Climb On!

Let’s face it: I’m sheepish around heights.

So when my awesome friends (and fellow stunt folks) Matt Berberi and Tara Macken asked me if I wanted to go rock climbing, I was slightly hesitant. They said that if anything, I could hike with them to the rock wall and just enjoy the day outdoors. So in the spirit of living every moment of my life as a new adventure, I accepted with open arms.

take a moment, just breathe...

We met up with our guide, stunt rigger and climbing legend, Jeff Constine. Upon introduction, he fitted me for a harness and had me carry rope up to the climbing spot. Once we were there, there was no backing down…get on that wall!

My friends are so tricky.

The first climb was rough, shaking off nerves mostly, but after that one was out of the way, climbing some of the other routes was somewhat of a breeze. Then came the real challenge…Jeff set up a route that spanned a hundred foot vertical, and it was no breeze.

look up, smile at the sun...

The first 50 feet was extremely difficult. A nearly vertical incline, it was mentally taxing because you really had to make solid moves. The next 25 feet was slightly simpler but physically exhausting. At 75 feet above the ground, my body wanted to give up. At this point, all the ghosts of my past, my pains, and my inner critic tried to flood my mind and make me give up.

keep climbing up toward greatness!

But my friends weren’t going to let me. I wasn’t going to let me. Never back down...gotta live fearless! So after fighting and defeating my inner demons (and a couple fist pounds to the wall), I took it one step at a time. Focus on the moment, look at what’s in front of you and make your educated moves with faith in something greater and believe in yourself. Get a good footing, don’t look back, just keep climbing up toward the sun. I stayed centered and took one great leap of faith to grab a stronghold, and as I pushed up, I noticed I was at the top of my line. I had reached the top.

Hanging off the side of a gloriously challenging rock wall 100 feet above the earth tested my outer and inner strength. As I exhaled and relaxed my body, I opened my eyes to what I had just accomplished and took in the view. It was breathtakingly beautiful.

I never thought in my life I would have done anything like this, but with the support and encouragement of really great friends, an awesome guide, and an unstoppable spirit inside me, I did it. I can do anything!

Love Bites

My most favorite person that I’ve ever doubled is The Hangover and Community’s Ken Jeong…hands down!

NBC has a hilarious new show coming out called Love Bites, which focuses on the ups and downs of romance in the modern world. Myself and a group led by the direction of the legendary stunt coordinating team Al and Brett Jones were given the task of imitating zero-gravity, as the episode we were shooting takes place in space. Ken, along with Eddie McClintock (Warehouse 13) and Isaiah Mustafa (the Old Spice guy!) were the astronauts we floated on the earthly set.

Ken is a tremendously talented actor whose imagination is just as vibrant as his comedic chops! I can truly say that his personal character inspires me not just for its professional quality but also because of his encouraging and positive nature. Even though the show’s called Love Bites, I’ve got nothing but love!

Talking to the Moon

When I was a kid I used to think the moon was Planet Heaven. I’d look up at it and wander off into conversation with my mom. I still do this to this day, and usually after I've finished talking I wave and send my love.

It took almost 25 years, but someone finally wrote a beautiful song about my mom and me. So when I got the phonecall to work with Bruno Mars on an online viral short, I was honored.

One of my favorite sounds in the world is laughter, and when I’m hanging out with my friend DJ Mando Fresko of Los Angeles’ Power106 FM, the room is filled with it! He and I are jokers by nature and we’ve been collaborating on comedic side projects. When we got the call that Mando’s friend (and also Billboard chart topper) Bruno Mars wanted in, we got to work!

We only had a couple hours to put together an idea, but I cranked out a storyboard and we were on our way!

I’ll post up a link to the video when it becomes public. In the meantime, check out Bruno’s new album, Doo Wops and Hooligans (“Talking to the Moon” “Count On Me” and “Today My Life Begins” are my personal favorites) as well as my homie Mando on Power106 every night!

SOLO

Brawling…in space?

That’s one of the elements behind an exciting new season of one of the web’s most unique online series, SOLO. The series creator, Jonathan Nail, offered me the opportunity to dust off my Fight Choreographer hat and sport it proudly...and I jumped on it!

Look out for the episodes I choreographed on watchsolo.com!

Treasure Hunt

It’s like digging for treasure. Treasure that makes a great meal!

I took a short vacation to visit my family in Virginia and we made a trip out to the beaches of Hampton where we met up with some friends who owned a seafood company. We all boated out to a private island to spend the day, and after working up an appetite we jumped into the mushy muddy waters to dig for dinner.

