Written by : Joyce Chua
It’s no secret that action film stars often rely on stunt doubles to do challenging moves. But Taiwanese actor Eddie Peng, who stars in the new martial arts blockbuster, Call of Heroes, would rather do them himself.
“It’s the only way the character will look convincing,” he said in a recent interview while on tour promotional tour for the movie. “If I’m going to rely on my stunt double for most of the moves, then I don’t really see the point in taking on the role.”
Already touted as “the next Bruce Lee”, all eyes are on him this time as he takes on his next martial arts role after playing grand-master Wong Fei-Hung in Rise of the Legend (2014). In Call of Heroes, he plays a free-spirited wanderer whose fate is led by his horse and only companion in 1914 China. He comes across the town of Pucheng and, together with the town guardian (Sean Lau), sets out to rescue it from the heinous Warlord Cao (Louis Koo).
Despite starting out without any martial arts or stunt background (he starred mostly in romance movies and drama series in his early days), Eddie is now one of the top searched action film stars in Asia, alongside veterans like Sammo Hung, Jet Li, Donnie Yen, and Jackie Chan. But he credits this to his dogged persistence rather than his fighting skills.
Indeed, his incredible dedication to his roles is one of the reasons behind his highly-lauded performances. Here are six necessary steps to take to become an action star like Eddie:
1. Train for up to 12 hours a day
Eddie is best known in the industry for pushing himself to his limits and giving his all for every movie. He also insists on learning whatever skill required to play his roles convincingly, which explains why he took up martial arts for Rise of the Legend, competitive cycling for To the Fore (2015), mixed martial arts for Unbeatable (2013), and even sign language for Hear Me (2009).
For the role of Ma Feng in Call of Heroes, he scaled new heights by learning how to wield double swords. He trained at dawn and in the evenings — on top of his work on set — like he did when filming Unbeatable and Rise of the Legend, much to the consternation of his co-stars.
2. Eat clean and train mean
Aside from hitting the gym, training for his role, and going for regular jogs (he wakes up an hour early to squeeze in a run before going to the set), Eddie also sticks to a diet high in protein and low in fat and sugar. His discipline towards keeping in shape is partly motivated by the need to stay in character, and partly because he is a fitness buff.
His only indulgence? “I have a weakness for chocolate and ice-cream, but I cut those out when I’m filming,” he shared.
3. Try, try, and try again
For a simple two-second shot in Call of Heroes, where his character had to fall off a horse, Eddie did the take more than 20 times because he wanted it to look comedic yet natural. Co-star Yuan Quan expressed her respect for his professionalism and dedication at the movie premier in China.
Similarly, for his opening scene where he had to take down a gang of thugs, Eddie did a take 53 times — breaking his own record — because the action director Sammo Hung thought he could do even better. Till now, Eddie is still vexed that the shot isn’t perfect.
4. Do your stunts yourself as much as you can
In an interview with the Daily Telegraph, Eddie expressed, “I do my own stunts but of course there are really dangerous moves that I’m not allowed to do. But mostly, 80–90 per cent I do them myself. In Asia, they really want to see your face, it’s not like Hollywood movies where you have the stuntmen and four doubles for one shot. In Asia, they want to see you do it.”
For Rise of the Legend, he had to jump from a three-storey building and sprained his wrist while filming a shot where he had to punch a brick wall (ouch). For Unbeatable, he got pummelled so hard by his opponent, a professional MMA fighter, that his ear swelled to twice its size. For Call of Heroes, cuts and bruises are commonplace, but Eddie brushes off the injuries.
“It’s also a form of respect to my job,” he once said in an interview with Today Online. “Training is tough, but it has to be tough for it to look realistic. If I wanted to quit, I wouldn’t have taken the job.”
5. Treat every role like it’s the last you’ll ever take on
“I don’t like to repeat my roles,” says Eddie. “Once I’ve tried my hand at one, it’s unlikely I’ll go back and do something similar. I want to try as many things as I possibly can. It’s more fulfilling that way.”
To fully immerse in each role he takes on, Eddie spends months doing his homework, researching similar characters, studying the greats, and discussing the character’s psyche with the director. He also employs method acting, a technique adopted by the late American star Marlon Brando (above, right), who is one of Eddie’s favourite actors.
In short, it’s not just about the brawn and the physical training — there is also mental preparation involved in portraying every role.
6. Don’t be afraid to get down and … ugly
With a massive social media following (21 million fans on Chinese Twitter, Sina Weibo, and 2.5 million on Instagram at last count), the boyish-looking 34-year-old heartthrob has many female — and male — fans gushing over his famous chocolate abs, bright eyes, and chiselled bone structure.
But Eddie is not content to just be a “flower vase”, someone who simply relies on his good looks to sustain his career. He relishes in varied, extreme roles that stretch him as an actor.
For his role of a justice-seeking wanderer and anti-hero in Call Of Heroes, he ditched his clean-cut image by adding a thick, scruffy beard and a long scar on his face, completing the look with freckles and stained teeth.
“I take (this role) as a salute to Brando and hope I could one day perform as well as the Hollywood legend,” he said.
If there’s one thing Eddie has showed us, it’s that passion and perseverance can take you further than natural talent or a pretty face.
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Call of Heroes opens 18 August. Catch it in cinemas islandwide!