Olivier Gruner
Encyclopedia
Olivier Gruner is a former Commando Marine
and World Kickboxing
Champion. He became an actor specializing in the field of physical fitness.
After seeing a Bruce Lee
movie at age 11, Gruner became captivated with martial arts
and began studying Shotokan Karate, and then boxing
and kickboxing.
. As a part of his military training he learned to scuba dive, sky dive and climb.
He traveled to the French Alps and began training to fight professionally. In order to pay for his training expenses, he had to hold down four jobs, as a bouncer, a ski patrol member, a trainer and a ski lift operator. In 1984, he began fighting professionally as a kickboxer in France. After 10 professional fights, he became the French middleweight champion.
By 1985, his successes in the ring allowed him to train and fight full time and, in 1986, he became World Middleweight Kickboxing Champion. Having achieved his dream of becoming World Champion, in 1987, he retired to pursue a career as an actor and model.
and Albert Pyun
’s cyberpunk 1992 science fiction thriller Nemesis
.
Gruner has stayed with Imperial Entertainment and gone on to perform in Automatic (1994), Savate (1997), Mercenary (1997), Mars (1998), Interceptors (1999), T.N.T. (1998), and Interceptor Force 2
(2002). Ultimately he appeared in 27 films and three television series, and develop a reputation as a hard working, disciplined Hollywood
actor.
Throughout his career after leaving the ring, Gruner maintained his passion for fitness, continuing the brutally demanding physical regimen he had developed and maintained through his military and kickboxing career and adding to it the skills needed to pursue his other demanding physical hobbies.
His most recently role was in an episode of Martial Law
entitled "Wildlife" and Code Name: Eternity
.
Naval commandos (France)
The Naval Commandos are the special forces of the French Navy. They are made up of ~500 members, mostly based in northwestern France , with several bases across the country for specific training needs. The Naval Commandos are nicknamed bérets verts . Their qualification training is one of the...
and World Kickboxing
Kickboxing
Kickboxing refers to a group of martial arts and stand-up combat sports based on kicking and punching, historically developed from karate, Muay Thai and western boxing....
Champion. He became an actor specializing in the field of physical fitness.
Early life
Gruner was born into a family where both his father and brother became noted surgeons and his younger brother became an engineer.After seeing a Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee was a Chinese American, Hong Kong actor, martial arts instructor, philosopher, film director, film producer, screenwriter, and founder of the Jeet Kune Do martial arts movement...
movie at age 11, Gruner became captivated with martial arts
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
and began studying Shotokan Karate, and then boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
and kickboxing.
Military
At age 18, rather than pursuing the academic life many expected of him, he joined the Marine Nationale, volunteering for their Commando Marine unitNaval commandos (France)
The Naval Commandos are the special forces of the French Navy. They are made up of ~500 members, mostly based in northwestern France , with several bases across the country for specific training needs. The Naval Commandos are nicknamed bérets verts . Their qualification training is one of the...
. As a part of his military training he learned to scuba dive, sky dive and climb.
Kickboxing career
In 1981 Gruner left the French military to train full time to compete professionally as a kickboxer.He traveled to the French Alps and began training to fight professionally. In order to pay for his training expenses, he had to hold down four jobs, as a bouncer, a ski patrol member, a trainer and a ski lift operator. In 1984, he began fighting professionally as a kickboxer in France. After 10 professional fights, he became the French middleweight champion.
By 1985, his successes in the ring allowed him to train and fight full time and, in 1986, he became World Middleweight Kickboxing Champion. Having achieved his dream of becoming World Champion, in 1987, he retired to pursue a career as an actor and model.
Kickboxing Titles
- 1986 Middleweight Kickboxing world champion
- 1985 W.A.K.O. World Championships in BudapestW.A.K.O. World Championships 1985 (Budapest)W.A.K.O. World Championships 1985 Budapest were the joint fifth world kickboxing championships hosted by the W.A.K.O. organization arranged by the Hungarian Sport Karate Union...
-75 kg (Full-Contact)
Acting career
Discovered at the 1987 Cannes Film Festival, he began a film career. Gruner joined Imperial Entertainment and began acting in action movie in 1990 with the urban action movie Angel TownAngel Town (film)
-Plot:A graduate student and martial-arts expert rents a room in a house owned by a single mother who lives there with her son. A local street gang is trying to recruit the son, but the new tenant tries to help the boy's mother keep him out of the gang...
and Albert Pyun
Albert Pyun
Albert Pyun is an American film director best known for having made many low-budget B-movies and direct-to-video action films. He frequently blends kickboxing and hybrid martial arts with science fiction and dystopic or post-apocalyptic themes, which often include cyborgs...
