He started out as a boy fascinated by the kung fu of
Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan. He grew into a young man
who spent a decade finding his identity in martial arts.
But now Tony Jaa (Jaa Panom Yeerum or, with his new
name, Thatchakorn Yeerum) is the man who introduced
Thai action films to the world.
Tony Jaa became an international name after his lead
role in Ong Bak(2003). Before that he was a “no-name”
stuntman. He wasn’t good looking enough to be a traditional
leading man, but with his no-wires, no-CG (computer-
generated) martial arts, everything that he did on
screen looked real and exciting. After Ong Bak he
thrilled the audience again, first with Tom-Yum-Goong
(2005) and then, most recently, with Ong Bak 2(2008),
a film which he directed and starred in.
These three action films might look homogeneous to
the audience, but for Tony Jaa each is unique. “The first
Ong Bak showcased traditional Muay Thai. Tom-Yum-
Goong involved Muay Thai that derives from elephant
movements. And the Muay Thai in Ong Bak 2 incorporates
Thai classical dance and martial arts from different
countries, including those using weapons and those
using just bare hands. The concept is to unify all these
martial arts forms”.
Tony Jaa decided to take the director’s seat for the first
time in Ong Bak 2. “I love filmmaking. I love watching
action films - every action movie”, he says. “When I got
a chance to look closer, to study deeper, I realised that if
I were to direct well I had to get to the core of it. If I were
to show all kinds of martial arts, I had to study what each
and every martial art is like”.
Tony Jaa has also honed his acting skills in his latest
film: “My character, Tien, has more dimensions than my
roles in Ong Bak or Tom-Yum-Goong. He has a dark side
and a good side, a delicate side and a tough, vengeful
side. I have to thank my acting coach Ornchuma
Yuthawong for teaching me to bring out the power inside
of me and put it on the screen”.
Jaa’s stunts do not rely on special effects. So the audience
often wonders if his body is covered in cuts and
bruises. “Of course! I star in action, not romance
movies!” he says with a laugh. “I’ve been injured, hurt
and bruised and sometimes even broken bones. But they
weren’t so bad that I had to be hospitalised”.
Tony Jaa is now engaged in the production of Ong Bak
3. He is determined to avoid the setbacks that happened
with the production of Ong Bak 2. “I will not manage the
budget hands-on this time. I will just make sure it’s accurate.
I’ve learned my lessons. I’ve started a new life. My
hairstyle is new. My name is new”.
Thatchakorn Yeerum is his new name. He has adopted
it for its auspicious meaning. Thatchakorn means “great
builder” or “generous giver”. However, “Tony Jaa” will
continue to be his stage name.
“I want to do new, challenging things. I love to continually
improve myself”, he says.
Sources: Sahamongkol Film, Nangdee.com