Joey Ansah is an English stunt actor, film director, actor, and martial artist. He is best known for portraying and performing all his own stunts for Desh Bouksani in the 2007 film The Bourne Ultimatum.
Biography[]
Early Life[]
Joey Ansah was born in the borough of Hackney, London, England, of mixed ethnicity, the second son of Ghanaian fashion designer, Kofi Ansah, and his Devon-born wife Nicola. Between the ages of 10 and 15, Ansah studied Tae Kwon Do for four years while living in Ghana. Upon returning to England, Ansah began to audition for stunt roles in films, drawing inspiration from Ray Park's performance as Darth Maul from Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace.
The Bourne Ultimatum[]
Joey Ansah film blocking a scene with Matt Damon and Stunt Coordinator Jeff Imada
After playing several stunt and drama roles in Hollywood, Ansah received the role of Desh Bouksani in the film The Bourne Ultimatum and was to play an assassin opposite to Matt Damon's Jason Bourne.
Ansah's performance was notable for a set-piece fight scene between himself and Matt Damon, regarded by one Rolling Stones reviewer as one of the best action scenes ever filmed. [1]
Other Works[]
Ansah directing Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist
In 2014, Ansah choreographed, co-wrote and directed the 2014 short film Street Figher: Legacy. He also played the role of Akuma in the short film. As a self-proclaimed fan of the video game series, Ansah desired the short film to be the most accurate depiction of the series.
He and collaborator Christian Howard, worked on the live-action Street Fighter series Street Figher: Assassin' Fist, where he once again played the role of Akuma. They also worked on the mini-series and Street Fighter: Resurrection and are developing the second season, Street Figher: World Warrior.