2012 1/2

Wow. July is here. Amazing how time flies...half of the year has gone by! Sometimes things get to busy that I forgot what I did the day before. But look at me, neglecting my blog. Tsk tsk. So to quote the celebrated poet and philosopher Lil' Jon: "Whass happenin'?!"

Well for one, my website, www.alex-huynh.com, is getting a facelift, tummy-tuck, and augmentation so it can be the website you can't take your eyes off of (ahem, my eyes are up here). Stay tuned for a blog post in the near future that will feature its update. In the meantime, check out the latest "Alex Huynh: I Do My Own Stunts" reel for 2012:

As you might have caught in the video, I've been hard at work to deliver you, the audience, the finest entertainment I can provide. I talked about my experiences on the sets of Kickin' It and Ringer in my previous post, and there's a clip of my booty getting handed to me by the lovely and legendary Bridgett Riley on NBC's Grimm at the 0:47 mark of my reel.

Reggie and I dressed as police twins. You should see our
synchronized dance routine.

Bridgett stunt doubles for the amazing Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, who plays the "Woman in Black" in the episode I worked on, which is appropriately titled (you guessed it!) "The Woman in Black." Mary Elizabeth's also Tony Montana's sister in Scarface. So I got beat up by Scarface's sister. Um. Pretty wicked. ANYWAY…Grimm is a fantasy drama that takes place in Portland, Oregon, where the show is filmed. I had the pleasure to travel up to the Pacific Northwest to stunt double my friend of whom I've doubled before during the years we shot Pirates of the Caribbean 3 together, my homie Reggie Lee!

My stay in Oregon was short but left a really strong impression on me. I had never been to Portland but really enjoyed the friendly people, street food vendors, walking-city culture, and art everywhere around town! My hat goes off to Matt Taylor, the super cool Stunt Coordinator of the show for bringing me up to such a nice city!

Three hours away is a small town called "Seattle." I had heard much of this place, as my best friend now lives there, so I decided about an hour before my flight back to Los Angeles that I'd take a short detour and head up north to this "Seattle." Much to my surprise when I arrived, it was downpouring! *Please take note, there's a lot of sarcasm in this paragraph.

Of all the photos I took in Seattle, this is the one
I chose to post. It's THAT DAMN GOOD.

First of all, there's a monorail in the Emerald City. I. Love. Monorails. Expectedly, I boarded it and traversed the railways to visit the Space Needle. After admiring the architecture, I made my way back to Pike Place Market, where employees famously throw fish at each other. I imagined a food fight with gamey smelling seafood, but it was rather tame. So I wandered into a cheese shop where I had no idea my tastebuds were going to explode into cheesy happiness! Beecher's Handmade Cheese. I'm not gonna describe it. Just go there. Maybe not if you're lactose-intolerant, but have faith in my judgment and dine upon amazing cheesed-up food while watching them create the wonderful food product. And if you want, go for your post-meal coffee at the Starbucks next door. Edit: the FIRST Starbucks. Ever.

All tourist attractions aside, there's one monument in Seattle that I HAD to visit. It's my Graceland. The gravesite of BRUCE LEE. From martial arts' impact on my lifestyle to my career as an entertainer in Hollywood, Bruce Lee's words, philosophy, and example have shaped and influenced me tremendously, and I wanted to pay my respects.

So that's SOME of what I've been up to. Stay tuned for more posts in the next few days/weeks...I'll really stay on it! Boy scout's honor, I'll be more frequent and regular than a fiber diet! Prepare for some goodies!

- Alex

(P.S. Thanks for reading my ramblings. I really do appreciate it. I love you. Now say it back.)

Taking to the Stage And Screen!

From the hustle and bustle of traveling to a new location to work on a show, settling into my temporary living quarters, and prepping for another great adventure in the world of living my dreams (woohoo!) I'm finally taking a moment to wind down and taking on some light reading. Among the literary pieces of choice are my Twitter news feed, throngs of freshly delivered magazines, and my writer-extraordinaire-friend's blog. The 140-character quips and glossy-covered manuals on fashion and culture take my mind on a brief holiday, but it's when I read my friend's words about blogging that a certain inspiration struck: I'm WAY overdue for a blog update!

