From A Star To The Moon

Ever since I was five years old, I've had the same dream: to bring people together, entertain, and give back to this world. It's a personal mission of mine to brighten the lives of the people I come into contact with every day. I'm truly grateful to be able to share my gifts and blessings with audiences all over the world through my work, and I thank God for every moment that I get that opportunity.

So when I was asked by my good friends - spoken word artist In-Q and acting coach Anthony Gilardi - to share what my motivation is, I wanted to express my thoughts and feelings through my artistry.

Here is the personal monologue that I shared.

Up, Up, Here We Go!

Another great day hanging around the office...

I just wrapped shooting a hilarious commercial where I play a paramedic that saves the lives of emasculated men by swooping in and reviving them with a popular snack food. So much fun!  I still pinch myself sometimes when I'm awake to see if I'm dreaming!

Behind-the-Scenes: Stunts with Ken Jeong

I’ve penned quite a few handfuls of blog entries about my experiences with the remarkably talented Ken Jeong, so this time I’ve decided to share a short video of he and I working together. Enjoy!

Fit For Fun Magazine

 

"Alex Huynh is a stellar young actor and stuntman who arrived in Hollywood on the wings of a Pegacorn. That's something like the love-child of a Pegasus and a Unicorn. Pretty magical. He trained in Wushu, and the technique he is performing is called 'puff face-limber legs' which is wildly popular in America."

Okay, maybe that's not the exact translation, but the German fitness magazine Fit For Fun did include me in their California Lifestyle piece in their June 2011 issue! Here's a more accurate translation of the article:

"With other martial artists, the Wushu master founded Reelkick Stunt Team, in which they train each other in a variety of disciplines. But Alex, who has been a stunt double in cinema hits like "Pirates of the Caribbean III," is not just a fighter. Recently he's been training with others at the first freerunning academy in LA."

Britney's Snake Charmer

The project's working title was "Desiree." Now I have no clue who Desiree is, but I did know that the director I was auditioning for was someone I really wanted to work with. I've followed his career for years now, so to work with him was a big honor.

When I first moved to Los Angeles, I used to train at LA Valley College's open gym with a colorful mix of gymnasts, martial artists, and breakdancers. That's where I met Daniel "Cloud" Campos, one of the absolute sickest dancers I know. 

 

So when I heard that I was going to be auditioning for Cloud, needless to say, I was excited. With his choreographer, Tamara Levinson, by his side, I vibed out to the music and gave them the best show I could. 

A couple days later, I was on set for what I later learned was a music video for Britney Spears' "Femme Fatale" concert tour! Check out the screens behind her during her performance of "Boys!"

Just what the doctor ordered

Time and time again, I've gone on and on about how Ken Jeong is hands-down my favorite person to double in my career as a stuntman. People have asked me if it was because of the wild characters he plays on screen, from the B-team doctor in Knocked Up to the insanely hilarious criminal "Mr. Chow" in The Hangover and The Hangover 2, now out in theaters near you :)

But this article truly captures the reason I love the guy. I'm sure you'll feel a thump in your heart for him, too, after reading this touching letter.

For My Wife, in Celebration of Mother's Day
by Ken Jeong


If you don't mind, I'm going to take a step back from the naked Asian gangster persona you've come to love from those heartwarming Hangover films. I realize my temporary departure may be difficult for many of you, but given it's Mother's Day tomorrow, I'd like to do something nice for my wife, Tran. Something that doesn't involve me cursing like a sailor or exposing myself on movie screens across America. (Though Tran really appreciates that stuff too.)

In the middle of the most challenging time of our lives, Tran stood strong for our family and encouraged me to pursue my dream of leaving behind my career as a doctor to become a comedian. (I don't know how many wives would encourage that kind of insanity. But I was lucky mine did.)

Three years ago, as my wife and I were eagerly adapting to parenthood with our then 1-year-old twin girls, Alexa and Zooey, we received the most devastating news. Tran was diagnosed with a highly aggressive form of breast cancer. We were both in shock, and I was angry. How could this be happening to her? How could this be happening to us now, at what should be the happiest time of our lives? But her grace and poise in how she faced her own diagnosis made me realize I'd have to stand up and be the man she needed me to be -- the man who would match her strength and be her constant throughout her battle. We were in this together.

