Darren Shahlavi

Darren Majian Shahlavi (5 August 1972 – 14 January 2015) was an English actor, martial artist and stuntman.

Shahlavi was born to Iranian immigrant parents at Stockport, Cheshire, England, on 5 August 1972.

At the age of 7, he started studying Judo in a rented acting theatre, where he would arrive early to peek at the actors performing.

After discovering the films of Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan, he dreamed of appearing in action films.

He began training in Shotokan Karate at the age of 14 under Sensei Dave Morris and Horace Harvey; and later boxing, kickboxing and Muay Thai at Master Toddy's gym in Manchester.

At 16, Shahlavi started to pursue a career in film and got the attention of Hong Kong action cinema expert Bey Logan in the early 1990s.

According to Logan's commentary on the Tai Chi Boxer DVD, Shahlavi spent time at Logan's home watching, studying and copying martial art films from Logan's personal collection.

In an interview with the Persian Mirror, Shahlavi mentioned that Logan wrote a script for him to star in, and off he went to Malaysia.

On arrival, however, it became apparent that no money was in place, and Logan's partner Mark Houghton put Shahlavi to work as a stuntman.

Shahlavi later moved to Hong Kong to pursue his acting career.

After moving to Hong Kong in the mid-1990s to pursue a career in action cinema, Shahlavi was discovered by famed martial arts choreographer and director Yuen Woo-ping, who signed him to play the bad guy opposite Jacky Wu in Tai Chi Boxer.

At the time, Shahlavi was working as a nightclub bouncer and a bodyguard for visiting celebrities.

After Tai Chi Boxer was released in Hong Kong cinemas, Seasonal Films Corporation boss Ng See-yuen and director Tony Leung Siu-hung saw potential in Shahlavi and signed him for their Hong Kong and United States film Bloodmoon (1997).

The film, in which Shahlavi plays the villain opposite stars Gary Daniels and Chuck Jeffreys, remains a favourite with hardcore martial arts film fans.

Toward the end of his career, Shahlavi moved into the horror genre.

He worked with German gore and splatter filmmaker Olaf Ittenbach, whose films are often banned for their extreme violence.

Shahlavi starred in and choreographed fights in the films Legion of the Dead and Beyond the Limits, which are difficult to get in uncut form.

Shahlavi had done stunts in studio films such as Universal Studios The Chronicles of Riddick, 20th Century Fox's Night at the Museum and Warner Bros' 300 often making an on-screen cameo as an inside joke such as the sleeping guard who can't fight in In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale in which he was the stunt double for Ray Liotta for the fighting scenes with Jason Statham which were choreographed by Ching Siu-tung.

In an interview, Shahlavi had expressed a desire to get back to making martial arts films after completing work on a film with action star Mark Dacascos, and also appeared on Intelligence, and as a guest star on the American series Reaper.

Shahlavi was known primarily for in martial arts films such as Bloodmoon, Tai Chi Boxer, the 2010 film Ip Man 2, Beyond the Limits, 300, Watchmen, The Final Cut, BloodRayne, and In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale.

In 2010, Shahlavi landed a major role in the film Ip Man 2 starring Donnie Yen, Sammo Hung, Lynn Hung and Huang Xiaoming, as the villain Taylor "The Twister" Milos.

Although he appeared only in the latter part of the film, he served as the film's main antagonist, his boxing fight with Hung and eventual defeat by Yen forming the film's climax.

Shahlavi appeared in the psychological dark thriller film Red Riding Hood, and appeared in Mortal Kombat: Legacy as Kano.

He played Devon in the 2013 film The Package alongside Dolph Lundgren and WWE Hall of Famer Stone Cold Steve Austin.

Shahlavi played Cazel in the 2013 film The Marine 3: Homefront, along with Neal McDonough and WWE star Mike "The Miz" Mizanin.

On 14 January 2015, Shahlavi died in his sleep at the age of 42 from a heart attack caused by atherosclerosis.

Shahlavi appears in his final film in the 2016 film Kickboxer: Vengeance as Eric Sloane, remake of the 1989 film Kickboxer (1989 film), along with Alain Moussi, Dave Bautista and original Kickboxer film star Jean-Claude Van Damme.