How ‘Tomb Raider’ star Daniel Wu does it all, from film to fatherhood

Daniel Wu is having the time of his life. The 43-year-old California-born actor, who made his name in Hong Kong cinema, is now poised to establish himself as a Hollywood star.

His upcoming action-adventure film, Tomb Raider, co-starring Oscar-winner Alicia Vikander, is scheduled to show next year, while Into the Badlands – AMC’s action-packed fantasy thriller, which he co-produced and starred as the lead character Sunny, has impressed critics and audiences, leading to an agreement to shoot a third season.

Wu often races against time trying to juggle such a busy schedule.

“When I’m playing Sunny, I’m on set and when I’m not the star, I’m also on set as the producer,” Wu says about being on Into the Badlands. “It’s a lot of work, but I love it because when you are passionate about something, you don’t feel the drain on you. It’s just really rewarding.”

Despite the packed shooting schedule, Wu still takes whatever time is needed to ensure the details are perfect. For example, Wu and the rest of the cast had to go through a five-month “fight-camp” to prepare the action choreography for Into the Badlands.

“It is a must,” Wu says. “You can’t shoot a martial arts show without training the actors. Although we have stunt doubles, we want the actors to do as much as they possibly can so [the show] is authentic.”