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Olivier Gruner (French: [ɔlivje ɡʁyne] ) (born August 2, 1960) is a French actor, filmmaker, martial artist and former kickboxer. Born in Paris, he moved back to France in 1988 after serving in the French military and competing as a professional kickboxer, during which time he won a silver medal at the W.A.K.O. World Championships. He has appeared in over 40 films and 4 television series and is best known for martial arts and action films.[1][2][3]
Olivier Gruner | |
|---|---|
 Gruner in January 2011 | |
| Born | Olivier Gruner 2 August 1960 Paris, France |
| Nationality | French |
| Other names | O.G. |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1981–1988 (martial arts) 1989–present (acting) |
| Height | 6 ft (183 cm) |
| Children | 1 |
| Martial arts career | |
| Division | Middleweight |
| Style | Karate, Kickboxing |
| Website | www.oliviergruner.com |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance |  France |
| Service |  French Navy |
| Years of service | 1978-1981 |
| Unit |  Commandos Marine |
Early life and education
editOlivier Gruner was born into a French family with a background in surgery and engineering,[4][5] as the second of three sons.[6]
His interest in martial arts was sparked at the age of 11 after watching a Bruce Lee movie, which inspired him to pursue both martial arts and a potential career in the film industry.[1][4] Being constantly bullied at school pushed him to learn martial arts to defend himself.[7] He began studying Shotokan karate, then boxing, kickboxing, and full contact kickboxing,[8][5][6]
In 1978, at age 18, he joined the French Navy, volunteering for their Commandos Marine unit, also nicknamed the Bérets Verts (Green Berets).[8][5] He was operational in Djibouti and Somalia, where he was particularly involved in anti-piracy operations.[9]
Kickboxing
editIn 1981, Gruner left the military with the aim of training full-time to compete professionally as a kickboxer.[5]
In 1984, he began fighting as a professional kickboxer. By 1985, his successes in the ring allowed him to fight full-time.[5][6][better source needed] Later that same year he won a silver medal in the 1985 W.A.K.O. World Championships.[10]
Gruner retired from professional kickboxing in 1987 and pursued an acting career, following the lead of bodybuilders Reg Park and Arnold Schwarzenegger.[1][4][7] To promote himself, Gruner plastered posters of himself around Cannes during the 1987 Cannes Film Festival, which caught the attention of a movie producer. Gruner was invited to Los Angeles for screen tests.
Film career
editGruner joined Imperial Entertainment Corporation (Turner Classic Movies - TCM) and began acting in action movies.[4] He has appeared in martial arts magazines, such as Budo Journal, Combat, Impact, Inside Karate, Inside Kung Fu Yearbook and many more.[11]
In 1989, he starred in his first movie: the urban action movie Angel Town.[9] Although the film was not well received, Gruner's screen presence was notable and his acting was compared favourably to Dolph Lundgren.[12]
In 1992, Gruner starred as "Alex Raine" in Albert Pyun’s cyberpunk 1992 science fiction thriller Nemesis.[2][13][3] The critics appreciated the amazing movie stunts, thrilling action sequences, and innovative special effects pushing the film industry limits like Blade Runner and Terminator 2.[14] Both Nemesis and Angel Town were popular in video distribution,[15] and Nemesis is one of the movies Gruner is most proud of.[7]
In 2010, Gruner played "Corsair Duguay" in Tales of an Ancient Empire, also named Abelar: Tales of an Ancient Empire.
Gruner has also played roles in:
- Automatic (1994)
- Savate, also known as The Fighter (1995)
- Mercenary (1996)
- Savage (1996)
- Mars (1997)
- T.N.T. (1997)
- Mercenary 2:Thick & Thin (1998)
- Interceptor Force (1999)
- Velocity Trap (1999)
- The White Pony (1999)
- Crackerjack 3 (2000)
- Kumite (2000)
- G.O.D. (2001)
- Extreme Honor (2001)
- The Circuit (2001)
- Power Elite (2002)
- Interceptor Force 2 (2002)
- The Circuit 2: The Final Punch (2003)
- Deadly Engagement (2003)
- SWAT: Warhead One (2004)
- Crooked (2005)
- The Circuit 3: The Street Monk (2006)
- Blizhniy Boy: The Ultimate Fighter (2007)
- Lost Warrior: Left Behind (2008)
- Skorumpowani (2008)
- Brother's War (2009)
- One Night (2010)
- Tales of an Ancient Empire, also named Abelar: Tales of an ancient Empire (2010)
- Re-Generator (2011)
- Cyborg: Rise of the Slingers (2013)
- Sector 4: Extraction (2014)
- EP/Executive Protection (2015)
- The whole World at our Feet (2015)
- Assassin X, also named The Chemist (2016)
- Beyond the Game (2016)
- Showdown in Manila (2016)
- Darkweb (2016)
- Iron Cross: The Road to Normandy (2018)
- Amour (2019).
