FURY ROAD: A Word With THE FURIOUS Co-Star Joey Iwanaga

Perhaps one of the biggest highlights of the current wave of coverage this month for me is the proliferation of actor Joey Iwanaga. I’ve been fascinated with his progression for years as a screentalent with viability both regionally and abroad, and I feel like he’s finally getting the coming out party he’s worked hard toward in the last thirteen years since I first stumbled upon the trailer for his 2013 film, Dancing Karate Kid…

I say “trailer” because the film isn’t legitimately available to stream or purchase anywhere here and the states and that kind of bothers me, but, I digress. Perhaps the buzz surrounding his appearance in the latest from lauded action steward Kenji Tanigaki might be the motivation that our current platforms and home media labels need. Time will tell. Meanwhile, I found time this past month to get a dialogue going with Iwanaga whose credits during my time as a critic and news aggregator partly includes films like HiGH&LOW: End Of Sky, Yugo Sakamoto’s Baby Assasins 2, and season three of Netflix sci-fi thriller series, Alice In Borderland, as well as the upcoming live-action adaptation of the hit manga, Blue Lock, from director Yusuke Taki.

Of course, the crux of this interview will also pertain to his role in The Furious, which reteams Iwanaga once more with Tanigaki since last taking on Donnie Yen in 2020’s Enter The Fat Dragon. Iwanaga talks how he landed the part of the villain, working with such an incredible cast and crew, and much more in our first interview which will serve as the first of a two-part series leading up to my review of the movie.

Check it out, and go see The Furious in theaters on June 12 from Lionsgate!

Joey, it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance with such a propitious feature on the way for action fans. How has the year been for you so far, as crazy as things seem in the world lately?

It’s been a really great start to the year, and honestly I feel very grateful. I’ve been getting recognition worldwide from Alice in Borderland Season 3, which came out last year, and it means a lot to see people connecting with the work. I’m also excited to finally promote BLUE LOCK, a film I’ve been working on over the past few months, releasing this August in Japan. And of course, knowing that THE FURIOUS will be premiering in the US through Lionsgate is something I don’t take lightly at all. I’m just thankful to be part of it.

I want to get to the heart of how you came to be in film and television. You started off as a dancer when you were younger. How did all of that culminate for you, becoming an actor over the years?

My parents owned a dance studio in LA, so I grew up surrounded by movement—dance, martial arts, everything. We even had a sensei from a Kyokushin karate teaching there, so it was a really unique environment. My mom loved martial arts and trained in karate, and my dad did judo, so that influence was always there. I started dancing young, but for me, dance was more of a lifestyle. Karate was something I really dedicated myself to. I didn’t start acting until I moved to Japan at sixteen, and even then it wasn’t some big plan to become an actor. It was more like, “Let me try this and see where it goes.” When I auditioned for a film in 2012, I showed both my karate and dance, and they ended up shaping the role around that. Looking back, I was really lucky. From there, it became a domino effect—one producer sees your work, then another—and I’ve been riding that wave ever since.

You’re especially proficient in screenfighting and action roles. Was this par for the course for you as well in developing your skillset over the years?

I think so, but I wouldn’t say I did it alone. I never formally trained in screen fighting or went through a traditional stunt system. Most of what I learned came from being on set and learning from the people around me. The action community in Japan is pretty small, so you see the same faces, and over time you build relationships and learn from each other. Working with Kenji Tanigaki and meeting Sonomura Kensuke early on really helped guide me. Outside of that, I just try to stay ready—training, going to the gym, working with friends, and still going back to the dojo. Even now, going through the basics keeps me grounded. So yeah, I’d say it came over time, but a lot of it is thanks to the people who taught me along the way.

You were also in the HiGH&LOW franchise and those films are amazing for a lot of us in the circles I share. I still laugh when I see you with Nobuyuki-san and your character shouts “Let’s go!” and he gets angry because you’re speaking English. What was that filming experience like for you?

HiGH&LOW is such a big franchise, so I knew I needed to find a way to stand out, but still respect the world they created. My group had more of an international feel, so I suggested using some English in my lines, and the director was open to it. That helped shape the character. It was also one of the first times I could really bring my Western side into a role in Japan, instead of just playing strictly within a Japanese style. That made it a lot of fun—it felt closer to who I am. On set, everyone was super passionate. Honestly, it felt like friendly competition—everyone wanted the best fight scene. Each character had their own fighting style, and that pushed the level of the entire film higher. It was an amazing experience.

