Michael Jai White | |
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Born | New York City, U.S. |
Occupations |
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Years active | 1989–present |
Spouses | Courtenay Chatman (m. 2005;div. 2011)Gillian Iliana Waters (m. 2015) |
Children | 7 |
Michael Jai White is an American actor. He was the first Black American to portray a major comic book superhero in a major motion picture, [1] starring as Al Simmons, the protagonist in the 1997 film Spawn . [note 1] White appeared as Marcus Williams in the Tyler Perry films Why Did I Get Married? (2007) and Why Did I Get Married Too? (2010), and starred as the character on the TBS/OWN comedy-drama television series Tyler Perry's For Better or Worse . White portrayed Jax Briggs in Mortal Kombat: Legacy and the Cyborg Seth in Universal Soldier: The Return , opposite Jean-Claude Van Damme. He portrayed boxer Mike Tyson in the 1995 HBO television film Tyson . He also played the title role in the blaxploitation parody film Black Dynamite (2009), as well as the animated series of the same name.
White is a martial artist in nine different styles: Shōtōkan, Goju-Ryu (for which he studied under Master Eddie Morales where he learned to sharpen his Goju karate technique), Taekwondo, Kobudō, Tang Soo Do, Wushu, Jujutsu, Kyokushin and Boxing, [2] [3] with a specific focus in Kyokushin Karate (although his style incorporates aspects of many different martial arts forms). [4] White started training in the martial arts at the age of four in Jujutsu. He next took up Shōtōkan and moved on to other styles later. [5] White holds seven legitimate black belts in Kyokushin Karate, Goju-Ryu Karate, Shotokan Karate, Taekwondo, Tang Soo Do, Kobudo, and Wushu.[ citation needed ]
White is a former special education teacher and taught students with behavioral problems for three years. He cites his history in education as the reason why, despite his personal love for the music genre on "a lot of levels", he cannot "in good [conscience]" have a positive opinion on hip hop or "excuse some of [its] pervasive and destructive elements", mainly due to his experience with youngsters who had difficulty seeing the difference between it and real life. [6]
He graduated from Central High School in Bridgeport, Connecticut in 1982. [7]
White's first major starring role and breakout performance was in the 1995 HBO film Tyson , as heavyweight boxer Mike Tyson. He portrayed the eponymous character in the 1997 film Spawn , making him the first African American to portray a major comic book superhero in a major motion picture. [1] His work in Spawn earned him a nomination for the Blockbuster Entertainment Award. White starred opposite Jean-Claude Van Damme in Universal Soldier: The Return , in 1999. A few years earlier, he acted in Full Contact, with Jerry Trimble. In 2001, he also starred opposite fellow martial artist Steven Seagal in Exit Wounds . In 2003, he starred in Busta Rhymes and Mariah Carey's music video "I Know What You Want". Since 2003, in addition to his on screen roles, White has been doing voice work, including in Static Shock and Justice League . White showcases his martial arts skills in the direct-to-DVD film Undisputed II: Last Man Standing . He also appears in Michelle Yeoh's Silver Hawk in 2004. He appeared in Kill Bill: Volume 2 , although his role was cut from the theatrical release. His film Why Did I Get Married? opened at number one at the box office on October 12, 2007.
White played the role of the mob boss Gambol in the 2008 film The Dark Knight . He also starred in the film Blood and Bone and the blaxploitation homage Black Dynamite , both released in 2009. White wrote the scripts for both Black Dynamite and 3 Bullets in which he stars with Bokeem Woodbine.
On March 30, 2010, White appeared on The Mo'Nique Show to promote his film Why Did I Get Married Too . The two joked about the acclaim that comes with winning an Oscar. In May of that year he appeared in the music video for Toni Braxton's new song "Hands Tied" from her album Pulse , as well as the Nicki Minaj music video for "Your Love" as Nicki's sensei and love interest.
