Iko Uwais actually has director Gareth Evans to thank for his career playing out the way it did. As stated in Metro, Evans discovered the martial artist and decided to put him in his film, “Merantau.” They would collaborate yet again in arguably both of their biggest hits, “The Raid” and its sequel, “The Raid 2.” With impeccable fight choreography on display in both movies, Uwais became a force to be reckoned with, and it didn’t take long until the rest of Hollywood took notice.
Uwais appeared in Keanu Reeves’ directorial debut, 2013’s “Man of Tai Chi.” He even has a small blink-and-you’ll-miss-it role in “Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens” as Razoo Qin-Fee. But if you really want to see what Uwais is capable of as an actor, you need to check out the Indonesian action flick, “Headshot.” Uwais plays a man with amnesia who goes to war with a crime syndicate to protect the doctor who saved him, and it’s currently available to watch on Netflix.
No matter what Uwais stars in, from a comedy like “Stuber” to a big Hollywood franchise like “Snake Eyes,” it’s a safe bet Uwais will always put up a good fight on screen. And even though “The Expendables 4” isn’t getting stellar reviews, the fight work is on point as always, and that’s largely thanks to this one-of-a-kind actor.