Getting into The Furious, I feel like you’re finally getting the bigger stage you were meant for since I first caught wind of you in 2013. Talk about landing this project and what it means for you, because you’ve worked a few times under Kenji Tanigaki before who was action director on Keishi Otomo’s Rurouni Kenshin: The Final, and eventually opposite Donnie Yen on Enter The Fat Dragon.

I first worked with Kenji Tanigaki back in 2015 on a music video with Rina Takeda called “Voices.” Then one day, I was in Kyoto working on another project, having dinner with Rina, and we were literally talking about Kenji—when suddenly, I get a call from him. Perfect timing. He told me he was in Thailand preparing his next film and asked if I was available. Luckily, I was. And honestly, even if I wasn’t—if Kenji calls, I’m saying yes. It felt like everything came full circle in that moment.

I’m fascinated that you guys spent a month preparing and rehearsing the action scenes and it makes me wonder just how much you guys were able to accomplish given what we now see in this film. Can you expand a little more on your experience collaborating with your fellow actors and putting these amazing scenes together with Kensuke-san? Between this, the Baby Assassins franchise and his other works, it just daunts me sometimes seeing how creative that man gets! 

It was definitely hectic. Everyone had different schedules, so we didn’t fully come together until closer to filming. But because we already had a connection and trained together, it didn’t feel unfamiliar. It felt more like putting pieces together. Sonomura Kensuke has a very unique style—he values realism over perfection. He wants the audience to feel every hit. We followed choreography, but there was also room to react naturally, and I think that’s what made it special. I learned a lot from that process. 

I’m hesitant to say too much lest I reveal anything about the final fight scene – I want folks to go in as blindly as I did, and for me, it was sensory overload in the best way. Did you have any idea that that finale was going to be as gargantuan as it was?

Yeah, when we first saw the previs—which is basically a pre-visualization of the action—we were like, “Can we actually pull this off?” But at the same time, it looked so fun. We knew if we executed it right, it could be something the world hasn’t seen before. It required a lot of precision and trust—we were literally putting our safety in each other’s hands. But we had so much fun doing it. And seeing it on the big screen afterward? Even better.

You and the team got to be a part of the premiere in Toronto last Fall. That ceremony being considered along with the acknowledgement of films like The Raid and The Night Comes For Us as milestones of martial arts action cinema, what is the reception like now for you seeing it all happen with The Furious and Tanigaki, Yayan, Joe, Xie and Brian all meeting the moment with you?

The Toronto crowd was incredible. You could feel the energy in the theater—the reactions during the fight scenes were insane. Watching it together as a cast, we were holding onto each other, reacting just like the audience. It felt like being kids again. I’ve never watched one of my own films and felt that level of excitement before.

You’ve come a long way in your career, and for me it feels like a blink looking at the last thirteen years even knowing you were working long before that to an extent. I’ve asked this question to other performers, and I’d like to ask: What are some of the biggest lessons you’ve learned that carry you over year after year in your current trajectory?

I still feel like I’m learning every day. For me, even if one person watches my work and feels something, that’s already meaningful. There are always ups and downs, but the fans are what keeps me going. As long as I’m able to move, I want to keep improving and doing better than my last project.

Is there anyone you haven’t worked with yet that you’d like to? And, are there other aspects of film and TV that you’d like to get into, like possibly directing?

I’d love to work with Chad Stahelski and his team at 87Eleven. I’ve worked mostly with Japanese and Hong Kong teams, so learning how one of the top American stunt teams operates would be an amazing experience. I’d also love to direct someday. I already write ideas and scripts for fun, so eventually I’d like to bring one of those to life.

I have so much I wanna ask you but I definitely don’t want to veer off course before we make our exit from this interview. That said, The Furious is due out in June – it WAS May but the studio pushed it back – and the fans can’t wait. By all means, tell readers what they can expect from The Furious, and from Joey Iwanaga going forward.

I play Paklung, the main villain. And trust me—the trailers are just scratching the surface. If you think you’ve seen enough to get excited… just wait. There’s a lot more coming. I just hope people enjoy what we created. Everyone gave their all on this film, and I’m proud to be part of it. I might be the young one in this lineup, but I’m bringing everything I’ve got.

Lead image: Joey Iwanaga via Twitter/X