Joey Ansah
Encyclopedia
Joey Ansah is a British
actor and martial artist.
-born wife Nicola. He lived in London for the first 10 years of his life before emigrating with his family to Ghana. While in Ghana, he studied the martial art of Tae Kwon Do for 4 years and took up hip hop dance
and motorbike racing. At 15 he returned to England, settling with his mother and young sister in Plymouth. Whilst studying for his GCSEs and A levels at Devonport High School for Boys, he began training in the martial art of Ninjutsu
. This would include a period of training with Ninjutsu Grandmaster Hatsumi Sensei
. Later, while studying for his degree in Human Biology
at Oxford Brookes University
, he began training in the Brazil
ian martial
art of Capoeira
. He also worked as a model
and extra
at this time.
TV followed in episodes of BBC
productions Spooks
(2005) and Timewatch
(2006).
Ansah went on to play a minor role as one of the Shadow Warriors in Batman Begins
(2005). However, his most noteworthy role to date came in 2007, when Ansah appeared in The Bourne Ultimatum
as Desh Bouksani, an assassin tracking down Jason Bourne
. His performance was notable for an extended set-piece fight scene between himself and Matt Damon
, regarded by one reviewer as one of the best ever filmed, in which Ansah performed all of his own stunts. In 2008 he was nominated for a MTV Film Award in the 'Best Fight' category.
Ansah has also acted in British independent martial arts films, such as Left for Dead
and Underground.
short Street Fighter: Legacy. A self-proclaimed fan of the video game series, Ansah wanted the short to be the most accurate depiction of the series different than the two theatrically released films, which were not in the style of his perception.
Tanoa Ansah (sister)
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
actor and martial artist.
Early life
Joey Ansah was born in London, England of mixed ethnicity, the second son of celebrated Ghanaian fashion designer Kofi and his DevonDevon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
-born wife Nicola. He lived in London for the first 10 years of his life before emigrating with his family to Ghana. While in Ghana, he studied the martial art of Tae Kwon Do for 4 years and took up hip hop dance
Hip hop dance
Hip-hop dance refers to dance styles primarily performed to hip-hop music or that have evolved as part of hip-hop culture. It includes a wide range of styles notably breaking, locking, and popping which were created in the 1970s by African Americans and made popular by breaking, locking, and...
and motorbike racing. At 15 he returned to England, settling with his mother and young sister in Plymouth. Whilst studying for his GCSEs and A levels at Devonport High School for Boys, he began training in the martial art of Ninjutsu
Ninjutsu
or may be:*the arts associated with espionage and assassination in feudal Japan, see Ninja*modern schools of martial arts claiming to be based in these traditions, see Modern Schools of Ninjutsu*fictional depictions, see Ninja in popular culture...
. This would include a period of training with Ninjutsu Grandmaster Hatsumi Sensei
Masaaki Hatsumi
Masaaki Hatsumi Masaaki Hatsumi Masaaki Hatsumi (初見良昭 Hatsumi Masaaki, (born 2 December 1931) refers to himself (and is generally recognised) as the 34th Togakure-ryū ninpo Soke (Grandmaster), and is the founder of the Bujinkan Organization. He currently resides and teaches in the city of Noda,...
. Later, while studying for his degree in Human Biology
Human biology
Human Biology is an interdisciplinary area of study that examines humans through the influences and interplay of many diverse fields such as genetics, evolution, physiology, epidemiology, ecology, nutrition, population genetics and sociocultural influences. It is closely related to...
at Oxford Brookes University
Oxford Brookes University
Oxford Brookes University is a new university in Oxford, England. It was named to honour the school's founding principal, John Brookes. It has been ranked as the best new university by the Sunday Times University Guide 10 years in a row...
, he began training in the Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian martial
Martial
Marcus Valerius Martialis , was a Latin poet from Hispania best known for his twelve books of Epigrams, published in Rome between AD 86 and 103, during the reigns of the emperors Domitian, Nerva and Trajan...
art of Capoeira
Capoeira
Capoeira is a Brazilian art form that combines elements of martial arts, sports, and music. It was created in Brazil mainly by descendants of African slaves with Brazilian native influences, probably beginning in the 16th century...
. He also worked as a model
Model (person)
A model , sometimes called a mannequin, is a person who is employed to display, advertise and promote commercial products or to serve as a subject of works of art....
and extra
Extra (actor)
A background actor or extra is a performer in a film, television show, stage, musical, opera or ballet production, who appears in a nonspeaking, nonsinging or nondancing capacity, usually in the background...
at this time.
Acting career
His first important role as an actor was in the UK indie film Love Struck (2005). Notable appearances on BritishUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
TV followed in episodes of BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
productions Spooks
Spooks
Spooks is a British television drama series that originally aired on BBC One from 13 May 2002 – 23 October 2011, consisting of 10 series. The title is a popular colloquialism for spies, as the series follows the work of a group of MI5 officers based at the service's Thames House headquarters, in a...
(2005) and Timewatch
Timewatch
Timewatch is a long-running British television series showing documentaries on historical subjects, spanning all human history. It was first broadcast on 29th September 1982 and is produced by the BBC, the Timewatch brandname is used as a banner title in the UK, but many of the individual...
(2006).
