We all know the heavyweights — Chuck Norris, Bruce Lee, Jean-Claude Van Damme and a few others who established themselves as martial artists before they were discovered by Hollywood. We also are well aware of the action stars, the martial artists who regularly display their skills on the silver screen — people like Wesley Snipes, Jason Statham and Michelle Yeoh. But many of us are not aware of a third group of actors, men and women who practice martial arts on their own but rarely use them at work. Let’s take a closer look at a few of them. Here are 13 Celebrities Who Kick, Punch and Grapple Off-Camera..
Ed O'Neill
America’s favorite sitcom dad, Ed O'Neill, defined the word “grumpy” when he played Al Bundy in Married ... With Children and Jay Pritchett in Modern Family. If you’re old enough to remember his stint as the miserable middle-aged shoe salesman in Married, you may recall how he often bragged about his prowess on the high- school football field: “Four touchdowns in one game!” He really should have been talking about his skill on the mat.
In real life, the 6-foot-1-inch southpaw studies Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Rorion Gracie. In 2007 he earned his black belt. The actor has been quoted as saying that he considers getting his belt “the greatest achievement of my life, apart from my children.”
A practitioner for more than two decades, O’Neill was introduced to Gracie by his friend, screenwriter John Milius, who also had a hand in the launch of the UFC. O’Neill, 72, has said he was reluctant to switch sports from handball to the one in which they wore “pajamas” until Milius harangued him into watching a class. Afterward, the still-skeptical 230-pounder was challenged to hold down the 175- pound Gracie for three seconds. O’Neill gave it a shot, and when he realized it wasn’t happening, he saw the light and signed up for lessons.
SIDE NOTE: In one episode of Married, O’Neill knocks out a burglar, played by former heavyweight boxer Randall “Tex” Cobb. Many people will recognize Cobb as the man who shared a ring with — and, on occasion, defeated — the likes of Earnie Shavers and Ken Norton. Cobb went on to challenge world-champion Larry Holmes for the WBC heavyweight title, but the champ pummeled the challenger for 15 rounds in a bout that was so one-sided that commentator Howard Cosell never called a boxing match again. (Interestingly, the Texan’s first film was The Champ. It starred Jon Voight, who some 15 years later would play the legendary broadcaster in the movie Ali. Before Cobb entered the squared circle, he fought in many kickboxing bouts and was an accomplished practitioner of karate.)
John Cusack
Another actor who’s prac- ticed martial arts for more than 20 years is John Cusack, star of the 1997 action film Con Air. Cusack, 52, has street cred in kickboxing. How so? Well, the man who starred in High Fidelity, City Hall and The Grifters owns a sixth-level black belt in ukidokan, the style founded by Black Belt Hall of Famer Benny “The Jet” Urquidez.
TRIVIA NOTE: Urquidez worked behind the scenes on several Cusack films and even had on-screen parts in a couple of them.
Forest Whitaker
Degrees of separation: In the 2013 film The Butler, Cusack played President Richard Nixon. His co-star was Forest Whitaker, who portrayed Cecil Gaines, the titular butler who served eight U.S. presidents. What did Cusack and Whitaker dis- cuss when the cam- eras stopped roll- ing? Maybe it was their favorite eater- ies in Los Angeles or the directors they most enjoyed work- ing for. More likely, it was their training routines.
You see, Whitaker is proficient in kenpo karate, in which he holds a first-degree black belt. The actor, who won an Academy Award in 2006 for his depiction of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland, often appears to lumber through scenes in his movies, but in reality, the 57-year-old is a lot lighter on his feet. Evidence of that can be seen in an excellent film called Southpaw, in which Whitaker turns in a top-notch performance as boxing trainer Tick Wills.
Ashton Kutcher
Would it surprise you to learn that Demi Moore’s third husband, in addition to being a fellow thespian, has put in the hours needed to earn a purple belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu? Ashton Kutcher rose to that rank under respected Southern California–based BJJ instructor Rigan Machado. A former model, Kutcher, 41, became famous while co-starring in That ’70s Show, then replaced Charlie Sheen in the hit comedy Two and a Half Men.
Alex O'LoughLin
Another BJJ enthusiast is Alex O’Loughlin, a 42-year-old Australian who wears a purple belt. He trains in the grappling art with his Hawaii Five-0 co-star Scott Caan at Grappling Unlimited, under the tutelage of former MMA fighter Egan Inoue. Which brings us to the next celeb.
Scott Caan
Caan, who co-starred in Gone in 60 Seconds and played Turk Malloy in the Oceans films, stands 5 feet 5 inches in his bare feet. The 42-year- old commenced his BJJ training under Marcus Vinicius Di Lucia and received his black belt in 2016 — after 15 years of hard work. He’s proof positive that size doesn’t matter as long as you’re dedicated to your art.
FAMILY TRADITION: If you’re wondering where Caan — who’s worked with Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts and Nicolas Cage, among others — gets his dedication, you need only look to his father.