Throughout her grueling treatments -- 16 chemotherapy sessions, a mastectomy, followed by radiation -- I stood by her side in complete amazement as she drew from a strength I didn't know she possessed, until she became a mother. She fought back against cancer with everything she had for our girls, so that they would grow up knowing a mother's love, a mother's instinct, a mother's touch.

It was difficult to comprehend why this was happening to her at a time when she should be enjoying the first years of motherhood with her young children. I now believe there was a reason she was diagnosed when she was -- she had a mother's strength to draw from, and a stronger will to fight.

I won't lie, I was scared out of my mind -- worrying that in spite of her best efforts, the cancer would be too much for her. And I thought, how could I lose my wife, my best friend, the mother of my children? How would I explain this to Alexa and Zooey? How would I ever compensate for her not being in their lives? And I realized I couldn't... I would always fall short, because Tran is the most unbelievable mother. In the two years she battled this disease, she never once let it take away from the moments she had with our girls.

Then, the call came. A few months into her treatment, I was offered The Hangover. I was going to turn it down, but Tran encouraged me not to. She would not let her diagnosis change our lives or strip us from our dreams. For as long as we'd known each other, she'd been my biggest champion in my efforts to pursue a career in comedy. She knew this was my chance, and again, she selflessly put herself second. It was the hardest decision I had to make, and there were days I thought I'd made the biggest mistake, ready to pack my bags and come home. But, she wouldn't hear of it and continued to give me her love and support. I used my time on The Hangover as therapy -- channeling all of my frustrations into that insane role which allowed me to act out in ways no human being ever should.

When Tran was told she was cancer-free, it was the greatest moment of my life. In a way, it surpassed our wedding and the birth of our girls because it meant that we would be able to celebrate both of those moments, for the rest of our lives. In those two years, I fell in love with my wife all over again and discovered a deeper love and appreciation for her than I ever had. For that, I am thankful.

As doctors (Tran is a family medicine physician and I am an internal medicine physician), we're very aware that one out of every three women is affected by cancer, and about 39,840 women in the U.S. were expected to die in 2010 from breast cancer. And so as we celebrate Mother's Day in our house tomorrow, I'm reminded of how things could have been -- and so grateful for how they are. 

Let's reflect on the memory of all those moms we've lost, the moms who are in the fight against this vicious disease, and the moms we're so lucky to have with us, cancer-free. Launch a star in memory of someone you love at su2c.org.

Happy Mother's Day, Tran.
Love,
Alexa, Zooey and Ken

(Published from Huffington Post - http://huff.to/mQE2Zr)

Train hard. And when you're done, train some more!

Here's a peek into part of my weekly physical training regimen...enjoy!


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Detroit Jim

This is something I wrote when I was shooting Red Dawn in late fall of 2009. This man’s story really moved me and I just wanted to share it...

Detroit, Michigan

I was unusually late for work today. 

I’m almost never late. As a matter of fact, if I have a 5:00pm pickup, I’ll be there at most by 4:30pm just to be safe.

But it was 5:05pm, and I was late.

The first van had already taken off. When I got downstairs I threw my bag into the second van and jumped in. Myself and the driver sat for another ten minutes to see if anyone else would join us, but then I realized that all seven of the other guys had squeezed into that first van. So we were off, just me all by my lonesome in the van with just my driver. 

We sat in silence for a few minutes. He coasted through the Detroit rush hour traffic as I scurried through my things for work. Amongst my fumbling about, I pulled out my little prayer book to take a moment to collect my thoughts before the workday. The quiet was then broken by, “I got my first paycheck in four years today.”

It took a second to register what I had just heard. In a flash I thought about the rate of unemployment in Detroit and how this city’s been overlooked and left to wallow in its jobless decline. Once all of this processed, I was fascinated by the optimism of this statement and proceeded to talk with my driver. Little did I know that the conversation to follow would be one of the most unexpected moments of enlightenment of 2009.

His name’s Jim, and he’s had quite a challenging past few years.  Since 9-11, misfortunate has plagued this guy. It all started with his family business of 53 years being shut down because of economic hardship. Following that, his marriage of 30 years ended in divorce.

These events tore his spirits apart, and it took him years to muster up the courage to move forward. When he was finally ready, he fell deeply for someone. He was seeing her for about a year and a half, but one night she was killed in a terrible car accident. Knocked down again. But he continued to look forward. He’s been seeing his current girlfriend for about a year now, and they’re doing well. Sadly, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and had to have both of her breasts removed.

