Ray Park on Snake Eyes

Since the images of Ray Park as Snake Eyes have come out, another GEEK podcast has interviewed the short lived Sith about that very subject. Here the highlights.

Most recently, though, he has been cast as the black ninja (and always the
hardest toy to find in stores) known as Snake Eyes in the upcoming GI Joe live
action movie. When I bring it up, he lights up like a kid who wore that toy’s
joints out as much as you and I did: 

One of the reasons I always wanted to play Snake Eyes is because I played
as him when I was a kid. Star Wars fans and the fans I’ve met at conventions
have said “You’d be the best Snake Eyes ever if they did a GI Joe movie!” So
when I heard they were actually going to do it I did everything possible to try
and get in a meeting or try and get an audition cause i wasnted to do it for
myself, I wanted to do it for the fans and I wanted to do it for my cousins and
all my nephews and my kids. It’s great to be here and to be able to tell those
stories.

 

Ray Park didn’t seem to think he would get the role, and besides there’s isn’t really any acting required to play the mute ninja of G.I. Joe.

So that was your favorite GI Joe character? 

That and Storm Shadow, believe it or not. I actually liked Storm Shadow a
lot because whenever you saw a ninja movie with a white ninja or a red ninja. He
always looked different…and I like Snake Eyes because he was different as
well. He was a commando. He reminded me of the British special forces – the SAS.
That’s why I like that kind of stuff.

I’ve always been fascinated by anything special forces, you know? Anything
that’s military, or warrior or…really just anything to do with weapons.
Especially traditional weapons. I loved [them] as a kid.

 

There has to be a big climatic martial arts fight between Storm Shadow and Snake Eyes.

And you also got to wield the coolest lightsaber in the Star Wars universe. 

I’m very very lucky. They’re all coming around. My childhood dreams. I’m
grateful to my parents and my martial arts teachers and anyone that’s been in my
life that has actually had the patience to help me and to guide me. Even if it
was a small bit here and there, I’ve taken that, and I’ve learned a good lesson
from it.

 

Darth Maul was an awesome villain that was sadly a short presence in the Star Wars saga. The double lightsaber was a cool weapon, but I still prefer the single. Anakin should’ve killed Maul at the beginning of Episode III, Obi Wan have a final battle with Count Dooku, and Grievious should’ve died in The Clone Wars.