Daniel Bernhardt is an American actor of Swiss origin. He became famous in films and television series dedicated to martial arts. He himself is not only an actor, but also a true master of the system of Asian martial arts. In the movie "Blood Sport" and its sequels, he played the role of the famous champion kumite. In the popular American TV series Mortal Kombat, he became famous for his role as guard Shiro. But the world-famous role was brought to him by the role of agent Johnson, a modified virus from the epic “Matrix: Reloaded”.
Childhood and adolescence
Daniel Bernhardt was born in Switzerland, in the town of Worblaufen, in August 1965. As a teenager, he became interested in martial arts. From the age of 15, he studied kung fu and karate. The young man received a classical education. He graduated from high school, and at Berne College he studied such a completely unsportsmanlike discipline as architectural design. Received a diploma. But he considered martial arts his vocation. After college, he opened his own school of oriental wrestling and its various directions and thought that he would do this all his life. But soon his figure and developed muscles begin to attract the attention of fashion magazines. The young man moves to Paris and begins to work as a model for the Versace, Boss, Montana, Mugler and others. Photos of Daniel Bernhardt appear in magazines such as Vogue, Max, Cosmopolitan. His fame as a model reaches international level.
The beginning of an acting career
The new work of young talent required frequent travels. He traveled to Tokyo, London, Milan and everywhere tried his hand. But when he arrived in New York at the age of 25, he discovered a different life. Gianni Versace organized a telecast dedicated to martial arts, and Daniel Bernhardt was invited to participate in it along with Jean-Claude Van Damme. There he realized that his passion for martial arts was completely cinematic. The young man thought about studying acting and at the same time improving his skills in martial arts. He moved to Los Angeles, where he studied taekwondo on a special program, studying with master Hee Il Il Ho, who had a ninth-degree black belt in this area.
Daniel Bernhardt: filmography
For the first time, a young man appeared on the screens in 1996. He starred in the acclaimed TV series "Bloody Sport-2" in the role of professional thief Alex Cardo, who steals the ancient sword of the katana, with which he becomes a great fighter, starting a new life. A year later, he played CIA agent Rick Halsey in the Black Sea Raid. The action takes place in Russia, and the plot is a famously twisted scenario with terrorists, theft of a nuclear warhead and the release of a physicist, and part-time beauty Natalya, from a psychiatric clinic where the corrupt military are hiding her. In the late nineties of the twentieth century, the actor starred in the series “Mortal Kombat” and the continuation of “Bloody Sport”. One of the successful roles in the early 2000s was the image of Marcus Point in the film “The Global Threat”, which tells of a terrorist who has acquired a virus that can destroy half the world.
Most Popular Roles
Daniel Bernhardt, whose films with the participation of his fans already, gained worldwide fame in 2003, when he starred as the head of modernized agents in the service of the Matrix in the second film of this trilogy - "Restart". He participated in many scenes related to battles and pursuits. Johnson tries to catch the Key Masters, gets into a fight with Morpheus and Neo. He is even temporarily killed in this film until he recovers. After almost ten years, the actor plays another memorable role. This is the Kroll hitman in the movie Parker. For this role, he was even nominated for the Taurus film award for the best and spectacular fights. And in 2013, he had to play in another popular dystopia - The Hunger Games. In the second film, “Catching Fire,” to destroy the symbol of a possible revolution, the President of the Capitol announces extraordinary deadly competitions. All winners of previous games should take part in them. Bernhardt plays there tribute 9 district.
Personal life
The actor has two brothers - Cliff and Dirk. They are also fond of martial arts and even starred in some films, playing episodic roles. Daniel Bernhardt married actress Lisa Stothard. They have a teenage daughter who was born in 2003. The actor continues to enjoy martial arts. In his leisure time, he enjoys fishing and horseback riding. And recently, he was fascinated by writing scripts for militants.