’s cyberpunk 1992 science fiction thriller Nemesis
Nemesis (film)
Nemesis is a 1992 science fiction film by director Albert Pyun, who also directed the film Cyborg, and stars Olivier Gruner. It is the first installment in the Nemesis film series.-Plot:...
.
Gruner has stayed with Imperial Entertainment and gone on to perform in Automatic (1994), Savate (1997), Mercenary (1997), Mars (1998), Interceptors (1999), T.N.T. (1998), and Interceptor Force 2
Interceptor Force 2 (movie)
Interceptor Force 2 is a 2002 Sci-Fi TV movie directed by Phillip J. Roth, starring Olivier Gruner, Roger R. Cross. Government-trained soldiers called The Interceptors are assigned to look at a crash site of an alien spacecraft in Russia where they find a alien that can change shapes.-Plot:Night...
(2002). Ultimately he appeared in 27 films and three television series, and develop a reputation as a hard working, disciplined Hollywood
Cinema of the United States
The cinema of the United States, also known as Hollywood, has had a profound effect on cinema across the world since the early 20th century. Its history is sometimes separated into four main periods: the silent film era, classical Hollywood cinema, New Hollywood, and the contemporary period...
actor.
Throughout his career after leaving the ring, Gruner maintained his passion for fitness, continuing the brutally demanding physical regimen he had developed and maintained through his military and kickboxing career and adding to it the skills needed to pursue his other demanding physical hobbies.
His most recently role was in an episode of Martial Law
Martial Law (TV series)
Martial Law was a TV crime drama that ran on CBS from 1998 to 2000, and was created by Carlton Cuse. The title character, Sammo Law, portrayed by Sammo Hung, was a Chinese law officer and martial arts expert who came to Los Angeles in search of a colleague and remains in the US.The show was a...
entitled "Wildlife" and Code Name: Eternity
Code Name: Eternity
Code Name: Eternity is a Canadian science fiction series that ran for 26 episodes starting in 1999. It was later shown on the Sci Fi Channel in the United States....
.
Personal life
Over the years, Gruner has maintained his demanding physical regimen and learned new skills including surfing and becoming a commercial helicopter pilot. He continues to ski and sky dive.Film
- Angel TownAngel Town (film)-Plot:A graduate student and martial-arts expert rents a room in a house owned by a single mother who lives there with her son. A local street gang is trying to recruit the son, but the new tenant tries to help the boy's mother keep him out of the gang...
1990 - NemesisNemesis (film)Nemesis is a 1992 science fiction film by director Albert Pyun, who also directed the film Cyborg, and stars Olivier Gruner. It is the first installment in the Nemesis film series.-Plot:...
1992 - Automatic 1994
- Savate aka The FighterSavate (1995 film)Savate - is a martial arts film starring Olivier Gruner, promoted as the allegedly true story of the world's first kickboxer.-Plot:...
1995 - Savage 1995
- Mercenary 1996
- Mars 1996
- T.N.T. 1997
- Velocity Ttrap 1997
- Mercenary 2:Thick & Thin 1998
- Interceptors 1999
- The White Pony 1999
- Crackerjack 3 2000
- G.O.D. 2001
- Extreme Honor 2001
- The CircuitThe Circuit (2002 film)«The Circuit» - is a 2002 arena-fighting film starring Olivier Gruner -Plot:Years ago, Dirk Longstreet walked away from The Circuit, the merciless underground fight club with no rules, where money changes hands as men are killed. But now gangsters have got his brother, and only one more journey...
2002 - Power Elite 2002
- Interceptors Force 2Interceptor Force 2 (movie)Interceptor Force 2 is a 2002 Sci-Fi TV movie directed by Phillip J. Roth, starring Olivier Gruner, Roger R. Cross. Government-trained soldiers called The Interceptors are assigned to look at a crash site of an alien spacecraft in Russia where they find a alien that can change shapes.-Plot:Night...
2002 - Deadly Engagement 2003
- The Circuit 2:The Final PunchThe Circuit 2: The Final Punch (2002 film)The Circuit 2: The Final Punch is a martial arts film starring Olivier Gruner and is the sequel of The Circuit.-Plot:There is an underground fight circuit behind the walls of Ogden State Prison. The secret is about to be blown wide open by Dirk's reporter girlfriend, when she is brutally attacked....
2003 - SWAT: Warhead One 2005
- Crooked (Soft Target) 2006
- The Circuit 3: Street Monk 2006
- Blizhniy Boy: The Ultimate Fighter 2007
- Lost Warrior: Left Behind 2008
- Skorumpowani 2008
- Brother's War 2009
- Tales of an Ancient EmpireTales of an Ancient EmpireTales of an Ancient Empire is a 2010 fantasy film, starring Kevin Sorbo, Whitney Able, Victoria Maurette, and Lee Horsley, directed by Albert Pyun...
2010 - One Night 2010