Yayan Ruhian (born 19 October 1968) is an Indonesian martial artist and actor. He is known for co-starring in Gareth Evans' films The Raid (2011) as Mad Dog, The Raid 2 (2014) as Prakoso, Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) as Tasu Leech,[2] and Beyond Skyline (2017) as the police chief.[3] He reprises this role in Skylines (2020).
Yayan Ruhian | |
|---|---|
 Yayan Ruhian interviewed on Ini Talkshow in May 2017 | |
| Born | October 19, 1968 |
| Nationality | Indonesian |
| Occupation(s) | Martial Artist, actor |
| Notable work | |
| Height | 157 cm (5 ft 2 in) |
| Spouse |
Wawa Suwartini (m. 1997) |
| Children | 3[1] |
| Signature | |
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Life and career
editYayan Ruhian was born in Tasikmalaya, West Java, Indonesia on 19 October 1968. By the age of 13, hoping to "show his masculinity", he began studying the traditional martial art pencak silat;[4] his father had practiced karate. Yayan Ruhian trained with what later became Pencak Silat Tenaga Dasar, eventually becoming a trainer and referee, although he later learned that this disqualified him from participating in tournaments.[5] By the mid-2000s Yayan Ruhian had taught pencak silat in countries such as Belgium, France, and the Netherlands, and also learned several further martial arts techniques, such as aikido.[2][6] He also worked as a hand-to-hand instructor for the Indonesian National Police.[7]
In 2008, Yayan Ruhian was asked by Gareth Evans to help with the choreography for his film Merantau. He also auditioned for the role of Eric, later stating that he did not care if he was cast, so long as he did his best. He received the part, and Merantau was released in 2009.[4] In the film, his character, an antagonistic and diminutive martial artist, is capable of overcoming a considerably larger man in moments.[8] Afterwards, he had several people approach him and ask to study silat, although some called him Eric.[6]
Yayan Ruhian played Mad Dog in Evans' 2011 film The Raid,[4] and handled the fight choreography together with costar Iko Uwais.[6] Evans described the character as "such an unrelenting, cold, irredeemable psychopath that when he kills someone, he wants to feel it", such that he would rather kill a man bare-handed than shoot him.[9] Manohla Dargis of The New York Times described the character as the film's stand-out, "a commanding physical presence".[10]
After this performance, Yayan's likeness and the term gereget (used by his character) became a memetic image macro on the internet. In a 2014 interview, Yayan Ruhian stated that he did not mind the memes, as the individuals posting them could not create such macros if they had not seen the film.[6] The magazine Tempo reported in June 2012 that Yayan and Iko had gone to Hollywood to handle choreography for an American remake of the film.[11]
Evans' 2014 release, The Raid 2, cast Yayan Ruhian as Prakoso, an assassin and confidant of mafia kingpin Bangun (Tio Pakusadewo).[4][12] Recognising that Yayan Ruhian had already been identified with Mad Dog, Evans emphasized that Prakoso was a new character: a failed father and husband, aged sixty, who is nevertheless a faithful employee.[13] As with the earlier film, Yayan worked with Iko Uwais on choreography.[12] Charlotte O'Sullivan of the London Evening Standard found Yayan's portrayal of Prakoso "sublime", writing that "when his body starts flying through the air, you feel as if you’re reading his life story".[14]
In mid-2014, it was announced that Yayan Ruhian would appear in Takashi Miike's Yakuza Apocalypse: The Great War of the Underworld, playing alongside Hayato Ichihara as Kyoken. In this film, penned by Yoshitaka Yamaguchi, a Yakuza member is caught in international intrigue after discovering that his boss is a vampire.[15]
In December 2014 it was reported Yayan Ruhian would appear in the Indonesian heist action sequel Comic 8: Casino Kings[16]
He appeared in Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) as Tasu Leech, alongside his co-stars from The Raid and The Raid 2 Iko Uwais and Cecep Arif Rahman.[17]
In 2017, he appeared in the alien invasion movie Beyond Skyline where he played a police chief in Laos credited only as the Chief in the movie. In 2020, he reprised this role in Skylines where his character was given the name Huana.
In 2019, he appeared in John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum as Shinobi #2, one of Zero's students, alongside Cecep Arif Rahman as Shinobi #1. He also appeared in the 2019 Malaysian film Wira as Ifrit.
