Who is the actor playing Bruce Lee in next Tarantino film? Five facts about Mike Moh you need to know
Moh owes his martial arts skills to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, he trains with his wife and children, he’s appeared in a film with Jackie Chan, and he will play Lee, one of his heroes, in director’s film about the Manson family
Whether you’re a fan of director Quentin Tarantino’s distinctive filmmaking style or not, there’s no denying that any film he touches seems to gain a cultlike following. His latest project, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, whose storyline includes the Manson family murders, is sure to be no different.
So who exactly is Mike Moh? Here are five things you should know about the American small-town business owner turned rising film star.
Thank you, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
The child of Korean immigrants, Moh was born in Atlanta, Georgia and grew up in suburban St Paul, Minnesota. His love for taekwondo started at a young age thanks to Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello and Raphael – that’s right, his passion for martial arts came from watching Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Power Rangers on TV as a child.
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He had his first taekwondo lesson at the age of 12. Moh has a marketing degree from the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Business.
He’s a black belt
Moh has won taekwondo world championship titles, and owns and is chief instructor at Moh’s Martial Arts in Wisconsin.
Jackie Chan inspired him
Actor and martial arts star Jackie Chan inspired Moh to pursue an acting career. Moh met Chan 11 years ago while working as a stuntman on the film Rob-B-Hood, shot in Hong Kong. He got the stuntman opportunity via a friend who he had met at a taekwondo competition. On Instagram, Moh says Chan made an incredible impression on him.
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“This man was the hardest working and most humble person on set. Nothing was beneath him. He was sweeping the floor, directing the action, eating lunch with the stunt team, etc. His attitude and demeanour set an amazing example for everyone.”
From martial arts to films
After his time in Hong Kong, Moh was inspired to follow a career in the film and TV industry. While growing his martial arts school, he landed a few small roles in TV series such as 2 Broke Girls, True Blood and Empire. He also appeared on American Ninja Warrior three years in a row.
A family that trains together …
Moh has three young kids – two boys and a girl – and it seems they are following in their dad’s martial arts footsteps, training at his school. He also met his wife, Richelle Kondratowicz-Moh, through martial arts – as children they trained at the same dojang. She received her fifth-degree black belt before Moh, and still outranks him. They train together at Moh’s Martial Arts.