Dan's Movie Report: Andre "Chyna" McCoy Exclusive Interview! Behind The Action!

Monday, October 14, 2013

Andre "Chyna" McCoy Exclusive Interview! Behind The Action!

After working on the Matrix over 15 years ago Andre "Chyna" Mccoy has blazed his own path on the road to action. Never following the typical set of standards, always working out his own dreams, maintaining his unwavering individuality, Chyna is a seething force, unstoppable, unrelenting, yet grounded and loyal. Dan's Movie Report will now delve inside the intricate mind of the action legend, time for a trip to Chyna! Prepare for impact, and the most brutally honest interview I have ever unleashed!

Chyna, thanks for taking the time to do this interview. Chat about your leap from stunts to acting, it must hard for stunt people to make it in acting.

I know for a fact it takes a director that believes in them, but I got lucky because if you remember I was the first to do it

in Game Over. They even told me at the meeting I am the only one in Hollywood at that time who could act and fight being I was a stuntman.which got me the lead in Game Over and went on from there nowadays if you are stunts you better stay there

What other roadblocks have you encountered?

Race, look, size...

That still seems to be an issue, sadly?

Fuck yeah!

Some things never change, shifting directions to other aspects of film, what are your feelings on women in the action genre, like Z Bell etc.. seems cool as a balance

Z is my girl, she's a beast, she's been in the game a long time, love her, we need more like her.

Some of the ladies really work hard.

Actually my very first experience was from a stunt Woman.

Chat about it, how did it happen, who was she?

She introduced me to the game and told me not to do it, she was Angela basset's stunt double.

I respect Angela, one of my favorite actresses.

She said I had a great look and I should go after acting because the stunt world is hard, dangerous, and clickish and you could seriously get killed. She died right after that, on Vampire in Brooklyn, I was devastated. (ED note: Sonja Davis perished on a dangerous falling stunt, according to sources: (She was performing a 45 foot jump/fall, and she miscalculated her landing. Her body hit the airbag but her head hit cement. She died several days later.)

Good advice, and yet foreboding advice, yeah I remember that stunt mishap. That is shattering when a stunt person is killed or seriously injured. Do you think the SAG union is doing enough to protect stunt people?

Nope, which is why I left SAG

What could the union do to help right the ship?

Make sure our contracts are written better. make sure they are fully covered even when they are out of the country. There are many things, and honestly I don't know what it is like today, I am no longer a stuntman, so things may have changed greatly.

Yes, I have heard rumblings from stunt people, after an injury it was difficult to get any work again

Then maybe things haven't changed. Maybe...I left the stunt world many many moons ago so I don't keep up on that end of the world.

You recently worked in China on Kung-Fu Hero, describe some of the differences between working in China and on US productions.

China productions treat you well, they are all about safety, they pay well, and they don't Bullshit around.

Cool setting up the shots, better technique etc...?

Even if the script isn't done, they are in full production, and full steam ahead and very fast and efficient as a team.

They also seem to care about the action more

They love the action they feel like this why skimp on the action and put all the money in the drama when action even in drama sells the film so for them every aspect is important.

I have heard some stories from Thailand of some folks not getting their full pay as promised, on Thai films. You have never encountered that?

Never done a Thai film or even had the chance to experience that part of the world I'm more based out of China.

I know Almen Wong did a film called Her Name is Cat Part 2 and was only paid 1/2 the money she was promised. Just can never be too careful 10,000 miles away. Looking out for you Chyna.

Was that a China based film ??

HK production though shot in Thailand.

Hmmm that's a whole different world HK I mainly work in Beijing, never worked in HK, totally different rules the works etc... when I worked on Kung- Fu Hero they said okay this is your pay how do you want it and they gave it to me in one lump sum.

Is Bejing opening up to western culture more since the 08 Olympics?

China period has always been open to western culture since the British were in power. Western medicine rules and people are no strangers to the western world. Ooops I mean to the Chinese culture

I saw you had lots of fans when you went there for Kung-Fu Hero the people out there really like movies?

Well not only movies but i'm a rare breed in China so to see someone like me in China who can do what they do is amazing to them

Yes, like a curiosity?

They called me Big Hero

Big hero. Cool Name!

Yes because any type of color isn't normal out there.

Diversity!

So when it shows up it's like WOW!

Wish there was not such a big deal about race and color in all films,a good actor or actress is just that, not a good black or good Asian.

Exactly.

Lets shift gears to your new film, Chat about Bullets Blades and Blood, how did you get involved?

Okay, BBB was an idea the creator had so I said well script time and he agreed so throughout the process of making the film he would ask me to help bring the script together. During that time he loved one of my characters from my Killers of Killers project called Jericho so he said I want to make you Jericho in this film and the rest is history.

Above Pic: Chyna in Bullets Blades and Blood!

Speaking of Killer of Killers where are you on that? New interest script etc.

Well we are in the financing phase of my new project Killer of Killers a high octane Assassin film which is written and created by me.. The script is done anyone of interest in Killers can go to http://killerofkillers.weebly.com/

A quick synopsis on Killers is: A hundred million dollar Bounty. An Elite Rouge Assassin. An Eclectic group of International Killers sent on a one way mission. Bring back a body bag or don't come back. "Killer of Killers"!

Above Pic: Chyna as Bayne, his film/web/tv concept. Click the link for full description of the warrrior! http://chynamccoy.wix.com/bayne-reborn

Cool will check it out, chat about some of your interests outside of film and hobbies.

Now when I'm not working on films, I love spending time and don't laugh, training, watching Family Guy.

Me too!

American Dad and Dragonball Z

I love the shows American Dad and Family Guy

me too, I have watched all episodes.

I spend my relaxing weekends watching all Japanese anime because I have been watching them since i was young. When it comes to Dragonball I only knew the Japanese versions before I even knew they did it in america.

I watched Star Blazers, did you ever check that one out?

Never watched S.B., but I watched a lot of Gargoyles, and Violence Jack.

Cool, lots of the stories on the JapAnime are intricate.

I also watched Ninja scroll, Mad Bull etc...

Interesting tastes in viewing you have, wrapping up the chat, what do you want to tell people getting into the acting business as advice

for the future.

Yes if you have a dream in acting, or whatever it may be never let anyone alter your thinking and mindset stay focused on the goal, pick up a camera, shoot yourself, make your own films starring you, and go for it!

The short films people are doing are cool for themselves, better than action reels, at times.

Awesome, I have even seen some Vine videos better than full features,

folks have ideas, and get them out into the universe!

I agree, make it happen, even if you go it alone!

Alone is where it starts, once you build it they will come.

One last thing. I almost forgot, you are returning to China for a new project, when do you leave?

Probably November, so another overseas project under my belt.

Do you know who else will be involved?

I don't say much I watch everyone else out there do there thing, and I usually talk about it after I am done and or leaving to do it

Thanks Chyna, keep me up to date on the new project, cannot wait to get photos and info, I think we have something, great interview, that is how it is done!