Gary Daniels
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gary Edward Daniels (b. May 9, 1963) is a British born kickboxer, martial artist, and martial arts actor. Daniels appears mostly in action-oriented B-movies. Daniels has been in over 50 films since his start as an extra in an episode of the 1980's television series Miami Vice.
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[edit] Early life
Gary Daniels was born in Surrey, England. He was a fan of legendary martial artist Bruce Lee. Emulating his idol, he studied the martial arts, particularly karate. Daniels eventually entered the pro kickboxing circuit.
[edit] Fighting career
Gary Daniels initially made his mark as a fighter in Florida, competing in various kickboxing, boxing, and karate tournaments. In March 1980, in his first U.S. fight, Daniels defeated Sherman "Big Train" Bergman at the Sunshine State Tournament in Coconut Grove, Florida. Soon after, Daniels traveled to California were he went on to win the Professional Karate Association Light Heavyweight Kickboxing Championship. Compiling a record of 22-0 with 21 knockouts, Gary Daniels retired undefeated and turned his career to the acting and motion picture profession.
[edit] Film career
Daniels began his film career in the Philippines, appearing in two low budget films. His first starring film role was in the David Huey film Capital Punishment in 1991. He played a villain along side Richard Norton in the film adaptation of City Hunter starring Jackie Chan. By 1996 Daniels had begun working on projects as a producer. His first producer credit occurred in the Joseph Merhi film Rage. Throughout his career he has also served as a fight coordinator. He can also be seen in the Steven Seagal project Submerged, directed by Anthony Hickox.
Among Daniels's fans, movies that stand out include American Streetfighter, White Tiger, Bloodmoon, Recoil, Rage and Cold Harvest.
[edit] Martial Arts
Compared to martial arts actors such as Jet Li or Steven Seagal, Daniels's fighting style is much less classifiable. He has studied muay thai, karate, aikido, and several styles of kung fu. In his films, he employs a mixed martial arts style, leading with strong, sweeping kicks and sometimes engaging in close quarters fights with complex hand to hand choreography. Interestingly enough, Daniels can be seen as more of a general action star as he employs the use of guns as much as Steven Seagal (martial arts) or Bruce Willis (dramatic action). His trademark handgun is most often a Beretta, as showcased in such films as Recoil and Witness to a Kill.
[edit] Trivia
- Gary's height is 5' 11"
- His wife's name is Mericine
- He has 5 children — four boys and a girl.
- Has many memorable one liners including: "Keep the change" after he knocks out a goon with a sock full of quarters
[edit] External links
- Filmography: Gary Daniels at the Internet Movie Database
- Gary Daniels International Fan Site Fan website in Russian or English
