My major intention for coming to Hollywood - besides the fact that I was just enamored with acting from a very young age - was that I was tired of seeing wimpy Asian actors.

Americans really don't understand the Japanese nature, but it's not an easy thing to understand.

People say, "How come you play bad guys so much?" And I say, "Well, have you seen many Asian good-guy roles?"

I used to be a street performer, and performances on Venice Beach, it's like playing the Apollo: They let you know if they don't like you!

I don't know if many people realize that Dolph Lundgren is a chemical engineer. He's not a dumb blond guy. This guy is smart and he's a martial artist.

The power and depth of Japanese acting certainly inspired me, so I was determined that Hollywood was going to get a taste of that, that Americans were going to get a taste of Japanese action.

There's one thing about weights with action movies: Once your muscles get that tight, it's sometimes hard to stop your movement, especially if you're trying to move with some strength, and with the swords in the film.