Gruner played "Jagger" in Escape from Paradise (2019), and "Duguay" in Cyborg Nemesis: The Dark Rift (2019), and The Target (2019).
2000s: Television
editAlready in 1999, Gruner appeared as "Dieter Vanderval" in the episode titled Wildlife of the series Martial Law.
In 2001, he appeared multiple times as "Tawrens", a 26-episode television series Code Name: Eternity.
In 2005, NBC hired Gruner to produce a TV series named The Pros, a Way of Life, a project that Gruner had started in 2003. It portrayed life behind the scenes, training, and the discipline required of professional athletes.[9] Gruner had completed episodes on professional boxers, surfers, and MMA fighters,[7] when NBC decided to shelve the series, and it was never released.[4] A separate video published by Gruner is available.
He was also contracted to play "Ivan" in the television series Seven Days published in 2019.
2010s: Directing
editGruner's first involvement as a director was in 2002 with Interceptor Force 2.
In 2011, he premiered his first feature film as a screenwriter, a director, and an actor,[4] titled Re-Generator. This film was previously known as 'One Night', a project Gruner had been working on since 2010.[16]
In 2014, he featured as a director in Sector 4: Extraction, a direct-to-video release.
In 2015, Gruner released one more film as a director, a producer, a screenwriter, and an actor: EP/Executive Protection.
Film producing
editEarly in his career, Gruner got involved in the production of some of the films in which he was appearing as an actor. This is the case for Savage (1996), Mercenary (1996), Mercenary 2: Thick & Thin (1998), Interceptor Force (1999), The Circuit (2001), and Crooked (2005).
But it was only starting in the 2010s, except Interceptor Force 2 in 2002, that he accumulated his involvement both as a producer, as an actor, and as a director in One Night (2010), Re-Generator (2011), Sector 4: Extraction (2014), and EP/Executive Protection (2015).
He has also been involved, as a producer-only, in Front Line (2015). He was both an actor and a producer in Iron Cross: The Road to Normandy (2018).
Screenwriting
editGruner co-wrote the stories of some of the movies in which he appeared as an actor.
He wrote the stories of T.N.T. (1997), Interceptor Force 2 (2002), Crooked (2005), One Night (2010), Re-Generator (2011), and EP/Executive Protection (2015).
He also co-wrote the story and the screenplay of Lost Warrior: Left Behind (2008), and co-wrote the story of Sector 4: Extraction (2014).
Business activities
editGruner has always been involved in several other business activities.[9]
Personal Protection Agent
editGruner occasionally provides personal or close protection for celebrities. Some clients are more comfortable with a fellow actor who understands the pressure and demands, but can also work as a bodyguard. Gruner indeed not only has one of the highest special forces military training one can receive,[9] but also provides body-guarding training at his academy. One of such body-guarding clients is the famous Canadian singer Celine Dion.[17][18][19]
Training videos
editGruner has been producing training videos for martial arts, combat skills, bodyguarding, and survival techniques since 2012.[6] He commercializes those under the various brands of "Gruner Tactical Training Academy" and "O.G Training". More recently, he has been producing a survival reality show video series under the name "Survival X" in 2018.
Personal training
editGruner has always kept a side activity as a personal trainer in various martial arts such as kickboxing and mixed martial arts.[9][4] He usually dedicates this personal training time to competing martial artists, as well as retired champions.
Athletic fashion brand
editHe has also created his own "O.G" trademark athletic fashion brand. Several collections were produced, including "The Lone Operator" collection, and the "Pro Series" collection in 2018.[citation needed]
Helicopter piloting
editGruner is a licensed helicopter pilot, which allows him to mix this activity with film-producing requirements at times. For example, he worked for ABC News in Los Angeles where he did many chase videos and saw a lot of damage and lethal encounters.[9] Moreover, he was also the helicopter co-pilot in the 1999 movie Storm.[20]
He regularly flies helicopters and considers it a big part of his life. For Blue Hawaiian Helicopters, he regularly flew tours on Hawaii's Big Island. For Maverick Helicopters, he also flew tours over the Grand Canyon.[9]
Personal life
editGruner lives in Santa Monica, California; and Las Vegas, Nevada. He has one son.[4]
He has been regularly maintaining his karate, boxing and kickboxing training, which he has been completing with Brazilian jiu-jitsu, wrestling and mixed martial arts.[4]
he has been a volunteer firefighter since 2015.