I’ve never done it before, but emerging from the water with around 3 dozen clams in your arms feels like a pretty sweet accomplishment!

UNAVSA 2010

“Live in love!”

Invited as a guest speaker at the Union of North American Vietnamese Student Association’s annual convention, that was the main message I wanted to deliver. So I boarded a plane and headed to the nation’s capitol!

Since I was five years old, I’ve known what I wanted to do in my life: I want to entertain, I want to bring people together, and I want to give back to the people of this world by contributing the gifts of which I’ve been blessed. The theme of this year’s convention was “Uncommon Power for the Common Voice,” so it’s only appropriate that I share my words and impart the wisdom I’ve gained in my young life to empower my attentive audience.

I’ve been so blessed thus far in my life with such amazing experiences both in my professional and personal life, and I want to share my passion for living with everyone.
We should always bring the best of our physical, spiritual, mental, and emotional selves forward and do so in every breathing moment. It’s your unique and individual gift that only you can give to this world!

Vien Dong Newspaper

Photoshoots always make me laugh.

I’m not sure as to why...maybe it’s the feeling of the camera right in your face that reminds me of how I’d burst out laughing at the optometrist’s office when she was examining my eyes from an inch away. Or maybe my inner wild child giggles at having to take myself so seriously. Nevertheless, photographer (and bboy extraordinaire) Vincent Nguyen did a spectacular job snapping pictures for this recent article in Vien Dong Daily Newspaper.

Vincent was kind enough to provide me with an English translation for anyone who doesn’t read Vietnamese proficiently (a la myself). Thanks! 

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Alex Huynh, age 28, is a passionate Vietnamese American born in New York and raised in Virginia. He came to Los Angeles in 2004 after graduating from Virginia Commonwealth University to pursue one of his passions, acting. Of course, his parents were hesitant and preferred that he apply for graduate school but he asked them to give him 6 months in LA. If he landed a gig then he would have fulfilled his dream and if not then he would return home to pursue business. Luckily, after 5 months of searching and auditioning, a producer saw Alex practicing in the gym and was so impressed that he asked Alex if he was interested in pursuing a career in acting/performing. Thus began his dream.

Since 2004 Alex has been in many feature films either as a stuntman or a supporting cast member. He has worked on Hancock as “Gun Nut,” the Asian Gangster at the beginning of the film and has personally met and spoken to Will Smith who he highly respects. Also, he was a stuntman in Pirates of the Caribbean 3 and the recently released Airbender. Alex also had smaller roles in television and video game productions such as HBO’s Entourage and he is also currently working on the very popular game Call of Duty: Black Ops as an American Marine named Crosby. In additional to his growing career, he also carries 3 gold medals for the US Olympic Wushu team!

Alex started martial arts at an early age and it has grown into another one of his passions. He started around age 9 because his parents wanted him to become healthier and stronger since he got sick too often. Well, his parents must’ve known what they were doing since he loved it since day 1 and after winning many amateur competitions and training for years he was scouted by a well-known coach (also Jet Li’s teammate) from Beijing. In 2003 he tried out for the US team and made it. He brought home 3 gold medals in his two year term on the team. Years later Alex still practices Wushu because he loves it and it keeps him in shape.

So this summer Alex is living his life and his dream. He trains daily to maintain his Wushu and lives life with an amazing outlook. Recently he gave a speech for UNAVSA (Union of North American Vietnamese Student Association) on his life experiences, appreciating success, and fulfilling your personal happiness. Alex believes that you should always be true to yourself and everything will follow through in the end. As you can see, he definitely speaks from experience.

Lights Camera ACTION Reel 2010!

Drumroll, please! Introducing my newest action reel for 2010! Hope you like it!

Mic Check

Phew! Who knew that voiceover was such a tough gig!

I’ve been going in the studio for ADR sessions and leaving tuckered out...screaming in Vietnamese is no easy task! Thank goodness for tea, lozenges, and intensive vocal training!

The sessions have further reinforced the importance of my voice as an actor. As one of my coaches, Susan Rumor, says, “every great actor needs a powerful and connected voice in order to convey the depth and range of their characters.” It’s such a thrilling feeling when you get to experience that connection!

Behind-the-Scenes with the Tarot Stuntman

Here’s a Behind-the-Scenes interview with Brian, the Tonight Show with Jay Leno’s Backstage Correspondent!

And if you missed it, here’s a short clip from the skit I did with Brian Palermo on the show! Enjoy!