He also starred in Kevin Tancharoen's short film Mortal Kombat: Rebirth , [8] as Jax Briggs, and reprised the role in Mortal Kombat: Legacy , a webseries from the same director. He posted on Twitter that he would not be returning to the role for the second season, but would return for the 2013 film.
White made his directorial debut and starred in Never Back Down 2: The Beatdown , which was released on home video on September 13, 2011. [9]
White also provided the voice of Green Lantern in the video game Justice League Heroes . [10]
In October 2019, White announced that the spiritual successor to Black Dynamite titled Outlaw Johnny Black had officially entered pre-production. Despite the Indiegogo campaign not reaching its goal, he was still able to secure enough backers and additional donors to get the project off the ground. It is available for pre-order on the official website. Its theatrical release date was 15 September 2023. [11] In July 2023, its trailer was released. [12]
In October 2020, White's latest film Welcome to Sudden Death debuted on Netflix and became one of the most watched films on the platform. [13] The Universal Pictures Home Entertainment release is a remake of the 1995 film Sudden Death starring Jean-Claude Van Damme.
On July 12, 2021, White laid out a vision for starting a film studio in New Haven, CT called "Jaigantic Studios". [14] He wants to create a studio district on New Haven's Quinnipiac River waterfront. [15]
From 2005 to 2011, White was married to Courtenay Chatman and together they have a daughter named Morgan. In addition, White has two sons. [16] [17] In February 2014, White announced his engagement to actress Gillian Iliana Waters. [17] In April 2015, White penned an open letter via Facebook entitled "Apologies to My Ex's", where he credited Waters for helping him become "the very best version of myself." [18] In July 2015, White married Waters in Thailand. [19] They appeared together in the martial arts thriller movie Take Back (2021), [20] with Gillian White starring as the female lead. [21]
In 2014, White was honored with the Fists of Legends Decade Award at the Urban Action Showcase & Expo at HBO. [22] In 2015, he was inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame. [23] On November 8, 2019, he assumed the "Mantle of The Black Dragon" from Ron van Clief, Don "The Dragon" Wilson, Cynthia Rothrock, and Taimak, in a ceremony at the 2019 Urban Action Showcase & Expo at AMC 25, NYC. [24]
White briefly dated actress actress Angela Bassett during the 1990s. [25]
White is a cousin of comedian and actress Kym Whitley. [26]
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1989 | The Toxic Avenger Part II | Apocalypse Inc. Executive | |
The Toxic Avenger Part III: The Last Temptation of Toxie | |||
1991 | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze | Audience Man | |
True Identity | Alley Guy #1 | ||
1992 | Universal Soldier | Soldier | |
1993 | Full Contact | Low-Ball | |
1994 | On Deadly Ground | Oil Worker | |
Lion Strike | Silvio | ||
1995 | Tyson | Mike Tyson | |
Ballistic | Quint | ||
1996 | 2 Days in the Valley | Buck | |
1997 | City of Industry | Odell Williams | |
Spawn | Al Simmons / Spawn | ||
1998 | Ringmaster | Demond | |
Thick as Thieves | Pointy | ||
1999 | Breakfast of Champions | Howell | |
Universal Soldier: The Return | S.E.T.H. Super UniSol | [27] | |
2000 | The Bus Stop | Unknown | Short |
2001 | Exit Wounds | Sergeant Lewis Strutt | |
2002 | Trois 2: Pandora's Box | Hampton Hines | |
2003 | Justice | Tre | |
2004 | Silver Hawk | Morris | |
Kill Bill: Volume 2 | Martial Artist | Scene deleted | |
