Ernie Reyes Jr. (born January 15, 1972)[1] is an American actor and martial artist, known for his acting work in films such as The Last Dragon, Red Sonja (1985), as Donatello's stuntman in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze (1991), Surf Ninjas (1993) and The Rundown (2003). He has also done stunt work in films such as Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, as well as motion capture stunts in films such as Avatar and Alice in Wonderland. His TV work includes season 3 episode 4 of Highway to Heaven, dramas such as the short-lived Sidekicks (in which he co-starred with Gil Gerard), and NCIS: Los Angeles and reality TV series such as Final Fu.
Ernie Reyes Jr. | |
|---|---|
 Ernie Reyes Jr. at a 2009 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 25th anniversary | |
| Born | Ernie E. Reyes Jr. January 15, 1972 San Jose, California, United States |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, martial artist |
| Years active | 1985–present |
Early life
editReyes was born in San Jose, California, to actor/stuntman Ernie Reyes Sr. and is the grandson of Filipino immigrants.[2][3] He has three brothers and two sisters, one of whom, Lee, is a boxer and another, Santino Ramos, is a filmmaker/artist. By age 6, Reyes had joined his father's West Coast Demo Team.[citation needed]
Career
editReyes made his film debut at age 13 in the 1985 film The Last Dragon. The same year he shared the screen with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Brigitte Nielsen in Red Sonja. During this time, he also had his own television series, Sidekicks, a spin-off of the original Walt Disney one-time special The Last Electric Knight, alongside Gil Gerard presented by Michael Eisner.[2] He also appeared in an episode of the hit television series MacGyver in 1988.[4] Reyes had starring roles in Surf Ninjas, the second Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film, The Secret of the Ooze, as Keno, the pizza delivery boy. He also served as the martial arts stunt double for Donatello in the first Ninja Turtles film.[5] He later appeared in films such as Rush Hour 2 playing Zing[6] and in The Rundown alongside WWE wrestler Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.[5] Reyes guest starred in three episodes of the TV series Kung Fu: The Legend Continues alongside David Carradine.[7]
In 2006, Reyes hosted the MTV martial arts reality show Final Fu.[8]
Reyes has a professional fight record of 3–0 in Strikeforce which was a large mixed martial arts organization but started out as a Muay Thai and kickboxing organization. Ernie fought Anthony Elkaim the WKA ISKA Champion. Reyes knocked out the champion in the 3rd round. His next two fights would be won by decision, including a unanimous decision over Veasna Thach,[9] which aired on ESPN. Ernie Reyes Jr.'s fight against the champion Anthony Elkaim also aired on ESPN.[10][11][12][13]
Reyes has done motion capture stunts for blockbuster films such as Avatar and Alice in Wonderland.[14] He also played a cemetery warrior in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull who gets killed by his own poison dart. Reyes guest starred on NCIS: Los Angeles "The Frozen Lake" playing "Jay Thapa", a Nepalese soldier who is an expert in knife-fighting.
Personal life
editThis section of a biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification. (November 2021) |
In June 2015, it was reported that Reyes was suffering from kidney failure and was in need of a transplant. According to his sister, Reyes undergoes dialysis three times per week for four hours each day. His family set up a GoFundMe campaign to help raise $75,000 for his medical expenses.[15][16] In August 2022, Reyes revealed that the transplant had been successful and that he was healthy.[citation needed]
Reyes married his wife Lisa in 2009. They have two children, Lotus Blossom and Phoenix.[17]
Filmography
editAs actor
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | The Last Dragon | Tai (Karate Student) | |
| Red Sonja | Prince Tarn | ||
| 1986 | Sidekicks | Ernie Lee | |
| 1988 | MacGyver | Luke Chen | |
| 1989 | Ernie and Master Kim | Ernie | |
| 1990 | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles | Donatello | As martial arts stunt double |
| 1991 | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze | Keno | |
