Star of the 1985 Motown-produced cult classic, The Last Dragon, we welcome Taimak to our first podcast of 2018. Taimak Guarriello was only 19 when he made his starring-role debut as the wise kung fu kid 'Bruce' Leroy Green in Berry Gordy's weird and wonderful action fantasy. It's a fun mix of martial arts and music, but the shoot wasn't always smooth, and Taimak explains some of the on-set disputes, rivalries and relationships which fuelled the production. He discusses working with legendary music mogul, Berry Gordy, and his co-stars Julius Carry and Vanity. But we also talk about his tough upbringing in New York and London, where his bohemian parents introduced him to many of the major celebrities of the time, including the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Andy Warhol and David Bowie. He was inspired by Bruce Lee and Shaw Brothers films, and even trained under the legendary 'Black Dragon' himself, Ron Van Clief. Taimak has remained true to the martial arts ever since, and he continues to train all the time as well as make his own movies, including a pseudo-sequel to The Last Dragon, called Master. You can read more about Master on the film's Indiegogo page. You can also keep up-to-date with all of Taimak's activities by following him on Instagram and Twitter.

Also on this episode, I spend a bit of time chatting to the actor, fitness trainer and filmmaker, Daniel Lue, who has just made his own kung fu movie, called Kung Fu Theatre. Its a zero-budget tribute to the old-school kung fu movies he loved in his youth, and you can watch it for free on Amazon.

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