Amy Johnston has been working in film, television, and video games since 2009 as either an actress or performing stunts. She was a stunt performer on both Deadpool films, doubled Scarlett Johansson in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and did motion capture and stunts for popular video games like The Last of Us: Part II, Rise of the Tomb Raider, and Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. Johnston has appeared in popular fan films Batman: Dying is Easy as Harley Quinn and as Android 18 in Dragonball Z: Light of Hope. She’s also been the lead in Female Fight Squad and the criminally underrated Lady Bloodfight.
That particular film was released in the United States on May 5, 2017, then on home video on June 6, 2017. It’s important to celebrate the film’s fifth anniversary and hopefully draw attention to the picture, an updated version of Bloodsport with an all-female cast.
Before delving into a celebration of the film, it’s important to learn a little about its star. Who better to tell everyone about her background than Amy Johnston herself? “My father was a five-time world kickboxing champion, he did that in the ’80s, so when I was born, my brother and I grew up in the martial arts schools, my dad owned several. Martial arts was such a big part of his life that it became a big part of our lives. My mom was an acupuncturist, she studied Chi Gong, Tai Chi, and Kung Fu in China so we were a total martial arts family, that was our thing. We watched a lot of martial arts films because of it, and eventually, I figured it would be time to do something with everything I learned.”
Along with martial arts, Johnston and her family bonded over action films, films that would later influence her career decisions. She explains, “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is the one that really hit all the points for me. Honestly, I loved Kung Pow, Shaolin Soccer, those movies are so fun to me. Of course, I loved the Jackie Chan films, the Bruce Lee films, my dad was a huge Bruce Lee fan. I was into a few of the Shaw Brothers films and really into the Cynthia Rothrock films.”
It would turn out that Rothrock (along with another highly influential actress) would be a major influence for very specific reasons. Amy elaborates, “Cynthia was the only one who looked like me and was doing something interesting. Michelle Yeoh, though, she’s one of my favorites. On camera, she has a really nice presence. I don’t usually get star-struck, but there was one moment when I was at a premiere of one of her films, and I saw her. I freaked out so bad, and I wanted to talk to her, but I couldn’t. At some point, I hope to work with her but I was really star-struck. I think she was eating a French fry or something. She was the first one I really looked up to, and she was so strong, feminine, and graceful, so all that was really inspiring to me.”
As the bug slowly imprinted itself in her mind, Johnston began taking steps towards her dreams. “I did theater in high school, I danced and liked to sing, so I was in choir, plays, and things like that. My brother and I would make these stupid little films, these videos, and I just really enjoyed performing. After seeing Michelle Yeoh, Cynthia Rothrock, as well as other women in film, I thought maybe it would be something I could do.” As soon as she grew into a young adult, the decisions she knew were inevitable were brought to the forefront. Johnston continues, “Maybe around sixteen years old, I really wanted to get into film, but I still looked into colleges and stuff because that’s just what you did. Then, around seventeen, I realized I should just try it, so I took the trip from Wyoming to California in my little minivan and survived. It was something that always felt enticing to me and it was one of those things that if I didn’t do it, I’d regret it for the rest of my life. It just felt right for me; nothing else feels more right.”
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Never looking back, Johnston began to imprint herself into the world she so desperately wanted to be a part of. “I started out doing videos on YouTube; that was how I was introduced to stunt work and acting. When I came out to L.A., I was very shy; I still am. It’s difficult to be shy and alone in this city. I eventually found a crew of people who did martial arts and like to film things. That’s one of the most important things for people trying to get anywhere: you really need to find your environment. I found mine with A Thousand Pounds Action Team; it was a bunch of people who liked action films, video games, anime, and martial arts. We all came together to film concepts and ideas.”
Along with finding a place to belong, the rewards of making these little YouTube videos, both personally and professionally, were just around the corner. “Those were some of the most enjoyable moments of my life and I still try to do it because it’s what got the eyes on me to be able to do what I’m doing now. I always try to continue putting those out because I enjoy choreographing stuff, creating, and filming. It’s really fulfilling to do stuff out of passion and not just being part of a big system,” she states.
“A Thousand Pounds Action Team and I were doing this pre-visualization, proof of concept, for Stan Lee. We were going to create this female superhero, so we put together some ideas of how we thought this chick should move and the project never went anywhere. We did release it on YouTube, and it was called Amy vs. Many, and I was just beating the crap out of a bunch of people, but the choreography and the cinematography were great, and the performers were amazing. Because of that video, a lot of opportunities came my way and one of them was auditioning for Lady Bloodfight,” Johnston recollects. The opportunity she had been working towards was knocking at her door, and she was ready to rise to the challenge. She proceeds, “The producers saw the video, I auditioned, and I got the role. It was my first big opportunity and I was finally doing what I’d always wanted to do: acting and stunts. Plus, I was training with masters in China, it was definitely a life goal. In prep for the film, I tore my ACL and I was really worried they were going to just cancel me. They let me heal and I worked really hard to get it back, so I had an extra six months to prep mentally for that film. We started filming in Hong Kong and I was able to really enjoy that. Some of my favorite parts of working on that film were the off days exploring Hong Kong. Being out of the city, it was just really beautiful. It really was incredible being there and training with such terrific people.”