2006 | Undisputed II: Last Man Standing | George "The Iceman" Chambers | Video |
2007 | Why Did I Get Married | Marcus | |
2008 | The Dark Knight | Gambol | |
2009 | Black Dynamite | Black Dynamite | Also writer |
The Legend of Bruce Lee | Ali | Video | |
Blood and Bone | Isaiah Bone | ||
Three Bullets | The Man | Short; also writer | |
2010 | Why Did I Get Married Too? | Marcus | |
Mortal Kombat: Rebirth | Jackson "Jax" Briggs | Video short [28] | |
2011 | Never Back Down 2: The Beatdown | Casey "Case" Walker Jr. | Video; also director |
Tactical Force | SWAT Sergeant Tony Hunt | ||
2012 | We the Party | Officer Davis | |
Freaky Deaky | Donnell Lewis | ||
The Philly Kid | Arthur Letts | ||
2013 | Fedz | "Big D" | |
2014 | Android Cop | Hammond | |
Falcon Rising | John "Falcon" Chapman | ||
Skin Trade | FBI Agent Reed | ||
2015 | Chocolate City | Princeton | |
Chain of Command | James Webster | ||
2016 | Vigilante Diaries | Barrington | [29] [30] |
The Asian Connection | Greg "Greedy Greg" | ||
Never Back Down: No Surrender | Casey "Case" Walker Jr. | Video; also writer and director | |
2017 | S.W.A.T.: Under Siege | "Scorpion" | |
Chocolate City: Vegas Strip | Princeton | ||
Cops and Robbers | Michael | ||
2018 | Accident Man | Mick | |
Making a Killing | Orlando Hudson | ||
Dragged Across Concrete | "Biscuit" | ||
2019 | The Hard Way | Payne | |
Triple Threat | Devereaux | ||
Undercover Brother 2 | Undercover Brother | ||
2020 | Welcome to Sudden Death | Jesse | Video |
2021 | Batman: Soul of the Dragon | Bronze Tiger | Voice [27] |
Assault on VA-33 | Chief Malone | ||
Take Back | Brian | ||
Send It! | Coach | ||
Rogue Hostage | Sparks | ||
Black Friday | Archie | ||
2022 | The Commando | James Baker | |
Dead Zone | Boss | Tubi original | |
The Hit | Brooke | ||
As Good as Dead | Bryant | Also writer | |
2023 | You're Not Alone | Keith Mitchell | Tubi original |
A Snowy Day in Oakland | Reverend Carter | Direct-to-video | |
The Island | Mark | ||
MR-9: Do or Die | Duke | Direct-to-video | |
Outlaw Johnny Black | Johnny Black | Also writer and director | |
2024 | One More Shot | Robert Jackson | Direct-to-video |
† | Denotes works that have not yet been released |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1992 | Saved by the Bell | Military Police Man #2 | Episode: "Wrestling with the Future" |
1993 | Renegade | Luther, Dawn's Boyfriend | Episode: "Vanished" |
1994 | Martin | Valdez | Episode: "Arms Are for Hugging" |
Living Single | Steve | Episode: "Hot Fun in the Wintertime" | |
1995 | NYPD Blue | Officer Reggie Fancy | 2 episodes |
JAG | Navy Petty Officer Peter Quinn / Lieutenant Martin Payne | Episode: "Brig Break" | |
Tyson | Mike "Iron Mike" Tyson | Television film | |
1996 | Captive Heart: The James Mink Story | Elroy | Television film |
Shaughnessy | Carpenter | Television film | |
1999 | Mutiny | Ben Cooper | Television film |
2000 | Wonderland | Dr. Derrick Hatcher | Main cast |
Freedom Song | Coleman Vaughnes | Television film | |
2001 | Boston Public | Darren Schofield | Episode: "Chapter Eighteen" |
Soul Food | Russell Banks | Episode: "Who Do You Know?" | |
2003 | CSI: Miami | Officer Roy Bailey | Episode: "Hard Time" |
Justice League | Doomsday | Voice; episode: "A Better World, Part 1" [27] | |
Hotel | Unknown | Television film | |
2003–2004 | Static Shock | Osebo | Voice, 2 episodes [27] |
2004–2005 | Clubhouse | Ellis Hayes | Recurring cast |
2005 | Justice League Unlimited | Doomsday | Voice, episode: "The Doomsday Sanction" [27] |
2006 | Windfall | Michael | Episode: "Priceless" |
