‘Conor McGregor meets Bruce Lee’: HBO Warrior’s Jason Tobin on inspiration for Young Jun character

Hong Kong actor Jason Tobin’s scene-stealing Young Jun in the television show Warrior, which premiers Oct. 3 on HBO Go and Cinemax, pulls from the past and present world of mixed martial arts into a modern day synergy.

Tobin, 46, plays Jun, the heir apparent to a Chinatown tong during the late 19th century in San Francisco. Decked out in braggadocios behaviour, a pompadour haircut and sailor mouth, Tobin said UFC fans might notice some Irish flair in his portrayal.

UFC superstar Conor McGregor, known for a similarly cocky demeanour, has his trademark “Billionaire Strut”, which comes from World Wrestling Entertainment’s Vince McMahon. The walk, chest out, arms swinging back and forth, has become a popular meme that various athletes and celebrities mimic. Tobin, an MMA fan himself, said there is definitely shades of “Notorious” in Jun.

“It’s in those moments, the walk, the swagger,” said Tobin, who has a background in martial arts and trained heavily for the role. “I cannot walk around like that in real life. If I walked around like that in Hong Kong people would think I was the biggest a******.”

Tobin said some of the earliest machinations of Jun came in simply finding out how the character moved around, and so he turned to the Dublin native.

“When I put on the suit and I start to walk like him, and then boom, I’m in character.”

However, with a layered dramatic show like Warrior, Tobin said the skill lies in making sure one influence does not overpower the entire character.

Tobin, a childhood fan of mixed martial arts legend and pioneer Bruce Lee, said there is a certain way to build such a complex being like Jun, who slowly reveals an entirely different side to him as the series progresses.

“It’s like cooking, you don’t want to put too much salt on it, you don’t want to cook it too much. So it’s kind of like chemistry, as much as there is Conor McGregor there, there is a massive Bruce Lee influence there, too. And when I’m working I’m not thinking about any of that. I’m just in the moment, and ultimately I am expressing myself through him as well.”

Warrior is based on original writings from Lee, who wrote a television show treatment decades ago in the hope of starring in it. Lee’s daughter, Shannon Lee, serves as an executive producer.

Tobin also melds Hong Kong gangster cinema with Hollywood crime flicks such as Goodfellas and The Godfather where Italian mob bosses, played by the likes of Robert DeNiro, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci, defined an entire generation of movies.

Warrior, which first premiered in April of 2019 on Cinemax, showcases the Tong Wars of San Francisco and is filled with bosses, crime lords and larger than life figures who are all dangerous and violent but relatable characters.

Showrunner Jonathan Tropper said he spoke with Tobin about Jun and how he wanted the character to be a nod to actors like DeNiro and Pacino, but not over the top.

“In lesser hands, Young Jun could have been reduced to a colourful sidekick, but Jason plays Young Jun with an angry vulnerability that is equal parts Shakespeare and Scorsese,” said Tropper, who serves as executive producer on the show. “Infusing him with a tragic loneliness and sensitivity beneath the charismatic playboy.”

Over 10 episodes of season two, Jun’s character becomes more layered, more complex. Tropper said Tobin has done an excellent job at revealing his depth slowly and naturally.

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“What seemed like simply a compellingly fun character at the start of our story has gradually been revealed to be a front for a much more damaged and unpredictable man, and as the writer, it’s been a thrill watching Jason slowly peel that onion.”

One of the many layers of Jun is his own backstory. While he is the son of Hope Wei Tong boss Father Jun, his mother is a prostitute. This ultimately creates a friction between father and son as the series progresses and Young Jun looks to assert himself as a leader within the tong.

Tobin, who has a role in next year’s Fast & Furious instalment, F9, reprising his role from the 2006 instalment The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, said finding inspiration for such a culturally torn character was easy.

“When Young Jun says, ‘I’m a Chinaman who’s never been to China, I was born in San Francisco but I’m sure not American’, I’ve literally said those very words as a Hongkonger who is half Brit and half Chinese. ‘I’m not Chinese enough, I’m not British enough, and when I’m in America, I’m not American enough’.”

Tobin, who spent years struggling as a working actor trying to make a name for himself in a white dominated industry, said he’s been drawing inspiration for Young Jun from the moment he told his friends and family he wanted to go to Hollywood to make it as an actor.

“When people ask me how did you prepare for the role, I didn’t prepare for the role once I got the audition, I didn’t prepare for the role once I got the script and the part. I’ve been preparing for this role my whole life.”