Tony Jaa

Tatchakorn Yeerum (born 1976), formerly Phanom Yeerum, better known internationally as Tony Jaa, is a Thai martial artist, actor, action choreographer, stuntman, and director. Known for his explosive martial arts stunt work, Jaa had his breakthrough in 2003 with Ong-Bak, which earned him international recognition and spawned two sequels.

Jaa began training in Muay Thai at age 8, and fought at temple fairs as a Muay Thai fighter during his time in surin when he was discovered by filmmaker Panna Rittikrai. He worked as a stuntman for Muay Thai Stunt for 14 years, before making the transition to acting. His first lead role was as Ting in Ong-Bak (2003), which earned him a Star Entertainment Award. He went on to star in the prequels Ong Bak 2 (2008) and Ong Bak 3 (2010), both of which he directed. In 2005, he portrayed Kham in Tom-Yum-Goong, a role he reprised in the sequel, Tom Yum Goong 2 (2013). Furious 7 (2015) marked his first English-speaking role, and SPL II: A Time for Consequences (2015) marked his Hong Kong debut. His other notable films include XXX: Return of Xander Cage, Paradox (both 2017), Master Z: Ip Man Legacy (2018), Triple Threat (2019), and Detective Chinatown 3 (2021).