It sounds unearthly the trials this man has had to deal with. I listened intently as I connected with him through the rear-view mirror. I could feel his heart wrenching with each blush of red flushing through his face, his eyes becoming glassy with each tale.

But there was something else I saw that I didn’t expect to see: an unyielding amount of hope, optimism, and lots of faith. It seemed like no matter what this world threw his way, he looked upward and pressed forward. Never did it sound like he was bitter or blaming anyone.

When he told me the story of the deconstruction of his family’s business, he also mentioned that amidst all the financial withdrawals he had to make to try to salvage the shop (pulling out his entire life savings) he saved enough to put both of his children through college.

When he discussed the tremendous pain of his marriage dissolving, he reminded me that though the gravity of the breakup weighed down on him, he eventually rose out of the situation with a great friendship and the experience of an enriching relationship.

When he recounted with great difficulty the loss of his girlfriend in the car accident, his crumbled voice gathered enough strength to lightly murmur, “At least I met my soulmate.”

And when he informed me of his current girlfriend’s anguishing surgery, he told me that he still adores her with the same devoted eyes and that she’s absolutely beautiful to him.

He’s proud to have been able to see his children graduate with his hard-earned financial support. He’s thankful that he still has a life’s friend in his ex-wife. He appreciates his spirituality through the blessing of being able to know his soulmate. He loves his girlfriend unconditionally, no matter what the circumstances.

“I could have died a thousand times,” he said. “I might have never seen what I saw or went through the pain of half of those experiences.”

“But there’s someone up there watching me. Someone cares about me. God wouldn’t have challenged me if He didn’t think I could handle it. There’s a reason for everything, and I’m thankful to know that.”

In that moment, when I looked at his eyes through the rear-view mirror and saw him opening up his heart to me, I felt my own heart. The feeling of love, gratitude, pride, and spiritual connection resonated throughout my entire body.

I experienced a prayer of thanksgiving without even having to crack open my little prayer book.

Hearts all over the world...

The people of Japan have been devastated over the past couple months with extraordinarily terrifying natural disasters. Initially the news channels jumped all over the tragic events, responding with a great outpouring of aid. But as of recent, media coverage has dissipated. I'm not sure as to why, because the small country continues to get ravaged by one disaster after the next.

But it doesn't mean we can't do anything to help! Tonight I and my good friend/mentor James Lew attended a benefit concert to raise funds and awareness for the tsunami and earthquake victims in Japan. My homie Steve Terada and his group, Quest Crew, headlined the Thousand Hearts Japan Relief Benefit Show with talented artists such as Paul Dateh and Hiroshima.

It was a night filled with amazing performances and several Asian-American personalities, such as Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto, my Wushu brother Mark Dacascos, and (my personal favorite) Tamlyn Tomita!

Meeting a childhood crush of mine, Tamlyn Tomita (from Karate Kid 2)!

I've mentioned this in previous posts, but I really believe that we're all here in this world for a greater purpose. Each and every one of us can make a difference! Even if we touch one person's life with just a simple smile, that can make a lasting impression. We are more powerful than even we know!

"Your life will become better by making other people's lives better!" Will Smith

"Do you remember?" (these kids sure will!)

"Those are the years when you can become anything you want," says international pop sensation Jay Sean in regards to the importance of those pivotal years teenagers spend in high school.

Get Schooled, an organization driven to improve the graduation rates of high schoolers all around the country, and Power106 LA put together a pep rally to congratulate the students of Santee High School for their increased attendance over the past two years. What the students didn't know was that Get Schooled and Power had a bit of a surprise up their sleeves...Jay Sean! And I was fortunate to join him with my friend Mando Fresko as he donated $10,000 worth of computer equipment to the students of Santee High!

It's really inspiring to me when I see an artist who's achieved great success give back to the community. I truly believe that we all have a social responsibility (especially if there are folks who look up to us) and this isn't Jay's first altruistic deed! He works with Keep a Child Alive (founded by Alicia Keys) and for his birthday he asked people to donate to charity instead of giving him gifts. The gift itself is giving and that doesn't only brighten one person's life...it touches so many more!

If you drop a pebble in a pond, ripples cross the entire pond. See the joy of giving back and drop that pebble...your ripples will reach beyond your own imagination!