IP MAN 2: Darren Shahlavi

Its been a long week, was on a shoot for Shanghai Expo last weekend and then this week has been meetings, ADR sessions, more meetings and budget discussions for a couple of projects..so taking the weekend off

Hasnt all been work, Monday was the premiere of the highly anticipated 'IP MAN 2', directed by Wilson Yip, starring Donnie Yen, Sammo Hung, Fan Siu-wong & as the brutish British boxer 'Twister', an old friend Darrren Shahlavi who was flown in for the China & HK premieres.

I've known Darren for a long time, we share the same birthday (although his inception date is a good few years after mine! Bloody kids) and we'd both grown up in the UK, with a passion for martial arts movies especially those from Hong Kong and headed here with the hope of breaking into the industry.

Darren got started with smaller roles in films like 'Deadly Target' with Yukari Oshima, 'Angel On Fire' with Cynthia Khan (Yeung Lai-ching) and 'Les Angel Guardian' with Gerard Depardieu before getting a very strong badguy role in a little movie named 'Tai Chi 2/Tai Chi Boxer' directed by Yuen Woo-ping, and introducing a certain Mainland Chinese Wushu maestro named Wu Jing

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDO2AHz3zyY&feature=player_embedded

Darren plays a dastardly Englishman involved in the Opium trade and gets to face off against both Billy Chow & Wu Jing in the finale, and really gets a nice showcase for his skills as he kicks, flips and flys with the best of them. The night the film opened in HK, Darren got a call to head to the offices of Seasonal Films the next day, and meet with legendary producer Ng See-yuen and director/action choreographer Tony Leung Siu-hung, to discuss playing the villain in their English language American lensed action thriller 'Bloodmoon'

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLTLXHhkoWs&feature=related The film sees Darren as a memorable villain hunted by Gary Daniels and Chuck Jeffries, who are trying to stop his killing spree. The success of both of these films saw doors open for Darren in the West, and he's since gone on to a solid career as an actor and sometimes stunt performer on such projects as 'I Spy' opposite Eddie Murphy where he played another British boxing champion, "The Final Cut' with Robin Williams, 'Beyond The Limits', "G.O.D.', 'Sometimes A Hero', "Legion of the Dead', "Into the Dark', 'Slither', episodes of 'Reaper', 'The Bionic Woman', "Sanctuary', 'The Chronicles of Riddick', 'Bloodrayne', 'In The Name of the King', '300', and many other projects. Darren and msyelf had always kept in touch since he left Hong Kong, and he'd often spoken to me about wanting to come back to do another Hong Kong  movie if the right project came along.

Last year, myself and my partner Ean Tang www.screenops.com got called to work on some special casting for 'Ip Man 2', and find someone to play the villainous British boxer in the movie. I already had Darren's reel and headshot, and we submitted them to Wilson Yip and co, but i knew Darren's recent photos looked far too modern, so i called him up and asked him to take some photos that made him look a bit more like a boxer from the late 40's. (IMPORTANT NOTE TO ALL ASPIRING ACTORS/STUNT FIGHTERS...never tell me 'oh its too much effort to cut a new reel, oh i dont have time or a pro photographr handy to shoot new pics..your attitude determines your altitude! Darren has a very solid showreel and resume of work, and pro photos. But he also understands that sometimes directors need to see you in a different light, and he hung up a backdrop in his house, styled his hair ala the time period, and took a few shots of himself in boxing poses and sent them over...) Wilson and co liked the fact he made the effort, and combined with his reel, his resume and the right attitude, and the enthusiasm..I was very happy to be able to offer him the role on 'Ip Man 2'.

Knowing that getting the role is only half the job, Darren asked me what else was needed of him, and began training differently to change his physique to one more like a boxers, and worked on his boxing skills to serve him well when he arrived. I was tied up on another shoot when Darren flew in, so I couldnt go up to Shanghai and see him, but Ean did and i soon heard that Wilson, Donnie, Sammo and all the cast and crew were very happy with the work he was doing. Upon completing the movie, Darren flew to Europe to play the lead villain on a new Steven Seagal movie 'Born to Raise Hell', was then invited to Hong Kong to do the ADR for his role in 'Ip Man 2', flew back to Canada to work on a new dark take on "Alladin', and was then invited to China and Hong Kong for the premiere and press tour for 'Ip Man 2'.

I'd seen most of Darren's footage when we were doing ADR but on Monday night i got to see the full film, and a very big thumbs up to all involved, Wilson Yip, Donnie Yen, sammo Hung, Fan Siu-wong (why isnt this man a bigger star?), Darren, Huang Xiao-ming, DOP Poon Han-seng, scriptwriter Edmond Wong and everyone else. It was also refreshing to see Darren enjoying the film as much as a member of the audience as anyone else, and getting good feedback from cast, crew and the audience about his work on the film. ( And it was also gratifying to get thanked for recomending him and introducing him to the project too!)

So if you havent seen it already, go see 'Ip Man 2', and if you have, dont you think its time to see it again!  The film has also been picked up for DVD release in the UK by Cine Asia, and will be released along with the first film in North America by Well Go USA

And if all goes well, we'll be seeing Darren Shahlavi back in action in the Far East before too long! Much respect to Darren for coming through and delivering as an actor, a screen fighter, a professional and a true friend, much appreciated sir!

There'll be an interview with Darren talking about 'Ip Man 2' in an upcoming issue of Impact www.impactmoviemagazine.co.uk very soon

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uD73KZl7eVM&feature=related