Panom Yeerum (read: Pa-nom Yee-rum, Thai: พนม ยีรัมย์) (born on February 5, 1976), better known in the West as Tony Jaa, is a martial arts actor and choreographer who is skilled in Muay Thai, Taekwondo, Aikido, Pencak Silat, Krabi Krabong, gymnastics, and track & field. He was born in the Surin Province of northeastern Thailand.
Jaa initially worked as a stuntman, appearing in the movie Mortal Kombat: Annihilation. His first major movie, in which he played the lead character, was Ong-Bak: Muay Thai Warrior (องค์บาก) (2003). Jaa did all the stunts in this movie without mechanical assistance or computer-generated effects. He claims to have been inspired by the Chinese martial artists and action movie stars Bruce Lee, Jet Li, and Jackie Chan, although his fighting style in Ong-Bak remains loyal to his Thai roots. Included in his style are extreme acrobatics and speedy, dance-like, moves.
His second major movie is Tom-Yum-Goong (ต้มยำกุ้ง; see also Tom yum kung (ต้มยำกุ้ง)). This movie enjoyed even greater success in Thailand and Hong Kong than Ong-Bak when released. Variety magazine recently reported that Tony Jaa's next film will be called The Man of Thousand Poisons.
Selected filmography
- Sword (2006)
- Tom-Yum-Goong (2005)(as Tony Ja) .... Kham
- The Bodyguard (2004) (as Panom Yeerum) .... Supermarket fighter
- Ong-Bak: Muay Thai Warrior aka "Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior" (2003) .... Ting
External links
- Tony Jaa Unofficial fan site
- Suicide Girls Interview
- Time Asia Interview
- Tom-yum-goong
- Tony Jaa at Reims, France. (WMV)
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