Getting Played | Actor | Television film | |
2008 | Tyler Perry's House of Payne | Bryan | Recurring cast, season 3 |
2010 | The Boondocks | Bushido Brown / Cop | Voice, episode: "Stinkmeaner 3: The Hateocracy" |
One Angry Juror | Derrick | Television film | |
2011 | Batman: The Brave and the Bold | Tattooed Man | Voice, episode: "The Scorn of the Star Sapphire!" [27] |
2011–2017 | Tyler Perry's For Better or Worse | Marcus Williams | Main cast |
2011–2015 | Black Dynamite | Black Dynamite | Voice, main cast; also creator [27] |
2012 | Aqua Something You Know Whatever | Zucotti Manicotti | Voice, episode: "Zucotti Manicotti" |
Somebody's Child | Douglas | Television film | |
2013–2014, 2018–2019 | Arrow | Ben Turner / Bronze Tiger | Guest (season 2), recurring (season 7); 10 episodes |
2016 | The Crooked Man | Milo | Television film |
2017 | Insecure: Due North | Zeke | Episode: "201" |
Insecure | Zeke | 2 episodes | |
2018 | Every Day Is Christmas | Justin | Television film |
2018–2020 | The Family Business | Vegas Duncan | Recurring cast |
2020 | Black-ish | Vincent | Episode: "Dad Bod-y of Work" |
Pump | Eric | Main cast |
Year | Video | Performer |
---|---|---|
2003 | "I Know What You Want" | Busta Rhymes and Mariah Carey featuring The Flipmode Squad |
2010 | "Your Love" | Nicki Minaj |
2010 | "Hands Tied" | Toni Braxton |
2012 | "Let's Go" | Calvin Harris featuring Ne-Yo |
2021 | "Where I Belong" | Busta Rhymes and Mariah Carey |
Year | Title | Voice role |
---|---|---|
2006 | Justice League Heroes | John Stewart [27] |
2007 | The Underground Bounty Hunter | Hatch |
2022 | Marvel's Midnight Suns | Eric Brooks / Blade [27] |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2011 | Mortal Kombat: Legacy | Jackson "Jax" Briggs | 2 episodes |
2012 | Métal Hurlant Chronicles | Teague | Episode: "King's Crown" |
2014 | Métal Hurlant Chronicles | Balt | Episode: "The Endomorphe" |
2016 | Enter the Dojo | Himself | Episode: "How to Fight a Clown" |
Karate (空手), also karate-do, is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts under the influence of Chinese martial arts. While modern karate is primarily a striking art that uses punches and kicks, traditional karate also employs throwing and joint locking techniques. A karate practitioner is called a karate-ka (空手家).
Jean-Claude Camille François Van Varenberg, known professionally as Jean-Claude Van Damme, is a Belgian martial artist and actor. Born and raised in Brussels, his father enrolled him in a Shotokan karate school at the age of ten, which led Van Damme to hold the rank of 2nd-dan black belt in karate, and compete in several karate and kickboxing competitions. With the desire of becoming an actor, he moved to the United States in 1982, where he did odd jobs and worked on several films, until he got his break as the lead in the martial arts film Bloodsport (1988).
Shotokan is a style of karate, developed from various martial arts by Gichin Funakoshi (1868–1957) and his son Gigo (Yoshitaka) Funakoshi (1906–1945). Gichin Funakoshi was born in Okinawa and is widely credited with popularizing "karate do" through a series of public demonstrations, and by promoting the development of university karate clubs, including those at Keio, Waseda, Hitotsubashi (Shodai), Takushoku, Chuo, Gakushuin, and Hosei.
Kyokushin (極真) is a style of karate originating in Japan. It is a full-contact style of stand-up fighting and is rooted in a philosophy of self-improvement, discipline, and hard training.
Full contact karate is any format of karate where competitors spar full-contact and allow a knockout as winning criterion.