It's been a fantastically busy past few weeks since my last entry, riddled with the kinds of busyness that keep a smile plastered to my face! Absolutely awesome auditions, magnificent meetings, greater than gold gigs, and hangouts of the highest happiness are among some of the happenings that have filled my days. I'd talk in depth about them all but I might lose you readers by chapter 25, so here are three short and sweet things I'll share to tickle your fancies:

Kickin' It!

I had the pleasure to work for my friend and stunt coordinator Mitch Gould a while back on a show he was putting together called Kickin' It. Our episode, Kickin' It In China, just aired on Disney XD a couple weeks ago and it came out great! We had so much fun on the set and Leo Howard is a total badass. If you wanna check out the action we did on the show, jump to 9:34 on the video link above (that first Tournament Fighter in purple is quite the handsome punk *wink wink nudge nudge* haha)!

The Young Storytellers "Big Show"

The future genius screenwriters of Hollywood

There's something about the wonder, amazement, and laughter in a kid's eyes that reminds us all how simple life can be. Looking out into the audience at the Young Storytellers "Big Show" there definitely was no shortage of that!

The program mentors children in elementary schools all around Los Angeles County to let their imaginations run free and encourages them to take their wildest ideas to pen and paper. The result is a stack of some of the most original scripts you'll ever read.

Photo-opping with possibly the next Judd Apatow

After the scripts have been polished and fine tuned, the organization puts on a grand assembly to showcase these students' great ideas. We actors come in and bring life to the characters and words these creative kids write. It's a fun and hilarious collaborative effort and most recently it's had me reprise my recurring role of Justin Bieber in several different forms (i.e. "Gummy Bieber"). Adoring fans and killer dance moves? I can live with that. 

The CW's "Ringer"

Sarah Michelle Gellar may be one of the toughest (and prettiest) actresses out there. So you can imagine when stunt coordinator and Kung Fu brother of mine John Medlen called, I was totally game!

In this episode of Ringer, I double Zahn McClarnon, whom I actually worked alongside with years ago on an episode of NBC's "Life." We chase around and tussle with Sarah's character, Bridget, not knowing that she's actually a twin. The result is a maniacal showdown which involves swinging knives, breaking glass, and exploding through doors and leaving no prisoners behind!

John Medlen, Michelle Waitman, and I after having a blast on Ringer!

And (if it's still online) you can catch all the action in this video...the really fun stuff starts at 37:09! Enjoy!

Funny thing happened on the way to happy...

From time to time, we all experience days that may be cloudier than others; ones where we might be confused or feel lost or just plain sad. I went through a bout of these days recently, searching for answers and trying to rediscover the happier me that I knew lived inside. But it was when I let my guard down and stopped staring so hard to find those silver linings that the light found its way right into my heart. It permeated every molecule of my being and enlightened my soul and before I could even acknowledge it, a smile had grown on my face from ear to ear. Here's one of the great stories from this experience:

The Wonders of a Good Slice

My close friends and I reunited one Saturday night, painting the town Johnnie Walker black and other such intoxicating colors. As the night wound down, we grabbed a few slices from the closest thing to New York-styled pizza that we have here on the westside - Joe's Pizza Shop - and proceeded to walk over to the coastline to nosh and catch up with one another. As the pizza worked its magic and the words we were saying to each other began to make more and more sense, a man approached us politely and sat next to us on the bench.

"I don't mean to intrude - you guys seem to be having a good conversation - but would any of you be able to spare forty cents?"

Naturally there was a moment of hesitation, but when it was assured that this man was harmless, we dug into our pockets and scrounged around for some loose change. One of my buddies pulled up two quarters and handed it to the man.

"Oh. That's too much. I don't have the dime...you want me to go get it from somewhere for you?"

"No worries," my friend said. "You can probably do more with that fifty cents than I ever could." The man laughed genuinely and so did we. This communal laugh seemed to warm up our engines and broke the ice for a real-talk conversation of sorts.

He talked about his descent into homelessness and how it upset him that society shuns him. He was angry at the world because he felt like a human being, just like the people who walk and talk around him, but they didn't treat him like one. He said folks looked at him like he was an animal, scared to interact with him, if even just to respond to his hellos and waves.

