Interview with Jacky Dunnes

Images courtesy of Pau Han Kho

Hello Folks,

Today we are bringing you an interview with the star of Steam, Jacky Dunnes. Jacky is a Dutch actor, a martial artist and a stunt performer. Steam was screened at Fighting Spirit 2018. It was an amazing steampunk martial arts film. We have previously interviewed the director Pau Han Kho, so if you’ve not read it yet, go check it out. We hope you enjoy getting to know Jacky.

What are your favourite martial arts/action films and what is their significance to you?

Bloodsport, Best of the Best, No Retreat, No Surrender, Kickboxer, Lionheart and Rocky

Because these films still inspire me today, not only with martial arts, but also as a person. If you want something in life, just go for it, that's what I learned from these films.

Who are your favourite martial artists?

Bruce Lee, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Scott Adkins and Tim Man.

How did you get into martial arts?

Bruce lee he's the reason I started martial arts.  When I was 3 years old I always tried to copy him in front of the Tv haha. Later my father asked a martial arts master to give me lessons every week.

What is your proudest moment in your martial arts career?

When I won the title Dutch Martial Artist of the Year in 2012 at an all style martial arts tournament.

What do you see as the future of martial arts/action films?

For what I can see, I think the future will be great for the action genre, because of all the great actors like Scott Adkins, Iko Uwais, Michael Jai White, and of course with all the upcoming talents you see on social media these days.

How did you begin working as a stunt performer?

By chance. It was when they shooting the Dutch film Dik Trom. I was originally an extra.

There was a little stunt scene with a BMX bicycle and the original stunt guy didn't show up and they saw me doing some tricks behind the scenes. I was always showing off haha. So the director came to me and ask me if I wanted to do the stunt and that's how it all started.

What is your favourite stunt you’ve ever done?

One of my favorite stunts I did was in the movie Time Rush; I had a little fight scene with Dutch actor/stuntman Ron Smoorenburg. At the end he threw me like 10 ft downstairs.

How did you prepare your role as a stunt coordinator for Steam?

We trained with the whole cast, that's how we prepared everything, the stunts/fight scenes.

What were the influences for the stunts in Steam?

When I was watching Ong-Bak and Tom-Yum-Goong. I got some inspiration and thought maybe that will work for our film as well.

What drew you to working on Steam?

The director is a good friend of mine and he asked me if I wanted to play the main character. He showed me the script and I was really impressed by it.

What was your favourite scene in Steam?

End Fight scene between me and the main villain played by Shu Ming Tong.

What was the biggest lesson you learned when working on Steam?

The biggest lesson was the experience, how it was to work as an actor, because normally I'm a action performer or stuntman, so it was the first time for me working as an actor.

When did you know you wanted to become an actor?

When I saw Bruce Kee at the age of 3 haha.

What are your favourite roles to play?

Action roles with a lot of fighting.

Who is someone you want to work with in the future?

Jackie Chan.

How has your experience been with Fighting Spirit Film Festival?

It was an amazing experience. I've met a lot of great and talented people sharing all the same passion for martial arts and films.

And I want to thank Soo Cole for inviting us to her festival and that we had the chance to show Steam to everybody.

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We hope you enjoyed the interview. Make sure to follow Jacky on Instagram.