There was something different about him. His powerful baritone voice sounded familiar, but the accent wasn't British anymore. The charming smile was the same, but his teeth were edged with gold, his once-chiseled jaw line now lost behind blubbery jowls. And then there was his ripped physique, which had all but disappeared under a morbidly obese body.
That's because Scott Adkins wasn't Scott Adkins anymore. He was the rotund leader of the German branch of assassins out to kill Keanu Reeves. Well, at least he was in John Wick Chapter 4.
Adkins' portrayal of the portly, poker-playing killer named Killa in the blockbuster was a highlight in a film jampacked with highlights. And perhaps the most impressive part of it all was that you'd have no clue it was Adkins under the prosthetic suit unless you had read about his casting beforehand. The English actor was so convincing as the overweight villain that the blogosphere compared his portrayal to Colin Farrell's turn as Oswald Cobblepot in 2022's The Batman.
"I enjoy creating a character and disappearing into that character - what can I say?" Adkins said with a smile. "I'm a character actor trapped in an action star's body."
Despite the additional bulk of wearing a full-body prosthetic, the taekwondo expert said he was still able to do some jumping spin kicks while in character even if it's not shown on-screen. "If I start jumping up, you'll see it's a suit and it won't read real," Adkins said. "So we wanted him to be a bit like Mike Tyson, a boband-weave style [but as] a kickboxer."
The end result is an utterly brutal battle between Adkins' Killa and Reeves' titular character.
Adkins said it was fantastic to work with Reeves, whom he described as amazing, humble and "the nicest guy." But what struck Adkins the most about the Canadian megastar was his improvement and evolution as a movie martial artist from The Matrix to now.
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Denne historien er fra Summer 2023-utgaven av Black Belt.
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HOW TO CREATE A MARTIAL ART CASE STUDY: COMBAT HAPKIDO
On October 22, 2022, the International Combat Hapkido Federation celebrated its 30th anniversary. As you might expect, we're proud of our organization's longevity, stability and success.
MARTIAL ARTS ANATOMY 101
PHYSIOLOGY OF THE LIVER SHO
LOCK UP
THE CLINCHING LESSONS TAUGHT IN THE ANCIENT GREEK MARTIAL ART OF PANKRATION ARE STILL RELEVANT - AND EFFECTIVE!
KILLER CHARACTER ACTOR
When Scott Adkins Isn't Headlining His Own Action Movies Like \"Boyka: Undisputed,\" He's Stealing Scenes in Blockbusters Like \"John Wick\" and \"Ip Man\"!
A DEEP DIVE WITH BENNY URQUIDEZ
Few fighters have a reputation as formidable and a record as impressive as Benny “The Jet” Urquidez. As you will see, his path from the traditional martial arts to full contact and then to kickboxing had more than its share of bumps.
PRE-EMPTIVE STRIKES: THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY, PART 1
In my six previous columns, pre-emptive striking featured prominently.
THE DAY JUJITSU DIED
Let us look at one historical instance that illuminates a lesson in task saturation, or what Miyamoto Musashi called \"sword flowers.\"
WHERE ARE THEY NOW? GUY MEZGER: FROM MMA FIGHTER TO HEALER
To be successful in mixed martial arts nowadays, you need an all-around game.
KILLER INSTINCT
It's not the size of the woman in the fight but the size of the fight in the woman.
HAPKIDO'S BONG SOO HAN: THE MAKING OF A MARTIAL ARTS LEGEND
Much has been written about Bong Soo Han (1933-2007), his career as a hapkido master and his connection to the Billy Jack films.