He looked up at us, our eyes and ears locked in, listening intently to his stories. Then he suddenly stopped, put his hand on his heart and said, "this...this here's a God shot."

I'd never heard that phrase. "What do you mean by that," I asked.

"This is a God moment. You don't have to be here. You don't have to pay attention to me. You didn't have share this bench with me or listen to a word I said or give me a penny...why are you still here?"

"Well, I think everybody knows that feeling of being lost in this big world. Wishing for something better but not really knowing how to go about getting on the path to achieving those goals. I know at some point, when we felt like we were at the bottom, some people thought we (my friends and I) were crazy...like social outliers, because of our goals and dreams. But we still go for it, and I think we're doing alright. We've been blessed."

"And besides, you're a good storyteller and we wanna hear your story," I expressed with a smile. It was true.

He smiled brightly. You could see the confidence well up in his chest. Seeing this, I took a chance and asked him what it was that he wanted - truly wanted - to be when he was growing up.

"A chef. I loved being in the kitchen, coming up with stuff. There's just so much happening in a kitchen...it's a lot of fun."

When he said this, I pictured a little kid watching his family in the kitchen during a get together, taking in all the sights and sounds and smells wafting through the air.

"Sounds like a long shot, but you should go into a restaurant and see if there's any job openings. Even if it's for a busboy it'll bring you much closer to a kitchen...who knows. Maybe you'll pick up some skills and when they see what you're capable of doing maybe they'll give you a chance."

He went into a contemplative state. Shoot. Did I say too much? Was that offensive? I couldn't gauge his response. He just sat there, eyes darting around...first on his clasped hands, then at us, then up to the sky, then to the pizza box we tossed in the trash can.

"Where'd you get that pizza," he asked.

We pointed to Joe's and said we were heading back in that direction if he wanted to head that way. He joined us on our walk back.

He wanted to stop in and see if there was anything they needed help with at the shop and that they didn't need to pay him but with a slice of pizza. 

As he marched into the shop and straight up to the manager, he shouted back to us, "hey, it's worth a shot!"

A God shot.

***

"The first step before anybody else in the world believes it is you have to believe it" - Will Smith

HAPPY YEAR OF THE DRAGON!!!

Welcome to 2012! Chúc mừng năm mới! Gongxi gongxi! Kung hei fat choy! CEEEEELEBRATE GOOD TIMES COME ON! 

It's an exciting time as we enter into this new adventure of a year...one that's sure to be filled with marvelous successes, soul-fulfilling moments, and plain ol' fashioned good times!

As I'm launching into the Year of the Dragon, I look back thankfully on a 2011 full of diverse victories. Here's a few of the wonderful reflections I'm grinning about from ear-to-ear:

As an Actor: Along with booking a principal role in a national commercial for Slim Jim, I played the villainous rogue, Ludd, in the 1-million-views-and-rising web series, "Dragon Age: Redemption" starring internet royalty, Felicia Day!

As a Director: I wrote and directed a promo spot for Power 106 featuring the Party Rockers themselves, LMFAO!

Also, I shot and put together a music video for Liz Fohl, an incredibly talented emerging artist and all around beautiful soul.

As a Producer/Writer: I worked with my homie Mando Fresko developing a show for MTVtrés…and it got picked up!

As a Fight Choreographer: Teaming up with my ReelKick brothers Thayr Harris and Fernando Chien, we put together Santigold's new music video for her upcoming single, "Disparate Youth"

As a Stuntman: I got to work in my home state of Virginia on the new feature film, "Jamestown" (aka "To Have and To Hold"). Additionally, I got sweet haircut out there!

Also, 2011 brought me the great honor of working with an actor I truly respect and admire, Mr. Robert Downey Jr, on the reshoots of Sherlock Holmes 2: A Game Of Shadows! Here's the sequence I helped choreograph with him and an amazing team of guys led by stunt coordinator and my Kiwi mate Markos Rounthwaite (from 0:28 to 1:33)

And last but certainly not least *drum roll please* my 2011 Action Reel!

So as the sun rises in the dawn of 2012, I stand here with great appreciation for where I've come from. Eight years ago I moved out to Los Angeles with a couple bucks in my pocket and dream so big it could barely be contained. The passion for what I do has spurned an unquenchable thirst for creating great work in movies and television shows and I pour all my love into my work. Fortunately for me, I've got a big heart and it's a massive reservoir overflowing with love! 

