Tony Jaa

Tatchakorn Yeerum (born 1976) (Thai: ทัชชกร ยีรัมย์, RTGS: Thatchakon Yiram, pronounced [tʰát.t͡ɕʰā.kɔ̄ːn jīː.rām]; formerly Phanom Yeerum (Thai: พนม ยีรัมย์, [pʰā.nōm jīː.rām])), better known internationally as Tony Jaa and in Thailand as Jaa Phanom (Thai: จา พนม, RTGS: Cha Phanom, [t͡ɕāː pʰā.nōm]), is a Thai martial artist, actor, action choreographer, stuntman, and director. Known for his explosive martial arts stunt work, Jaa had his breakthrough in 2003 with Ong-Bak, which earned him international recognition and spawned two sequels. Jaa began training in Muay Thai at age 8, and fought at temple fairs as a Muay Thai fighter during his time in surin when he was discovered by filmmaker Panna Rittikrai. He worked as a stuntman for Muay Thai Stunt for 14 years, before making the transition to acting. His first lead role was as Ting in Ong-Bak (2003), which earned him a Star Entertainment Award. He went on to star in the prequels Ong Bak 2 (2008) and Ong Bak 3 (2010), both of which he directed. In 2005, he portrayed Kham in Tom-Yum-Goong, a role he reprised in the sequel, Tom Yum Goong 2 (2013). Furious 7 (2015) marked his first English-speaking role, and SPL II: A Time for Consequences (2015) marked his Hong Kong debut. His other notable films include XXX: Return of Xander Cage, Paradox (both 2017), Master Z: Ip Man Legacy (2018), Triple Threat (2019), and Detective Chinatown 3 (2021). Jaa's films have grossed over $2.7 billion worldwide. Widely considered one of the greatest martial arts stars in the history of cinema, Jaa is credited with helping establish the Thai action genre worldwide and popularising the Thai combat systems of Muay Thai, Muay Boran, and "Muay Kotchasaan" (a fighting style Jaa and Rittikrai developed in 2005).