and realizes himself Ong-Bak 2, the birth of the dragon, an ambitious historical fresco taking place in the Thailand of the 15th century where he mixes several martial arts.
Quick summary
Full name: Phanom Yeerum
Date of birth: 5th February 1976
Birthplace: Surin, Thailand
Age: 43
Profession: Actor, Martial artist, Stunt Man
Height: 1.68m
Weight: 62 kg
Net Worth: 10$ million