I look forward to sharing my gifts and abilities this year through my work in Hollywood, connecting more richly to myself and to others through this great career that I'm a part of,  and sharing the victories and awesome moments with the amazing people already in my life and the ones I have yet to meet. Let's live it up in 2012…time for this dragon to soar!

Tornado Kicks and Wedding Bells

"JIA YOU!!!"

Ah, the classic chant that infects audiences at Chinese martial arts tournaments the world over. Literally translated, the phrase means, "Give it gas/oil." But when crowds cheer it, you feel their love lifting you up and it's like a jolt of adrenaline shot straight into the veins of whoever's tearing it up on the competition floor.

Though I'm far out from the days of competitive Wushu, the community still remains strong and connected. And for that reason, a handful of us United States Wushu "old schoolers" got together in Cleveland to witness the marriage of one of our own, Y Chan, to the lovely and graceful Betty Chu.

We're an intimidating bunch, yeah?

We dusted off our Feiyues and silks that we used to wear when we represented this fine country in the ring and gave it another go in the banquet hall of the wedding reception. I'd like to think we performed pretty entertainingly, but I'll let you be the judge.

Y has been one of my really good friends since I started Wushu in 2002. I met him at the first Wushu tournament I ever competed in and he even wrote a generously awesome article about me a few years ago. Needless to say, there's a lot of love for Y and Betty from my camp, and for that, I raise my glass and toast...

"Y and Betty…JIA YOU!!!"

Trip Down Sense Memory Lane...

The cold keeps you wrapped cozily under your covers an extra half hour or more, but the sun's so excited to have you be a part of this beautiful autumn day that its beams peek from behind the shades in an attempt to wake you up gently. Your feet scramble around and hit the cold floor and a shockwave of thrills rush to the top of your head.  The nozzle twists all the way so that the pipes will warm up and shower you comfortably in warmth that takes serious will power to pull away from. Step out shivering like a tree shaking off its leaves as you acclimate to the chilly environment. You pile on clothing layer by layer before you step out to be engulfed in the crisp air embracing you from all around. The colorful trees surrounding you sway back and forth, happy to see you looking at them and their radiant leaves. Inhale…

…Exhale. Take the first step and enter this gorgeous day.

At the top of 2011, I worked on Dragon Age: Redemption starring Felicia Day with my good friend and stunt coordinator extraordinaire Thom Williams. He mentioned that he would be running a show in Virginia and if he could find me a spot, he'd bring me on to work for him. Sure enough, he kept his promise and brought me to my home state to stunt up a ruckus on a movie called "To Have and To Hold." Good man! Check out this vlog I shot on the prep process in the hair and makeup trailer:

Two months earlier, one of my favorite professors from my alma mater VCU invited me to speak at the school and share my experiences since I graduated in 2003.

Wow. Time flies! It felt like only yesterday I was running amok up and down the streets of Richmond, VA. But it's been seven years!

hamming it up at a bboy battle for MTV's Campus Invasion (circa 2003)

When I entered the university, I had no idea what I wanted to concentrate on. The only passion that motivated me was the same drive that I had from my younger years: making movies to entertain the masses, bringing people together, and giving something back to this world to make it a better place.

But I knew the path to becoming a successful actor and stuntman in Hollywood would be a challenging one, so I'd need as much help as I could get. For that reason, I studied Mass Communications to learn the best way I could reach out to large audiences and share my gifts.

Seven years later, I'm revisiting my home state to shoot a feature film.

I'm so thankful every day to be blessed with the opportunity to do what I love and absolutely love what I do. If you can visualize the dream in your mind and connect to the love in your heart, the universe will find a way to bring it all together.

Live in love, baby!

Good day, Mr. Holmes!

“Just curious, Alex…and please, take no offense, but those shoes you’re wearing: are they made for riding a Vespa scooter along the Italian countryside?”

Ah yes, he’s got jokes. The shoes I was wearing were beat up FeiYues from my Wushu competition days, and the person asking me was none other than one of the wittiest personalities in Hollywood (and very simply, such an awesome guy!), Mr. Robert Downey, Jr.