Kickboxing titles
edit- 1985 W.A.K.O. World Championships - Men's Full-Contact Middleweight
-75kg[10]
Filmography
editFilms
edit| Year | Title | Involved as | Role | Notes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Director | Producer | Writer | Actor | ||||
| 1990 | Angel Town | Yes | Jacques Montaigne | First lead and movie,[9][12] | |||
| 1990 | Lionheart | Received thanks for facilitating access to Somalia photos used in the film via Gruner French military connections[3] | |||||
| 1992 | Nemesis | Yes | Alex Raine | [2][13][14] | |||
| 1994 | Automatic | Yes | J269 | Fight Choreographer,[3] | |||
| 1995 | Savate aka The Fighter | Yes | Joseph Charlegrand | Video, Fight choreographer | |||
| 1996 | Savage | Yes | Yes | Alex Verne / Savage | Associate producer | ||
| 1996 | Mercenary | Yes | Yes | Captain Karl 'Hawk' May | Video, Associate producer, Fight choreographer | ||
| 1997 | Mars | Yes | Caution Templar | ||||
| 1997 | T.N.T. | Yes | Yes | Alex Girard | |||
| 1998 | Mercenary 2: Thick & Thin | Yes | Yes | Captain Karl 'Hawk' May | TV movie, Co-executive producer | ||
| 1999 | Velocity Trap | Yes | ED Officer Raymond Stokes | ||||
| 1999 | The White Pony | Yes | Jacques | ||||
| 1999 | Storm | Video, Helicopter co-pilot | |||||
| 1999 | Interceptor Force | Yes | Yes | Lieutenant Sean Lambert | Producer | ||
| 2000 | Crackerjack 3 | Yes | Marcus Clay | ||||
| 2000 | Kumite | Yes | Michael Rogers | ||||
| 2001 | G.O.D. | Yes | Adrian Kaminski | ||||
| 2001 | Extreme Honor | Yes | Cody | ||||
| 2001 | The Circuit | Yes | Yes | Dirk Longstreet | Executive producer | ||
| 2002 | Power Elite | Yes | Captain | ||||
| 2002 | Interceptor Force 2 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Lieutenant Sean Lambert | TV movie | |
| 2003 | The Circuit 2: The Final Punch | Yes | Dirk Longstreet | Video, Executive producer, Helicopter pilot | |||
| 2003 | Deadly Engagement | Yes | Paul Gerard | ||||
| 2004 | SWAT: Warhead One | Yes | Luc Rémy | Video. Fight choreographer. | |||
| 2005 | Crooked | Yes | Yes | Yes | Phil Yordan | Also named Soft Target | |
| 2006 | The Circuit 3: The Street Monk | Yes | Dirk Longstreet | Video, also named The Circuit 3: Final Flight | |||
| 2007 | Blizhniy Boy: The Ultimate Fighter | Yes | FBI Agent #1 | ||||
| 2008 | Lost Warrior: Left Behind | Yes | Yes | Nash Daniels | Video, Co-writer story and screenplay | ||
| 2008 | Skorumpowani | Yes | Montenegro | ||||
| 2009 | Brother's War | Yes | Anton | ||||
| 2010 | One Night | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | The Beast | Director |
| 2010 | Tales of an Ancient Empire | Yes | Corsair Duguay | Also named Abelar: Tales of an ancient Empire | |||
| 2011 | Re-Generator | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | The Beast | Director,[16] |
| 2013 | Cyborg: Rise of the Slingers | Yes | Duguay | ||||
| 2014 | Sector 4: Extraction | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Nash | Executive producer, Co-writer |
| 2015 | EP/Executive Protection | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Max Webber | |
| 2015 | The whole World at our Feet | Yes | Tony | ||||
| 2015 | Frontline | Yes | Co-producer | ||||
| 2016 | Assassin X | Yes | Ronus Steele | Also named The Chemist | |||
| 2016 | Beyond the Game | Yes | Nash Daniels | ||||
| 2016 | Showdown in Manila | Yes | Ford | ||||
| 2016 | Darkweb | Yes | Stanislas | ||||
| 2017 | Iron Cross Brothers Road Home | Yes | |||||
| 2021 | Amour | Yes | Robert | Short film | |||
| 2021 | Iron Cross: The road to Normandy | Yes | Yes | Anton | |||
| 2022 | Gunfight at Rio Bravo | Yes | Marshall Austin Carter | ||||
| 2022 | Escape from Paradise † | Yes | Jagger | Pre-production | |||
| 2022 | Cyborg Nemesis: The dark Rift † | Yes | Duguay | Film announced. Duguay role is rumored only. | |||
| 2022 | The Target † | Yes | Film announced. | ||||
| † | Denotes films that have not yet been released |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Martial Law | Dieter Vanderval | Wild Life (1999) ... Dieter Vanderval |