Personal life
editYayan Ruhian speaks fluent Sundanese, and Indonesian. He also speaks conversational English a little bit. As of 2017[update], Yayan Ruhian has three children, who live with his wife in Tasikmalaya; Yayan Ruhian, because of his work, must live in Jakarta.[1][4] Aside from his acting, he teaches pencak silat.[4][5] He is also a teacher of inner breathing techniques developed in the Perguruan Silat Tenaga Dasar Indonesia.[7]
Style
editOn screen, Yayan Ruhian is often cast in antagonistic roles, portraying characters who speak little but have great endurance, stamina and fighting skills.[4]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Director(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Merantau | Eric | Gareth Evans | First work with Iko Uwais and Gareth Evans |
| 2011 | The Raid | Mad Dog | Second work with Iko Uwais and Gareth Evans | |
| 2014 | The Raid 2 | Prakoso | Third work with Iko Uwais and Gareth Evans, first work with Cecep Arif Rahman | |
| 2015 | Gangster | Bang Jangkung | Fajar Nugros | |
| Yakuza Apocalypse | Kyoken (狂犬) / Mad Dog | Takashi Miike | Japanese debut film | |
| Star Wars: The Force Awakens | Tasu Leech | J. J. Abrams | Cameo, Hollywood debut film | |
| Comic 8: Kings Part 1 | The Ghost | Anggy Umbara | ||
| 2016 | Pre Vis Action | Assassin #1 | Gareth Evans | Short film |
| Comic 8: Casino Kings Part 2 | The Ghost | Anggy Umbara | ||
| Iseng | Edi | Adrian Tang | ||
| 2017 | Beyond Skyline | Huana | Liam O'Donnell | Second Hollywood film. Credited as the Chief with his character's actual name being given in Skylines |
| Satria Heroes: Revenge of Darkness | Master Torga | Kenzo Maihara, Arnandha Wyanto |
||
| 2018 | 212 Warrior | Mahesa Birawa | Angga Dwimas Sasongko | As actor and fight choreographer |
| 2019 | John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum | Shinobi #2 | Chad Stahelski | |
| Hit And Run | Coki | Ody C. Harahap | ||
| Wira | Ifrit | Adrian Teh | Malaysian debut film | |
| 2020 | Tarung Sarung | Pak Khalid | Archie Hagakery | |
| Pasal Kau! | Maman | Adrian Teh | ||
| Skylines | Huana | Liam O'Donnell | ||
| 2021 | Gas Kuy | Mang Ujang | Derby Romero | |
| Photocopier | Rama's father | Wregas Bhanuteja | ||
| 2022 | Ben & Jody | Aa Tubir | Angga Dwimas Sasongko | |
| Satria Dewa: Gatotkaca | Beceng | Hanung Bramantyo | ||
| Mat Kilau | Toga | Syamsul Yusof | ||
| Ashiap Man | Mr. Jamet | Atta Halilintar, Herdanius Larobu | ||
| 2023 | Boy Kills World | Shaman | Moritz Mohr | |
| 2024 | Misi Ainaa | Hafiz Mahamad | Short film | |
| The Shadow Strays | Burai | Timo Tjahjanto | Cameo | |
| 2025 | The Original Gangster | Pablo | Syamsul Yusof | |
| Chekau | Kabir Bhatia | Post-production | ||
| Skyline: Warpath | Huana | Liam O'Donnell | Post-production | |
| TBA | The Furious | TBA | Kenji Tanigaki | Filming |
| Gayong | TBA | Faisal Ishak | Filming |
Television series
edit| Year | Title | Role | Network | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Strike Back: Vendetta | Kabul | Cinemax | 1 episode |
| 2023 | Who Is Erin Carter? | Moses | Netflix | 2 episode |
Video games
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens | Tasu Leech | Voice-over | [18] |
Awards and nominations
edit| Year | Organisation | Award | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Indonesian Movie Awards | Best Newcomer Actor | Merantau | Nominated | [19] |
| Indonesian Movie Awards | Favorite Newcomer Actor | Merantau | Nominated | [19] | |
| 2013 | Indonesian Movie Awards | Best Supporting Actor | The Raid | Nominated | [20] |
| 2016 | Infotainment Awards | Indonesian Celebrity of World Achievement | Yayan Ruhian | Nominated | [21] |
| 2016 | Berlin International Filmmaker Festival of World Cinema | Best Lead Actor in a Foreign Film | Iseng | Nominated | [22] |
References
edit- ^ a b c Pamungkas, Yohanes Adi (11 August 2017). "Cerita Yayan Ruhian LDR dengan Istri dan Anak - Anaknya" [Yayan Ruhian's LDR stories with his wife and children]. Tabloid Bintang (in Indonesian). Retrieved 12 January 2018.