Bloodsport is a 1988 American martial arts sports action film directed by Newt Arnold and starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, Leah Ayres, Forest Whitaker, Donald Gibb, Roy Chiao and Bolo Yeung. The film centers on Frank Dux, a United States Army Captain and ninjutsu practitioner, who competes in an underground full-contact martial arts tournament called the Kumite in Hong Kong. Based on Dux's real-life claims, the film was marketed as a true story. It was one of Van Damme's first lead roles and showcased his abilities, launching his career as a mainstream action star.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to martial arts:
Johnny Cage is a character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game franchise by Midway Games and NetherRealm Studios. Introduced in the original 1992 game, he is an action movie star with an extensive martial arts background. The series depicts Cage as one of the primary heroes defending Earthrealm from various threats, as well as the comic foil. In the rebooted timeline, Cage is also the love interest to Special Forces officer Sonya Blade and the father of their daughter Cassie. He is inspired by martial arts star Jean-Claude Van Damme, particularly Van Damme's character, Frank Dux, in the 1988 film Bloodsport. A staple of the franchise, Cage has appeared in various media outside of the games.
Gosoku-ryū (剛速流) is a style of karate which was founded by Takayuki Kubota. Gosoku stands for hard and fast, which suggests a combination of techniques both from the fast and dynamic Shōtōkan style as well as from the strength-focused Gōjū-ryū style.
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa is an American actor and film producer.
Masutatsu Ōyama, more commonly known as Mas Oyama, was a South Korean karate master who founded Kyokushin Karate, considered the first and most influential style of full contact karate. Oyama was an ethnic Korean; he was born Choi Yeong-eui and spent most of his life in Japan. He acquired Japanese citizenship in 1968.
Matt Mullins is an American actor and martial artist. At the age of 16, in 2000, he won his first World Kickboxing Association title in Dublin, Ireland. This would be his first of five championships in the next three years.
The Japan Karate Federation (JKF), a.k.a. Japan Karatedo Federation, is a national governing body of the sport karate in Japan. The JKF is officially affiliated with the Japan Olympic Association (JOC), World Karate Federation (WKF), Japan Sports Association (JSA), and Japanese Budō Association (JBA). The styles recognized by the JKF are Wadō-ryū, Shotokan, Shito-ryu, and Goju-ryu. Its headquarter is located in Tokyo, Japan.
The table contains a comparison of karate styles. Some of the distinguishing features are listed, such as lineage, general form of stances, the balance of hard and soft techniques, and the number and names of kata forms.
Jitsumi Gōgen Yamaguchi, also known as Gōgen Yamaguchi, was a Japanese martial artist and student of Gōjū-ryū Karate under Chōjun Miyagi. He was one of the most well-known karate-dō masters from Japan and he founded the International Karate-dō Gōjū Kai Association.
Black Belt (2007), known as Kuro-obi (黒帯) in Japan, is a Japanese film directed by Shunichi Nagasaki. It focuses mainly on the martial art of Karate. It is notable for excluding the usual exaggerations of the genre. The lead roles were played by karate experts, and no special effects were used.
Daniel Bernhardt is a Swiss actor, model, and martial artist. He made his acting debut in the leading role in Bloodsport II: The Next Kumite (1996). He also appeared in two of its sequels, Bloodsport III (1997), and Bloodsport 4: The Dark Kumite (1999). Bernhardt is also known for playing villainous characters. He starred opposite Chuck Norris in The Cutter (2005), Jean-Claude Van Damme in Kill 'Em All (2017), Sylvester Stallone in Escape Plan: The Extractors (2019), and Keanu Reeves in The Matrix Reloaded (2003), John Wick (2014), and The Matrix Resurrections (2021).
Masashi Ishibashi, was a Japanese actor and martial artist. Ishibashi had an extensive career in Japanese television, where was famous as portraying villains in historical dramas, in roles such as bad lieutenants, shifty merchants, yakuza, bandits, and corrupt priests.