James Caan
Scott Caan’s dad is none other than real-life tough guy James Caan. The 78-year-old, who received an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Sonny Corleone in The Godfather, has always participated in physical pursuits. In his youth, he worked on the pro rodeo circuit and played football for Michigan State University. Therefore, it’s no surprise that he possesses the athletic ability needed to excel in martial arts.
James Caan currently has a sixth-degree black belt in gosoku-ryu karate. Who mentored him to that level? Black Belt Hall of Famer Tak Kubota.
Ryan Phillippe
Fun film link: James Caan starred in a movie called The Way of the Gun, in which Ryan Phillippe appeared. Phillippe’s character, along with Benicio Del Toro’s, kidnap the daughter of Caan’s character without realizing who she is. It makes you wonder whether either actor knew that his co-star was also a skilled martial artist.
Truth be told, Phillippe, 44, has practiced since he was 8 years old. He took up martial arts — specifically, taekwondo — because he was bullied. Now the star of the USA Network’s Shooter, he holds a black belt in the Korean system.
Ryan Gosling
A different Ryan — this one with the surname Gosling — had a different reason for signing up for lessons. In the 2013 film Only God Forgives, he portrays an American expat who runs a muay Thai club. You’ll get no prize for guessing which fighting style Gosling had a crash course in for the movie, often spending two to three hours a day in the gym. What you might not have known, though, is that Gosling has kept up his training. Maybe that’s what helped him be so fleet of foot in the musical La La Land.
BIZARRE COINCIDENCE: Gosling, now 38, celebrated his 13th birthday on November 12, 1993. MMA fans will recognize that as the date of the very first UFC. So on the day that future martial artist Ryan Gosling became a teenager, Royce Gracie managed three submissions in one show and became a superstar.
Naomi Watts
So far, I’ve mentioned the tall and the short and the fathers and the sons, but I’ve neglected the ladies who’ve chosen to walk the martial path. It’s time to remedy that.
Naomi Watts starred opposite Jack Black in Peter Jackson’s version of King Kong, and she played a fighter’s wife in Chuck, the true story of boxer Chuck Wepner, known as the real-life Rocky because he was the inspiration for Sylvester Stallone’s film series.
Watts’ acting resume includes numerous other films, but we’re more concerned with her martial arts connection. From 1989 to 1992, she competed in amateur judo. Since that time, the 50-year-old has switched to Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Apparently, the will to excel on the mat gets passed down in the Watts family because it’s been reported that her sons are taking lessons in karate.
TERI REEVES Another actress who enjoys spending time perfecting her art — both acting and martial — is Teri Reeves. Perhaps her most famous role so far has been playing Hallie in Chicago Fire, but what’s more interesting is that the 37-year-old trains several times a week with Romulo Bar- ral at a Gracie Barra school in Encino, California. She holds the rank of brown belt.
According to her website, Reeves also boxes under the guidance of Terry Norris. Her web- site features footage of her training, possibly in hopes that a casting director will see it and give her an opportunity to use her skills on-screen.
Mille Bobby Brown
If you're wondering whether there are any child actors who’ve decided to use their spare time to train in martial arts, you can stop now. Allow me to introduce Millie Bobby Brown. If you’re a fan of the Netflix series Stranger Things, in which she plays Eleven, no introduction is necessary, but if you’re not, let me give you a help- ing hand.
Millie was born in Marbella, Spain, to British parents. In addition to Spain, she’s lived in Eng- land and Florida.In 2018 she became the youngest person ever to make Time magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people.
The 15-year-old, whose first feature film Godzilla: King of the Monsters will be released in mid-2019, is yet another star who’s been attracted to Brazilian jiu-jitsu. She’s not, however, affiliated with the Gracie clan or anyone in Los Angeles. Young Mil- lie trains at Phoenix MMA under Trevor Chamberlain, who’s based in Bournemouth, England.
Michael Imperioli
Like Ryan Phillippe who played Christopher Moltisanti on The Sopranos — real name: Michael Imperioli — has benefited from training in taekwondo. Early in his career, Imperioli appeared in one of the greatest cinematic productions: Goodfellas. He credits his taekwondo teacher Tae Sun Kang for much of his suc- cess and for changing his life.
Before he was a devotee of the kicking art, Imperioli smoked a pack of cigarettes a day. He kicked the habit and vowed to adopt a healthy lifestyle like that of his instructor. Imperioli ascended the rank ladder and now has a third-degree black belt. And he’s not the only member of his family to train under Kang: His wife Victoria, his two sons and his stepdaughter have caught the bug, too.
The next time you’re driving to the dojo and find that you’re not as motivated as you normally are, try directing your thoughts to one of the celebrities mentioned here. The notion that he or she may be training right now is bound to get you back on track. That’s what movies and the men and women who perform in them are all about: inspiring us to live better lives.
Michael Renouf works as a movie critic for The New Mazatlan Messenger. He holds a purple belt in kempo jiu- jitsu and a blue belt in JKD kickboxing.