| Secret Bodyguard | Ernie Rey | ||
| 1993 | Kung Fu: The Legend Continues | Emperor Sing Ling | |
| Surf Ninjas | Johnny | Also associate producer | |
| 1995 | White Wolves II: Legend of the Wild | Steve | |
| 1996 | Paper Dragons | ||
| Small Time | Marty | ||
| 1998 | The Ultimate Fight a.k.a. The Process | Jesse | Also Director |
| 2001 | Rush Hour 2 | Zing | |
| 2002 | Poolhall Junkies | Tang | |
| 2003 | The Rundown | Manito | |
| 2007 | Redline | Ernie | |
| 2008 | Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull | Cemetery Warrior | |
| 2009 | The Red Canvas a.k.a. The Art of Submission | Johnny Sanchez | Also Executive Producer |
| 2013–15 | NCIS: Los Angeles | Jay Thapa | 2 episodes: "The Frozen Lake" and "Expiration Date" |
| 2014 | Ninja Apocalypse | Hiroshi | |
| 2017 | The Librarians | Monkey King | Episode: "And the Fatal Separation" |
| 2018 | Brooklyn Nine-Nine | Bob #2 | Episode: "The Negotiation" |
| 2018 | The Next Kill | Badass Blue-Shirt-Wearing Pizza-Loving Surfer Dude | |
| 2018-2021 | Superstore | Customer; Ernesto; Candle customer | 3 episodes: "Toxic Workplace" "Cloud 9 Academy" and "Perfect Store" |
| 2018 | Uncharted Live Action Fan Film | El Tigre |
As stunt performer
edit| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles | Fight/Stunt Double: Donatello |
| 1991 | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze | Fight/Performer: Keno |
| 2009 | Avatar | Utility Stunts |
| 2010 | Alice in Wonderland | Stunt Double: Tweedledee |
| 2011 | Act of Valor | Stunts |
Kickboxing record
edit| 3 Wins (1 KO), 0 Losses | ||||||||
| Date | Result | Opponent | Event | Location | Method | Round | Time | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005-10-00 | Win |  Ryan Fotheringham |
Strikeforce | San Jose, California, US | Decision | 5 | 3:00 | 3-0 |
| 1999-00-00 | Win |  Veasna Thach |
Strikeforce | San Jose, California, US | Decision (unanimous) | 5 | 3:00 | 2-0 |
| 1998-00-00 | Win |  Anthony Elkaim |
Strikeforce | Milan, Italy | KO | 3 | 1-0 | |
| Legend: Win Loss Draw/No contest Notes | ||||||||
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Ernie Reyes Jr". AllMovie. Retrieved 2018-07-22.
- ^ a b Wiltens, Jim (June 1987). "Big and Little Ernie Reyes: Sidekicks for Life". Black Belt. 25 (6): 59.
- ^ Mendoza, Mariecar (April 24, 2017) [April 24, 2017]. "Martial arts demo showcase 'real-life little superheroes' at Silicon Valley Comic Con". The San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on March 27, 2023. Retrieved September 2, 2024.
- ^ Rizzo, Francis (2005-08-25). "MacGyver - The Complete Third Season". DVD Talk. Retrieved 2016-01-03.
- ^ a b Dornbush, Jonathon (2015-06-12). "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II's Ernie Reyes Jr. needs kidney transplant". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2016-01-03.
- ^ Rothman, Michael (2015-06-12). "'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' Star Ernie Reyes Jr. Needs Kidney Transplant". ABC News. Retrieved 2016-01-03.
- ^ Remer, Justin (2014-07-07). "Kung Fu: The Legend Continues: The Complete First Season". DVD Talk. Retrieved 2016-01-03.
- ^ Iverson, Dan (2006-07-16). "The Final Fu". IGN. Retrieved 2016-01-03.
- ^ Fight Sports Championship Kickboxing – 'Ernie Reyes, Jr. vs. Veasna Thach' Episode Info – MSN TV Archived 2012-10-12 at the Wayback Machine. Tv.msn.com. Retrieved on 2011-07-25.
- ^ Ernie Reyes Jr. the fighter – Ernie Reyes Jr. Fan Site Archived 2010-10-01 at the Wayback Machine. Officialerniereyesjr.com. Retrieved on 2011-07-25.
- ^ ISKA Karate Ernie Reyes, JR fight. karateforums.com
- ^ Ernie Reyes Jr. – Sherdog Mixed Martial Arts Forums Archived 2011-09-28 at the Wayback Machine. Sherdog.net (2007-02-13). Retrieved on 2011-07-25.
- ^ Ernie Reyes, Jr. – MMA News Forums Archived 2011-07-19 at the Wayback Machine. Mmanews.com. Retrieved on 2011-07-25.
- ^ West, Jay (2011-03-10). "'Star Tours' flashback: The rapping C-3PO of 1987". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2016-01-03.
- ^ Takeda, Allison (June 12, 2015). "Ernie Reyes Jr., Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Actor, Needs a Kidney Transplant". Us Weekly. Retrieved June 13, 2015.
- ^ "'TMNT' Actor Ernie Reyes Jr. Needs Kidney Transplant". ABC News. 2015-06-13. Retrieved 2015-10-29.
- ^ "Ernie Reyes Jr. - Biography". IMDb.