Ansah went on to play a minor role as one of the Shadow Warriors in Batman Begins
Batman Begins
Batman Begins is a 2005 American superhero action film based on the fictional DC Comics character Batman, directed by Christopher Nolan. It stars Christian Bale as Batman, along with Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Liam Neeson, Katie Holmes, Cillian Murphy, Morgan Freeman, Ken Watanabe, Tom Wilkinson,...
(2005). However, his most noteworthy role to date came in 2007, when Ansah appeared in The Bourne Ultimatum
The Bourne Ultimatum (film)
The Bourne Ultimatum is a 2007 American spy film directed by Paul Greengrass and loosely based on the Robert Ludlum novel of the same title. This film is the third in the Bourne film series, being preceded by The Bourne Identity and The Bourne Supremacy...
as Desh Bouksani, an assassin tracking down Jason Bourne
Jason Bourne
Jason Charles Bourne is a fictional character and the main protagonist in the novels of Robert Ludlum and subsequent film adaptations. He first appeared in the novel The Bourne Identity...
. His performance was notable for an extended set-piece fight scene between himself and Matt Damon
Matt Damon
Matthew Paige "Matt" Damon is an American actor, screenwriter, and philanthropist whose career was launched following the success of the film Good Will Hunting , from a screenplay he co-wrote with friend Ben Affleck...
, regarded by one reviewer as one of the best ever filmed, in which Ansah performed all of his own stunts. In 2008 he was nominated for a MTV Film Award in the 'Best Fight' category.
Ansah has also acted in British independent martial arts films, such as Left for Dead
Left for Dead (2004 film)
Left for Dead purports to be the UK's first independent action martial arts feature film. Directed by Ross Boyask and produced by Phil Hobden, it paved the way for a number of independent action films to follow, including Soul Searcher, The Silencer and The Purifiers.-Synopsis:Left For Dead is a...
and Underground.
Other work
Ansah has choreographed, co-written and directed the fan filmFan film
A fan film is a film or video inspired by a film, television program, comic book or a similar source, created by fans rather than by the source's copyright holders or creators. Fan filmmakers have traditionally been amateurs, but some of the more notable films have actually been produced by...
short Street Fighter: Legacy. A self-proclaimed fan of the video game series, Ansah wanted the short to be the most accurate depiction of the series different than the two theatrically released films, which were not in the style of his perception.
Family
His artistic family includes:- Kofi Ansah (father) - fashion designer
- Kwaw AnsahKwaw AnsahKwaw Ansah is an award-winning Ghanaian film-maker, whose work as writer, director or producer includes Love Brewed In An African Pot and Heritage Africa.His creative family includes:* Kofi Ansah - fashion designer...
(uncle) - award-winning film director - Tumi Ebow Ansah (uncle) - actor, composer, ethnomusicologist and researcher
- Ryan Ansah (brother) - musician
Tanoa Ansah (sister)
Filmography
- U.F.O (2012) — Police Officer / Black Ops Soldier
- Attack the BlockAttack the BlockAttack the Block is a 2011 British science fiction action film written and directed by Joe Cornish. The film stars Jodie Whittaker, John Boyega, Alex Esmail, Franz Drameh, Leeon Jones, Simon Howard. Set on a council estate in South London on Bonfire night, the film follows a street gang which have...
(2011) - Policeman 1 - Knock Out (2010)
- Street Fighter: LegacyStreet Fighter: LegacyStreet Fighter: Legacy is a live-action short fan film based on Capcom's popular fighting game series Street Fighter.The film is a Streetlight Films production, co-directed by Joey Ansah and Owen Trevor, produced by Jacqueline Quella and stars Jon Foo as Ryu, Christian Howard as Ken, and Ansah...
(2010) - AkumaAkuma (Street Fighter)Akuma known in Japan as , is a video game character from the Street Fighter series of fighting games. Akuma made his debut in Super Street Fighter II Turbo as a secret character and hidden boss. In the storyline of the Street Fighter video games, he is the younger brother of Gouken, Ryu and Ken's...
, also co-Writer and co-Director - Hit Girls (2009) - James
- Ghost Town (2009) (TV) - Bonesera
- Underground (2007) - Joey, The Model
- The Bourne UltimatumThe Bourne Ultimatum (film)The Bourne Ultimatum is a 2007 American spy film directed by Paul Greengrass and loosely based on the Robert Ludlum novel of the same title. This film is the third in the Bourne film series, being preceded by The Bourne Identity and The Bourne Supremacy...
(2007) - Desh - Voyage: Killing Brigitte Nielsen (2007) (TV)
- Love Struck (2005) - Mango
- Batman BeginsBatman BeginsBatman Begins is a 2005 American superhero action film based on the fictional DC Comics character Batman, directed by Christopher Nolan. It stars Christian Bale as Batman, along with Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Liam Neeson, Katie Holmes, Cillian Murphy, Morgan Freeman, Ken Watanabe, Tom Wilkinson,...
(2005) as League of Shadows Warriors - Left for DeadLeft for Dead (2004 film)Left for Dead purports to be the UK's first independent action martial arts feature film. Directed by Ross Boyask and produced by Phil Hobden, it paved the way for a number of independent action films to follow, including Soul Searcher, The Silencer and The Purifiers.-Synopsis:Left For Dead is a...
(2004) - Kickboxer 1
External links
- http://www.joeyansah.co.uk/ Actor's Official Website
- http://www.sansao.org/english/testimonials/joey.htm