Darren Shahlavi

Biography

Darren Shahlavi (Stockport, 1972 – London, 2015) was an English actor, martial artist and stuntman of Iranian descent. He worked mainly in martial arts and action cinema, though he also appeared in horror films and in big Hollywood productions, where he served as a stunt performer and fight coordinator.

He started judo as a child and later trained in karate, boxing, kickboxing and Muay Thai. Drawn to the films of Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan, he set his sights on action cinema. In the mid-1990s he moved to Hong Kong, where Yuen Woo-ping cast him as the villain in Tai Chi Boxer (1996). He then starred in Bloodmoon (1997) opposite Gary Daniels, a film still prized by martial arts fans.

From the 2000s he balanced supporting roles in international productions with work in horror and low-budget films. His best-known role was the villain Taylor Milos in Ip Man 2 (2010), where he faces Donnie Yen in the film's climax. He had earlier appeared in 300 and Watchmen, and worked as a stunt double on several other productions. His death at 42, from a heart attack linked to atherosclerosis, cut short a career that many genre fans regard as one of the most active in recent British action cinema.

Key films

• Bloodmoon (1997): the villain opposite Gary Daniels, a favourite among martial arts film fans.
• Ip Man 2 (2010): the villain Taylor Milos, with a final bout against Donnie Yen.
• 300 (2006): a Persian soldier in Zack Snyder's adaptation.
• Watchmen (2009): a New York SWAT officer in Zack Snyder's film.
• In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale (2007): a gatekeeper, with stunt doubling in the fight scenes.
• Alone in the Dark (2005): John Dillon in Uwe Boll's film.