- ^ a b Tampubolon, Hans David (10 July 2015). "Yayan "Mad Dog" Ruhian, The gentle & humble warrior from Tasikmalaya". The Jakarta Post. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
- ^ "'Raid' stars Iko Uwais and Yayan Ruhian look totally badass in 'Beyond Skyline'". Coconuts.co. 25 February 2016. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f g Deviyana, Nia (2 September 2014). "'Mad Dog' Hanya Bengis di Film" ['Mad Dog' is Only Ruthless in Film] (in Indonesian). Metro TV. Archived from the original on 12 September 2014. Retrieved 12 September 2014.
- ^ a b Affan, Heyder; Franciska, Christine (11 November 2015). "Yayan Ruhian dan filosofi pencak silat" [Yayan Ruhian and the philosophy of pencak silat]. BBC Indonesia (in Indonesian). Retrieved 12 January 2018.
- ^ a b c d Suhendra, Ichsan (24 March 2014). "Sering Dijadikan "Meme Comic", Yayan Ruhian Mengaku Tak Tersinggung" [Though Often Turned into a "Macro", Yayan Ruhian Doesn't Mind]. Kompas (in Indonesian). Archived from the original on 12 September 2014. Retrieved 12 September 2014.
- ^ a b Khedun, Raj (April 11, 2014). "Interview with Yayan Ruhian". Kung Fu Kingdom. Retrieved April 24, 2022.
- ^ Indrasafitri, Dian (3 February 2012). "Yayan Ruhiyan: A tough guy with a smile". The Jakarta Post. Archived from the original on 12 September 2014. Retrieved 12 September 2014.
- ^ Murphy, Mekado (22 March 2012). "Behind the Action of 'The Raid: Redemption'". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 13 June 2022. Retrieved 12 September 2014.
- ^ Dargis, Manohla (23 March 2012). "Bad Guys Upstairs, Gore Down the Hall". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 12 September 2014. Retrieved 12 September 2014.
- ^ Triyono, Heru (5 June 2012). "Kang Yayan Menuju Hollywood" [Brother Yayan Off to Hollywood]. Tempo (in Indonesian). Archived from the original on 12 September 2014. Retrieved 12 September 2014.
- ^ a b Arditya, Andreas D. (23 March 2014). "'The Raid 2: Berandal': Convolution and carnage". The Jakarta Post. Archived from the original on 29 May 2014. Retrieved 12 September 2014.
- ^ Suhendra, Ichsan (20 December 2012). "Mad Dog Tewas, Yayan Ruhiyan Jadi Prakoso" [Mad Dog Dead, Yayan Ruhiyan becomes Prakoso]. Kompas (in Indonesian). Archived from the original on 12 September 2014. Retrieved 12 September 2014.
- ^ O'Sullivan, Charlotte (11 April 2014). "The Raid 2 - film review". London Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 12 September 2014. Retrieved 12 September 2014.
- ^ Alpito, Agustinus Shindu (14 May 2014). "Yayan Ruhian Akan Main Film Vampir-Yakuza" [Yayan Ruhian to Play in a Vampire–Yakuza Film] (in Indonesian). Metro TV. Archived from the original on 12 September 2014. Retrieved 12 September 2014.
- ^ Hens, Henry (15 June 2015). "Babe Cabita Duel Lawan Yayan Ruhian di 'Comic 8: Casino Kings'" [Babe Cabita does duel against Yayan Ruhian at 'Comic 8: Casino Kings']. Bintang.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 12 January 2018.
- ^ Brown, Todd (5 January 2015). "'The Raid' Trio to Appear in 'Star Wars: Episode 7 - The Force Awakens'". Screen Anarchy. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
- ^ "Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2016 Video Game) – Full Cast & Crew". IMDb. Retrieved 18 April 2018.
- ^ a b "Indonesian Movie Awards 2010 : Siap Digelar" [2010 Indonesian Movie Awards: Ready to be held]. 21 Cineplex (in Indonesian). 5 May 2010. Retrieved 17 January 2018.
- ^ Kurmala, Azis (28 May 2013). "Daftar lengkap Pemenang Indonesian Movie Awards 2013" [List of the winners of the 2013 Indonesian Movie Awards]. Antara News (in Indonesian). Retrieved 16 January 2018.
- ^ "Daftar lengkap pemenang Infotainment Awards 2016" [Complete list of the winners of the 2016 Infotainment Awards]. Rappler (in Indonesian). 22 January 2016. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
- ^ Safitri, Rahmi (8 September 2016). "Film 'ISENG' Yayan Ruhian Dapat 4 Nominasi di Ajang Film Mancanegara" [Yayan Ruhian's film 'Iseng' got 4 nominations at the Worldwide Film Event]. KapanLagi.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 16 January 2018.