Phil Tan
Philip Tan (born 22 July 1960) is a Singaporean / British film director and stunt coordinator. He is the father of actor Lewis Tan.
Philip Tan
Early life[edit]
Philip (“Phil”) Tan was born in Singapore before moving to the United Kingdom at age five. While living in England, Tan learned and became proficient in gymnastics, martial arts, and disco dancing.[1][2]
In 1979, Tan became the national disco dancing champion of the United Kingdom.[3] He regularly competed in dancing competitions and has won 7 disco championships[1]
Tan started his athletic career as a gymnast,[4] where he became the British Youth Tumbling champion.[5] After learning martial arts, Tan became the 1985 British Men's Tae Kwon Do Champion.[4][5] He has won the British national dance competition and participated in British television series “Albion Market” as a Granada soap opera star prior to moving to Hollywood.
Career[edit]
Tan began his career as an actor and stuntman in 1979.[1] His first role was in The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu.[2] A biographical movie is being developed about his life in Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the United States.[2]
Tan is proficient in multiple martial arts, including Muay Thai, Taekwondo, and Kung Fu.[4] Tan is also an experienced stuntman and specializes in stunt fighting, and stunt falling.[6] Tan has worked with martial artists including Jackie Chan, Jet Li, and Brandon Lee.[4]
Notable films worked on include Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Empire of the Sun, Batman, Tango and Cash, Demolition Man, Lethal Weapon 4, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, Rush Hour 3, Inception, Olympus has Fallen, and Bullet Train.
Tan has worked on six movies and one television show with Steven Spielberg. While working on the film Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Tan was responsible for training "Short Round" in stunt fighting played by actor Ke Huy Quan.[4]
Notable directors worked with include Steven Spielberg, Tim Burton, Michael Bay, The Wachowskis, and David Leitch.[2]
Personal life[edit]
Tan has four sons with his wife Joanne Tan (née Cassidy) and lives in Los Angeles, California. He began training his son Lewis in martial arts and stunts at a young age.[1] His wife Joanne is a former British runway model.[7] Tan enjoys spending time with his family when not working on Hollywood projects.[7] He has provided counseling to the Los Angeles community and provides guidance whenever he has the opportunity.[7]