City on Fire is proud to present an interview with actor/martial artist Mike Moh, who is widely known for his role as Bruce Lee in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and Ryu in the series Street Fighter: Assassin’s Fist and Street Fighter: Resurrection.
Long before Moh starred alongside Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio and Margot Robbie, he had a part in Rob-B-Hood (directed by the late Benny Chan) where he shared the screen with his idol, Jackie Chan. Along the way, he has appeared in a number of high-profile TV shows, including Marvel’s Inhumans as Triton, as well as a recurring character in Fox’s hit drama, Empire.
We ask Moh a number of questions ranging from what his next martial art film role will be, to his controversial portrayal as Bruce Lee. We even asked him if he’d do a Bruceploitation film (who else would ask a question like that?)…
Moh with a couple of fans.
You portrayed the iconic martial arts superstar Bruce Lee. You also portrayed the iconic martial arts character Ryu from Street Fighter. What can martial arts film fans expect from you next?
I’ve been extremely fortunate to portray 2 of the most influential characters not only of my childhood, but in all of pop culture. Bruce Lee, without question, is one the WORLD’s most influential people. I got started in this business because of my passion for martial arts and performing. So it’s no secret that I want to continue making action films. But I also want to have a long career as an actor without having to always rely on my martial arts skills. My next film, Boogie, is directed by Eddie Huang and I play a sleazy sports agent that has zero fight skills. I had a lot of fun making that film but now I am chomping at the bit to kick some ass again. I have a few projects in development and I can say with confidence that martial arts film fans will not be disappointed!
Moh as Ryu in Street Fighter: Assassin’s Fist.
You were a stuntman in 2006’s Rob-B-Hood, which features the likes of Jackie Chan and Yuen Biao. Did you have an opportunity to spend any time with them on-set?
My first film set experience came from working on that film. That stage of my life felt like a blur. One day I am teaching Taekwondo classes and I get a chance to submit a demo tape to Jackie’s team. A couple weeks later I am on the film set in Hong Kong. It was there that I saw first hand how Hong Kong cinema is made. A lot of decisions made on the fly and Jackie was literally doing almost every job on the set including being the janitor. I was awestruck with how humble, hardworking, and loyal to his crew he was. I’ll never forget one of the first days on set he invited me to eat lunch with him and the stunt team. He shared some stories of when he was younger in Korea and he shared his chicken wings with me. Needless to say I was in heaven! The biggest thing I learned from working with Jackie is that no matter how successful you become, everyone’s job on the film set is to work as a team to make the best movie possible. He never put himself above anyone else and that humility he showed will always stick with me.
“I thought I did well to bring Bruce’s energy, charisma, and confidence back to the big screen”
Being of Korean heritage, are you a fan of Korean cinema?
Yes. Korea has really set such a high standard for filmmaking long before Parasite won the Oscar. One of my favorite films is The Man from Nowhere. Korean action cinema is extremely well-done, brutal at times, and expertly crafted from a technical standpoint. Sometimes, when I need a little motivation, I will revisit the long continuous take fight in Oldboy. Just incredible!
“The Clones of Bruce Lee” Theatrical Poster
If you were approached to star in a remake of Clones of Bruce Lee alongside Philip Ng and Danny Chan, would you say yes?
I’d be honored to be approached but ultimately i’d have to pass. Big fans of Philip and Danny, but if I ever get the opportunity to play Bruce again it would have to be on my terms or in a story that honored Bruce’s legacy.
As a whole, your performance as Bruce Lee in Once Upon A Time in Hollywood left die hard Bruce Lee fans divided. How would you rate your own performance?
I thought I did well to bring Bruce’s energy, charisma, and confidence back to the big screen. I worked tirelessly to get the tone and cadence of his voice down pat. I trained extremely hard to try to get close to his unmatchable physique, skill, and physical presence. There will never be another Bruce, but it was my goal to honor him with a performance that would help audiences remember the impact he had on the world.
What is your reply to those who feel insulted by how Bruce Lee was portrayed in the film?
I would say I can understand why they’re upset but at the end of the day, it was a fictional version of Bruce Lee that was being recalled in a memory from one of the lead character’s past. That, and Bruce didn’t lose. The contest ended tied 1 to 1 and I like to believe that in reality Bruce won the fight and Cliff Booth refused to remember it that way.
Brad Pitt and Mike Moh and that dented car.
If Quentin Tarantino, Steven Spielberg and Jon M. Chu were making their own separate Bruce Lee biopics – and all three wanted you for their film – which director would you choose to work with and why?
Wow. You are really putting me in a tough spot here! I couldn’t turn down a chance to work with QT again in a film where Bruce was the hero. He is one of the best writer/directors of all time and I had an incredible time working with him and on his sets. Steven Spielberg is a filmmaker that literally finds magic in every story he tells and there’s a lot of magic to work with in Bruce’s life and legend. Last but not least, Jon M. Chu is one of today’s best working directors and is so versatile and stylish. I really hope to work with Jon in the near future. I’m asked a lot if I’d want to play Bruce again and I still go back and forth about it but let’s just say if any of those 3 called, i’d be in.