I’ve admired Robert’s work for quite some time (more recently Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Due Date, Tropic Thunder, and of course the Ironman movies) but this time I got to be a part of the process! My good friend MarkosRounthwaite called and asked if I’d be interested in helping him and Fight Choreographer/Wing Chun Master Eric Orum in developing one of the sequences for the upcoming second installment of Sherlock Holmes, “A Game of Shadows.” Um. YES PLEASE.

The great thing about working with Robert is that he works incredibly hard and is absolutely disciplined through one of his main focuses in life, martial arts. The tie that binds! Coming up with the choreography was such a creative experience and working with the guys was nothing short of a blast. Check out the movie, hitting theaters on December 16, 2011!

Puerto Ricooooo!

It’s a rarity that I ever slow down, but every so often a shark needs to stretch out his fins and swim a couple laps with his fellow marine buddies!

Puerto Rico's just as beautiful upside down

Over a year ago, one of my best friends and I were sitting at a taco stand along the San Diego coastline discussing his wedding plans. The conventional ceremony was obviously an option, but extraordinary people propose exciting adventures for any occasion! Thus, he and his wife got married in BEAUTIFUL Puerto Rico!

During my stay in Old San Juan, my friends and I kayaked in the pitch black darkness of a new moon night in the bioluminescent bays, surfed the tropically warm Atlantic Ocean waves, and brought the "Bernie" back (be forewarned, it’s a dance for the grown and sexy ha)!

the boys and their boards

paddling into the deep blue sea

testing out the planking fad.
...on a castle wall.

let's flyyy!

Traveling to great places, making new friends, spending the best times with old pals, celebrating every moment to the fullest...living in love!

triple (GQ) Bernies @ Casa De España

Concrete Jungle Where Dreams Are Made Of...

New York City has housed me three times in the past few months and I ain’t got no shame! Why would I when I’m visiting (in my humble opinion) THE GREATEST CITY IN THE WORLD! After all, it is the city that birthed me!

Several things have brought me back to the Big Apple recently…work, meetings, shows, promo events, and (of course) my friends and family! It’s such an amazing city full of timeless awe and I discover something new every time.

Tamara, myself, and my best friends!

Upon my first arrival I met up with my friend Tamara Levinson, one of the stars of Fuerza Bruta and my choreographer for the Britney Spears project in which I moved my body like a snake! She helped develop the crazy imaginative show with an Argentinian flare and every moment keeps you fully engaged. It entertains completely and magnificently and its grand finale is like the party you’ve always wanted to go to!

The most fun I've ever had watching someone else swim overhead

Even the pups have style

My second time around out I caught the tail end of Fashion Week. Every individual has such an eclectic artistry and how it manifests itself is equally unique. Just walking down the street in Manhattan is like watching a runway show (please refer to one of my favorite documentaries this year, Bill Cunningham New York)! 

Sporting my 'hipster/photographer' look

Three’s a charm and no doubt I experienced the charms of New York City to the fullest! I checked out the architectural marvel of Highline Park, passing by some wickedly dressed cosplayers from the New York Comic Con! Insane amounts of creativity! Cheers to the Comic world…love you guys and dolls!

It was a gorgeous day so I after the Highline I hiked uptown to Central Park where I took a nice stroll (aka got completely lost).

Lastly I hopped on the A-C-E to the World Trade Center Site. The lines for the Memorial were really long, but a visit to the Tribute WTC Visitors Center co-founded by Lee Ielpi was totally worth the trip. I heard his story on NPR one Sunday morning and was so moved by his strength that I had to see it. If you get a chance, definitely check it out. There’s truly great power and honor in the humble memorial.

"Love conquers all."

A city fueled by passion, inspiration, and love.

Very simply, I love New York.

It's been a long time...

...I shouldn't have left you without a dope beat to step to! *

Wow! It's been over 2 months since I've given you all some quality bloggage to munch on (slapping my own wrist!) I owe you some goodies, and no doubt these past couple weeks have been chock full of fantastical events for y'all to marinate on!

I'll be sure to fill you in with the details in upcoming posts. In the meantime, here's a taste of what's been going on in my world!

(*great line from the soundtrack of Jet Li's "Romeo Must Die")