| 2000 | Code Name: Eternity | Tawrens | - The Shift (2000) ... Tawrens - All Fall Down (2000) ... Tawrens |
| 2005 | The Pros, a way of life | Himself | Documentary TV Series partially produced and published by NBC before being shelved, video |
| 2019 | Seven Days | Ivan | - Episode #1.1 (2019) ... Ivan |
| 2020 | CF3: Cult Fans, Films & Finds | Himself | - Nemesis (1992) feat. Olivier Gruner & Thom Mathews (2020) ... Self |
| 2021 | The Circuit 2020 | Dirk | - Ranch Terror (2021) ... Dirk - The Bank Heist (2021) |
Documentaries
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Tales of an Ancient Empire: Behind the Scenes | Himself | Video documentary |
Stunts
edit| Year | Title | Involved as | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Automatic | Fight choreographer | J269 | |
| 1995 | Savate aka The Fighter | Fight choreographer | Joseph Charlegrand | Video |
| 1996 | Mercenary | Fight choreographer | Captain Karl 'Hawk' May | Video, Associate producer |
| 1996 | Savage | Fight choreographer | Alex Verne / Savage | Associate producer |
| 2003 | The Circuit 2: The Final Punch | Action coordinator | Dirk Longstreet | Video, Executive producer, Helicopter pilot |
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ a b c "Olivier Gruner" Archived 27 May 2022 at the Wayback Machine, Kick'em in the Ghoulies (KITG), Accessed on December 23, 2018.
- ^ a b c "Test Blu-Ray: Albert Pyun - Nemesis + Mean Guns", Mickaël Lanoye, Critique Film, France, published on April 20, 2017.
- ^ a b c d "Bey Logan interview with Olivier Gruner", Bey Logan, ReelEastHK (EELE), Published on August 08, 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Olivier Gruner: the action movie Star", Alan Mercer, Alan Mercer's Profile, Published on July 9, 2010.
- ^ a b c d e "Olivier Gruner official website", Olivier Gruner, Olivier Gruner.com, Accessed on December 25, 2018.
- ^ a b c d "Olivier Gruner", Tong Po, Česko-Slovenská filmová databáze (CSFD), Accessed on January 1, 2019.
- ^ a b c d "Interview: Olivier Gruner", Jason Rugaard, Movies Mavericks, September 23, 2010.
- ^ a b "Before and after 7 action actors from the 80's who became world icons" (in Portuguese) / "Antes e depois de 7 stores de ação dos anos 80 que se tornaram ícones mundiais", Cesar Nascimento, Guilherme Rodrigues, BlastingNews, published on August 2, 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Olivier Gruner the Real Thing", Interview by Erik Paulson at the CSW 2008 Camp in Fullerton, Martial Arts & Action Entertainment, Published on August 5, 2014.
- ^ a b "5th WAKO World Championships 1985" (PDF). wako.sport. World Association of Kickboxing Organizations. 2 November 1985. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 February 2022.
- ^ "Olivier Gruner", Ma-Mags, Accessed on January 2, 2019.
- ^ a b "'Angel Town' misses the Mark", Kevin Thomas, Movie Review - Los Angeles Times, published on February 23, 1990.
- ^ a b "'Nemesis' a provocative, sleek Thriller", Kevin Thomas, Movie Review - Los Angeles Times, published on January 29, 1993.
- ^ a b "Behind the scenes: the Making of "Nemesis" (1992)", Albert Pyun, Olivier Gruner, Imperial Entertainment, Published on March 4, 2011.
- ^ "Olivier Gruner", Terrence Allen, pp. 57, Black Belt, January 1, 1996.
- ^ a b "Review: Re-Generator (2013)", BZ Film, published on May 14, 2013.
- ^ "Céline Dion : Olivier ne la quitte plus?!" (in French) / "Celine Dion: Olivier doesn't separate from her anymore?", Pierre-Marie Elstir, France Dimanche, published on August 30, 2017.
- ^ "Céline Dion honors Olivier Gruner on his birthday" (in Portuguese)/ "Céline Dion homenageia Olivier Gruner em seu aniversário", Luiz Campos, Action News, published on August 7, 2017.
- ^ "Celine Dion: Warm greetings and hugs with her bodyguard" (in French)/ "Céline Dion : Voeux festifs et accolade chaleureuse avec son garde du corps", Purepeople, August 3, 2017.
- ^ "Storm", IMDb, Accessed on 20 December 2018.