If we looked at your personal Blu-ray/DVD collection, name a few movies we would find?
You’d find an extremely random collection of films! You’d find movies like Despicable Me, Wreck It Ralph, and How to Train Your Dragon because I have young kids. You’d find movies like the The Raid, Enter the Dragon, Rumble in the Bronx and Best of the Best because I love martial arts cinema. Lion King, The Matrix, and The Lord of the Rings to me are classic movies for my taste. Lastly, you’d find movies like Napoleon Dynamite, Happy Gilmore, and Dumb and Dumber because I like goofy comedies.
“One of the positives I have gained from the pandemic is that it reminded me that I do not need to be an actor or in the spotlight to be happy or successful.”
If you were stranded on an island and you can bring 2 Bruce Lee movies or 2 Jackie Chan movies, whose films would you pick – and which ones?
As much as I love Bruce, in THIS situation I would go with Jackie to keep me laughing and in good spirits. I’d pick Rumble in the Bronx and Drunken Master 2.
Bruce Lee was Kato in The Green Hornet. Mike Moh is green as Triton Marvel’s Inhumans.
What advice do you have for indie action stars (and/or filmmakers) who are hoping to one day find themselves in a room full of Hollywood legends?
I never set out on this journey to work with legends. My goal was to follow my passion of martial arts and performing and it just so happens that along the way i’ve gotten to work alongside and learn from some of the best in the business. My advice is to stay disciplined in your pursuit of this career as the number one detractor to success is a lack of discipline. It can be very hard to stay disciplined with training and taking the steps necessary to move a career forward when there is no set path and no guarantee that your hard work will ever even payoff. That is why you should pursue this career only if it brings you joy and satisfaction regardless of who else gets to see it. When I first started out I applied a “white belt” mindset and tried to soak up as much experience and knowledge I possibly could. As a matter a fact, I still have that mentality and I will continue to learn from the experiences of others in all aspects of this industry.
Moh with the rest of the Hollywood cast.
Where do you see yourself in Hollywood 10 years from now?
As recently as a few years ago, I set goals for myself that involved leading x amount of films or booking certain types of high-profile jobs. Now, my only goal is to relish every opportunity to perform on a set and give my best effort to all the characters I am playing. One of the positives I have gained from the pandemic is that it reminded me that I do not need to be an actor or in the spotlight to be happy or successful. It reminded me that the true source of my happiness is being a good husband and father. The grind of the Hollywood circuit can be very stressful at times and finding the balance between life and taking on this career is a key to longevity. With that being said, this pandemic has really made me miss working on a set with other creative people – It’s reignited my fire for sure! In 10 years time I hope to continue to work with the best of the best in the industry and continue pushing the positive representation of Asian-Americans in media forward.
Mike Moh – who holds a 5th Degree Black Belt in American Taekwondo – is also the founder of Moh’s Martial Arts in Waunakee, Wisconsin and has a scholarship organization that provides martial arts training to at-risk youth.
Great interview! Although personally I don’t trust anyone that would turn down a role in a reboot of ‘The Clones of Bruce Lee’.
He probably shares Grady Hendrix’s view of Bruceploitation. Haha
Andrew: What’s his view?
Watch Iron Fists and Kung Fu Kicks. In short he doesn’t think highly of them.
It’s only a matter of time before they CAN clone Bruce Lee!
They already have. The first successful test was done in Afghanistan.
Gotcha, but what’s the big deal about that? I’d say 99.9% of people on this earth doesn’t think highly of Bruceploitation. lol – what makes Grady Hendrix’ opinion so special? Now, Jimmy Hendrix, that’s another story.
Grady Hendrix has written some great books, that’s for sure!
It was always bizarre to me the sheer number of people who were upset over his portrayal of Bruce Lee in OUATIH. That whole movie was about subverting expectations and turning reality on its head. We’re talking about a script where the Manson family breaks into the wrong house and ends up getting ass-blasted by the fictional version of Steve McQueen in the most ridiculous way possible. If you’re angry at the Bruce Lee scene being “inaccurate and disrespectful”, then you’re missing the point by about five country miles.
I always felt the same way. Not to mention that the fight was interrupted before Bruce could finish Cliff off. I get why people were upset, but I just didn’t feel the need to get on the band wagon. My only misgiving was that it was too short.
“you’re missing the point by about five country miles.” 100%. And regardless of its context; from all the books and interviews and “first hand accounts”, Moh’s portrayal was still spot on. Every time “Bruce Lee” appears in a high profile feature, someone, whether it be the Lee Estate or die hard fans, shit on it. Even the Estate-driven Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story got some heat. And we know what happened to the Philip Ng film.
Well to be fair, Birth of the Dragon was just a dull and uninspired flick that was about some guy named Steve and had little to do with Bruce Lee. It was like watching a Muhammed Ali film that centers around some guy named Daryl.
Yeah, it was pretty dull. I was surprised, as the director did a really good job on his other films.
It’s too bad Shannon Lee filed a complaint to China’s National Film Administration about the film. They could have been friends and made the perfect Bruce Lee Siu-lung epic. Lost opportunity.