Iko Uwais is more than just an actor - he's a stuntman, fight choreographer, and martial artist. At an age where an extravagant amount of CGI and overly-touched pictures are blatantly used in films, Uwais' presence is like an antidote for those who long for real action sequences. Hailing from a humble beginning in Jakarta, Indonesia, Iko Uwais has starred in some of the biggest action films in his home country, as he's now slowly shifting into the Western market.
Recently, the actor has been tipped as the next villain in the upcoming Expendables 4, starring opposites of Jason Statham, Sylvester Stallone, Dolph Lundgren, and Randy Couture. So, who is Iko Uwais, and why does he look ... familiar? To sum it up, here are some interesting facts about the martial arts star, and what the future holds in store for him.
6 Iko Uwais Job Before Fame
Born in Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia, Iko Uwais found his love for martial arts from an early age. His grandfather was a master who founded a silat martial arts school back home. At the age of 10, Iko studied the art of silat Betawi in his uncle's school, Tiga Berantai.
He further took his skill to test by competing in numerous competitions. This included the National Silat Championship in 2005, where he was hailed as the best player of the tournament. However, during his time preparing for competition after competition, young Iko worked as a truck driver for a telecommunication company.
5 How Iko Uwais Was Discovered
It wasn't until 2007 when director Gareth Evans discovered Iko Uwais' talent. At the time, the Welsh director was filming a documentary about silat in Iko's hometown when he felt Iko's charisma and natural on-camera presence. The actor then signed a five-year contract with Gareth's company and quit his truck driving job.
The actor-director pair put their chemistry to test the 2009 action film Merantau, where Iko starred as the lead hero. They linked up again in 2011 for The Raid, a gritty Indonesian version of Assault on Precinct 13, which catapulted Iko's name as the next martial art star. Its sequel, The Raid 2, was released in 2014.
4 Iko Uwais' Disappointing Cameo In 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens'
While Iko Uwais is famous in his home country and among neighboring countries, Iko found it hard to cater to the Western audience. He and his talented Raid cast mates, Yayan Ruhian and Cecep Arif Rahman, were cast in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, but the cameo was a disappointingly waste of talent. People were expecting few epic battle sequences, as the Indonesians would be playing members of an intergalactic criminal gang, but that wasn't the case. Iko's talent was heavily underused, and his screen time was too limited.
3 Iko Uwais In 'Wu Assassins' & Its Upcoming Standalone Film
Iko Uwais secured the lead role of Netflix's martial arts hit Wu Assassins back in 2019. As San Francisco Chinatown chef-turned-assassin Kai Jin, the actor unleashed his martial art skill to its full potential throughout its ten episodes. The actor initially signed up to for project as a fight choreographer, but showrunner John Wirth extended Iko's scope of responsibilities after learning about his acting career in Indonesia. A standalone sequel film, Fistful of Vengeance, is coming to Netflix this year, picking up the ending of the season finale left off.
"I had been a huge fan of The Raid movies. But nobody was even remotely considering getting Iko. We set out to find somebody ‘like Iko.’ Everybody said ‘let’s just get a guy like Iko.’ Of course, the first thing that comes to mind after that is who is that? (laughs). Who is like Iko? Nobody," the director recalled in an interview.
2 Iko Uwais Has Two Kids
Iko Uwais is a proud father of two daughters, Atreya (born 2013) and Aneska (born 2018), from his relationship with Indonesian singer Audy Item. The pair tied the knot at a hotel in Jakarta in June 2012. The pair often has to spend time away from each other, while Iko travels to the United States to film movies.
"Sometimes I'm upset with myself, but what can you do?," said the actor in an interview with Indonesian outlet Suara. "You have to be professional. That's an answer that can't be changed anymore because this is what I work for."
1 What's Next For Iko Uwais?
So, what's next for the next big thing in Hollywood's martial arts? Iko Uwais is a rare talent, as there aren't that many actors who do their own stunts, let alone choreograph them by themselves. The major villain role in The Expendables 4 could be the big break that Iko needs to propel his name to the American audience.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tbTErZ%2Bippeoe6S7zGiuoaddnsButcqoZK6vkZ7AbrLAnKusZZGXvLbAjJ6vqZ2ema6juMSsZG1lpp65ra3Ip2Y%3D