Joey Ansah
Joey Ansah | |
|---|---|
| Born | 24 November 1982 London,England |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, martial artist, fight choreographer, producer, director |
| Parent | Kofi Ansah(father) |
Joey Ansah(born 24 November 1982) is an English actor,martial artistand director best known for his roles inThe Bourne Ultimatum(2007),Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist(2014) andThe Old Guard(2020).[1]
Early life and education[edit]
Joey Ansah was born in the borough of Hackney, London, England, ofmixed ethnicity,the second son of Ghanaian fashion designerKofi Ansahand hisDevon-born wife Nicola. Between the ages of 10 and 15, he lived in Ghana and studiedTae Kwon Dofor four years.[1]Upon returning to England, Ansah began to audition for stunt roles in films, drawing inspiration fromRay Park's performance asDarth Maulin 1999.[2]
Career[edit]
Ansah's first important role as an actor was in the UKindie filmLove Struck(2005). Notable appearances on British TV followed in episodes ofBBCproductionsSpooks(2005) andTimewatch(2006).
Ansah went on to play a minor role as one of the Shadow Warriors inBatman Begins(2005). However, his most noteworthy role to date came in 2007, when he appeared inThe Bourne Ultimatumas Desh Bouksani, an assassin tracking downJason Bourne.Ansah's performance was notable for an extended set-piece fight scene between himself andMatt Damon,regarded by one reviewer as one of the best ever filmed,[3]in which Ansah performed all of his own stunts. In 2008 he was nominated for anMTVFilm Award in the "Best Fight" category.
Ansah has also acted in British independent martial arts films, such asLeft for Dead(2004) andUnderground(2007).
He choreographed, co-wrote and directed the 2010 short filmStreet Fighter: Legacy.A self-proclaimed fan of the video game series, Ansah wanted the short to be the most accurate depiction of the series, different from the two theatrically released films. He and collaborator Christian Howard, with whom he worked onSFL,worked on the live-actionStreet FighterseriesStreet Fighter: Assassin's Fist,and they are developing a second season titledStreet Fighter: World WarriorandStreet Fighter: Resurrection.[4]
Filmography[edit]
Film[edit]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Creep | Marcus | [5] |
| 2005 | Left for Dead | Kickboxer 1 | |
| 2005 | Love Struck | Mango | |
| 2005 | Batman Begins | League of Shadows member | |
| 2007 | Voyage: Killing Brigitte Nielsen | Joey | TV film |
| 2007 | The Bourne Ultimatum | Desh Bouksani | |
| 2007 | Underground | Joey, The Model | |
| 2009 | Ghost Town | Bonesera | TV film |
| 2009 | Hit Girls | James | |
| 2010 | Street Fighter: Legacy | Akuma | Co-writer and co-director[6] |
| 2010 | Knock Out | Fighter | |
| 2011 | Attack the Block | Policeman 1 | |
| 2012 | Snow White and the Huntsman | Aldan | |
| 2012 | I, Anna | Bull | [5] |
| 2013 | UFO | Police officer / Black-ops soldier | |
| 2013 | Green Street 3: Never Back Down | Victor | |
| 2017 | How to Talk to Girls at Parties (film) | PT Bob | |
| 2018 | Mission: Impossible – Fallout | Henchman | |
| 2019 | The Kid Who Would Be King | Police officer | |
| 2019 | Aladdin | Jafar's guard (uncredited) / stunt performer | |
| 2020 | The Old Guard | Keane |
Series[edit]
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Starhyke | Fight coordinator and cameo[5] |
| 2005 | Spooks(MI-5) | Abbud |
| 2006 | Gideon's Daughter | Diesel |
| 2006 | Timewatch | Emperor Geta |
| 2013 | The Numbers Station | Derne |
| 2014 | Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist | Akuma,co-writer, co-director |
| 2016 | Street Fighter: Resurrection | Writer, director |
| 2020 | The Stranger | Stuart Hope |
| 2023 | Who Is Erin Carter? | Alec Fenwick[7] |
Awards and nominations[edit]
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 17th MTV Movie Awards | Best Fight(shared withMatt Damon) | The Bourne Ultimatum | Nominated |
References[edit]
- ^ab"Kofi Ansah's Son Produce Hollywood Movie",Peace FM Online, 5 June 2014.
- ^Joey Ansah, Scott Adkins (2021).The Art of Action — Episode 26.Retrieved23 December2023.
- ^Bourne Ultimatum: Review,Rolling Stone.Retrieved 28 May 2012.
- ^Gooch, Bryony (8 October 2009)."Joey Ansah - Biography".Hello Magazine.Retrieved23 December2023.
- ^abc"Joey Ansah CV".Curtis Brown.Retrieved23 December2023.
- ^"This Could Be The Best Street Fighter Film Ever Created".Kotaku, Australia (May 2010). Retrieved 28 May 2012.
- ^"Who is Erin Carter? Lands on Netflix".Curtis Brown. 24 August 2023.Retrieved23 December2023.
External links[edit]
- 1982 births
- Alumni of Oxford Brookes University
- English male film actors
- English film directors
- English people of Ghanaian descent
- English capoeira practitioners
- British stunt performers
- English male taekwondo practitioners
- Living people
- English ninjutsu practitioners
- Male actors from London
- Black British male actors
- People educated at Devonport High School for Boys