Sitting cross-legged on a rehearsal mat for the newMortal Kombatmovie, Lewis Tan felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude.
“I grew up on these films [and] around these guys,” Tan says.
(The actor appeared in the role of Shatterstar.)
Warner Bros. Pictures
“This is where I began my understanding of the film industry,” Tan recalls.
“I was just learning martial arts, training, and acting, doing plays.
That’s my history.”
“It’s really a full circle moment for me and my family,” Tan says.
That’s what his idols did, including his dad and Uwais.
“One hundred percent of these fights in this movie is me.
One hundred percent,” he says.
Just like dancing, you’re free to tell a story."
“I’m a legit martial artist who respects that world,” Tan says.
“You feel like you [can’t] even walk to the car to get to set.
But, he adds, “there was no way that I wasn’t going to do it.”
It’s the firstMortal Kombatfilm since the widely derided 1997 entryAnnihilation.
In those days, he played as Liu Kang before gravitating to Smoke.
(Stuntman Max Huang plays Kung Lao in the new movie.)
“I’m getting pretty good at it.
So, get ready.”
A version of this story appears in the April issue ofEntertainment Weekly, on newsstands and availablehere.
