Interviews

The Sophia Crawford Interview

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is a British actress who has starred in many movies and tv shows either kicking some serious butt or doubling others with some fantastic stunt work. Sophia has worked with some of the best in Kung Fu cinema which includes , , , Kim Won Jin, Simon Yam, Gordon Liu and so on.

Many of you might know that Sophia also doubled Sarah Michelle Geller in the tv series “Buffy The Vampire Slayer”, did stunts on the show “Power Rangers” and is still an active member of the United Stunt-womens Association.

Sophia has also doubled for people in Hollywood movies such as Scary Movie 3, Mission: Impossible III, Angels & Demons, Anchorman and many more.

I don't want to mention to many things as Sophia will tell us about many of her experiences in the interview below, so please enjoy and i hope you all go out there and support her work.

1. Hi Sophie, first of all what have you been up recently?

A couple of years ago I began training at Big John McCarthy's Ultimate Training
Academy in Valencia, CA. Whilst working out and learning new skills I studied for my
ISSA CFT exam and became certified as a fitness trainer. Recently I started my own
personal training business called SOPHIA-FIT and I train clients one on one and in
classes at Big John's.
I am thoroughly enjoying myself and focused on building my company. I also write a
monthly article for Maximized Fitness and Health Magazine Online. I am in the gym a
lot these days but I am still actively involved in stunts and acting. I recently worked on
the T.V series SONS OF ANARCHY and a Tori Spelling pilot called MYSTERY GIRLS

2.How did you first get involved in Asian cinema and what challenges did you have to over come?

My career began after a backpacking trip from Europe to Asia. I ended up in Thailand
and fell in love with the people and their culture. I got my start modeling before moving
into film and television by doing some commercials. There wasn't that much going on
film-wise in Thailand at the time so I decided to move to Hong Kong where I felt I had a
better chance of getting more work.
It was a hard path. I was determined to break into action films but I didn't have a martial
arts background or any kind of athletic training. I simply walked into all of the big studios
with my picture looking for work. Once I worked as an actress in Hong Kong I
understood how important martial arts was to the film business there. I fell in love with
martial arts fighting and so I began to spend all of my time training and learning
everything I could about stunts and fighting. I met some amazing martial artists and was
inspired by Yukari Oshima in particular. She became my mentor and friend in Hong
Kong.

3.You trained with the Jackie Chan stunt team, wow that must have been a tough but great experience?

I trained with some members of his team, but never Jackie himself. Oh what a dream
that would have been!
The stunt guys in Hong Kong were so hard-core. They had such speed and agility and
took the most incredible falls. I had never seen anything like them and I was in awe of
their skills. Training with them was a very humbling experience.

4.Out of all the martial artists you have starred with, who were the best when infront of the camera?

Gosh, tough question. I have worked with some really terrific martial artists. I'm very
fond of watching Yuen Wah, Yukari Oshima, Kim Won Jin, Dick Wei and of course, Jeff
Pruitt. They each have their own unique styles and they all fight with incredible skill and
intensity.

5.The Bid Deal had a great cast, yourself, Moon Lee, Yukari Oshima, Moon Lee. What was it like being in that movie?

It was a barrel of laughs. My character was supposed to look like Madonna – which was
funny because later on I would become her stunt double in music videos and
commercials. I played Yuen Wah's ditsy girlfriend in that film. I got to fight with Moon
Lee and Sibil Hu. It was a lot of fun for me to be working with such a great cast.

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6.What are the top 3 injuries you have had whilst making a movie?

I think I have been extremely fortunate so far. I haven't had any really major injuries.
The first time I got hurt was on Story of the Gun when I cracked a bone in my foot. We
took my cast off and pretended I got shot in the leg so Yukari and I could finish our fight.
While I was shooting U.S Seals 2 I had two herniated disks from previous stunts and
had to fight through that.
And while on Buffy I cracked a finger just before doing a sword fight so I had to tape it
up with flesh colored tape and hold the sword with my other fingers.
I also cracked a rib on a commercial doing an air ram stunt into a table (that's a device
that propels stunt people through the air from explosions).
Other than that I've had a few sprains, a couple of minor tears and lots of cuts and
bruises. These types of injuries are nothing out of the ordinary in the stunt business. I
understand the risks involved in stunt work so I am extremely grateful I am still in one
piece.

7.If you could introduce someone new to your movies, which three would you pick?

THE BIG DEAL, HERO FROM BEYOND and BUFFY. I know the BUFFY television
series isn't a movie, but it was a good show with great writing and tons of fights and
stunts for me to do every night.

8.what advice would you give someone trying to get into stunt work and even kung fu movies?

I must admit that things have changed a lot. Most of the action-oriented shows are shot
outside of Hollywood whereas when I arrived from Hong Kong they were in the midst of
the direct-to-video boom and cranking out action shows everywhere. Back then there
were very few girls who could fight well using martial arts, so my Hong Kong
background really came in handy.
Today I'd say to young aspiring stuntwomen that they should train in martial arts but
also study film fighting to learn how to exaggerate those movements. In addition to
fighting it is important to get training in falls, driving and gymnastics if possible. In
recent years free running, tricking and MMA have become a popular methods of
training. I think learning these types of skills would help to prepare someone for stunt
work.
Try working as an extra first for a while to learn the ins and outs of film sets. Eventually
you may get a chance to work out with stunt people or others with a similar interest.
Once you get your union card THEN you'll be able to begin. It's not easy and as with
everything involving show business, a lot depends of pure luck and determination.

9.What future projects are you working on at the moment?

I have a script written for me that's in development and I am working towards producing
my own fitness DVD's that I will be selling on a new website in the future. SOPHIAFIT.
COM will be launched in 2014.

10.Is there anything you would like to say to your fans around the world and the readers of Asian Movie Pulse?

Just a huge thanks for all of your kindness and support. Whenever I read the nice
comments people post online about my work it really makes my day. The fans of martial
arts action inspire me to keep on working out and enjoying what I do. I want to thank
them for that.

I want to thank Sophia Crawford for taking the time to reply to me with her busy schedule and hope everyone enjoyed he interview.

Skills
Martial Arts (Tae Kwon Do)
Weapons (bo staff, kali, sword)
All wire work
Mini-tramp
Trampoline
Ratchets
Descenders
Air rams
Impact stunts
Some gymnastics
Near misses
Full/partial burns
Stair falls
Water work
Falls (25 feet)
Roller-skating
Creature suits
Fight Choreography

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About the author

kingofkungfu

Hi my name is Justyn Hughes, I have been involved or watched martial art kung fu movies most my life. I started muay thai when i was around 4-5 years old for ten years. I became a fan of kung fu flicks after watching prodigal Son in the mid 90's and that blew me away. Some of my favorite stars are: Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, Yuen Biao, lam Ching Ying, Lau Kar Leung, Ti Lung, David Chiang, Chen Kuan Tai and many more.

King Of Kung Fu (Justyn Hughes)

Favorite movie: The prodigal Son

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