Voltage Pictures was founded in 2005 by Nicolas Chartier, who is a former sales agent. The company deals in the financing, production, as well as distribution of its shows and films. They’re the company responsible for Kathryn Bigelow’s Academy Award-winning film The Hurt Locker. The films they produce have crossed all genres, and with Lady Bloodfight, they were all in on their dedication to the picture, with Johnston as the lead. She concurs, “Voltage Pictures is such a good production company and they waited for me to heal so I knew I had to deliver. They waited almost an extra year for me, so there was a lot of pressure. I did enjoy the pressure, it makes me work harder or better personally, and I just put a lot of work into it. There were some things I just wish could have turned out better, and there were so many things I wish I could have done differently, but overall I think it’s a beautiful film. I really enjoyed working with the director Chris Nahon, he was the most incredible part of it.”
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Chris Nahon is best known for directing the superb action picture Kiss of the Dragon starring Jet Li and Bridget Fonda, and the opportunity to work with the acclaimed director would prove to be highly rewarding. “He’s very different from directors in Hollywood, he’s still passionate about what he’s doing. He did this thing where he would just grab a camera, tell me to go walk across the street, get into a taxi, and he’d just follow me and get a few shots. Then it would be a boat, or something else, he was just like a kid in a candy store. It made things so fun as opposed to just being told to stand on your mark and go. He just had this really nice energy,” Johnston gushes. The director and actress cemented a relationship and trust before filming, which would later translate to the screen. She explicates, “We had a lot of discussions together, he’d call or we Skyped, and we would get to know each other. It was a great relationship and I hope to work with him again. I’d watched Chris’ short films, his behind-the-scenes videos of things, I really watched as much as I possibly could to get a sense of his style.”
In Lady Bloodfight, Johnston plays Jane, a young woman with a past who has decided to travel to Hong Kong alone. Attacked by a group of thugs, she loses her bags but is rescued by Shu (Muriel Hofmann), a woman with her own past who sees the strength in her. Shu allows Jane into her life where their relationship takes the form of teacher and student. Being a Wudang champion, she trains Jane to properly fight with an end goal in mind. Shu enters Jane in The Kumite, a martial arts tournament featuring the toughest female fighters from around the world. The two women are both there for different reasons, but they’ll have to trust one another if Jane is to have a chance against Shu’s nemesis Wai (Kathy Wu) and her apprentice Ling (Jenny Wu).
The film is in many ways a reboot/remake of the 1988 Jean-Claude Van Damme classic Bloodsport. It follows many of the same beats, but it’s also distinctly its own movie. For Johnston, being a part of this was something special. “I was a huge fan of Bloodsport and it was originally going to be called Lady Bloodsport. I felt like it was everything coming full circle. I grew up on these films and it really meant a lot to me being a part of it.” Where Lady Bloodfight would differ from Bloodsport, aside from the gender reversal, would be in the portrayal of the martial arts. On one side, you have the fighting aspect, using the abilities to hurt. On the opposite side, they can be used to show respect, empathy, healing, and forgiveness. This would be something Johnston would be really proud to get across to the audience. “If I had it my way, I would always push it. But for Lady Bloodfight, I would say delving into real philosophies behind the martial arts for the film came from Chris. He really wanted to get into the light and dark, the yin and yang, and the balance of it all. It’s always entertaining to show both sides like that since everyone is different and has different philosophies in regard to martial arts. I definitely enjoyed and appreciated the fact he was so adamant to get that across in the film.”
Another intriguing aspect of the production was how diversified the cast a crew was. For example, director Nahon hails from France, Johnston is from Wyoming and the stunt team from Hong Kong. It brought together people from different parts of the world, different nationalities, and races to unite as a team with a common purpose. Johnston concurs, “It was very cool to have such a diverse cast and crew. It’s a bit of a goal to bring all these different people together for many reasons. It was really nice to see the choreographers try to put in all the different styles of martial arts from the different countries of each fighter in the film. I think they did a really good job in doing that. It was really nice to have all the girls on set, a lot of female empowerment, and we were all very supportive of each other. It’s so cool when art brings people together.”
“I still talk to several of the girls from the film. I’m still in touch with Jet Tranter, Mayling Ng, Jenny Wu, Kathy Wu, and Muriel Hofmann. They were all so great, fun to be around, humble, and they all worked so incredibly hard,” Johnston states. As in a plethora of modern action films, not all of the fighters in the film knew how to fight. She proceeds, “A lot of them had never done any martial arts before in their lives. I don’t think Kathy or Jenny did, maybe something small in the past. Most of them had no fighting experience and they trained every day, sometimes for eight hours a day. I was really impressed with how dedicated they all were.”
The fight and action team was world-renowned and some of the best in the business. If you’re a fan of Hong Kong action pictures, then the name Xin Xin Xiong should be very familiar to you. In addition to doing choreography, he’s also an actor that’s highly regarded as the character known as Clubfoot in the Once Upon a Time in China film and television series. Johnston was excited to work with the Hong Kong legend as well as have the opportunity to contribute. “Xin Xin was so cool and amazing, I could just talk about him for days. I did have to opportunity to make some suggestions in regards to the choreography but really the team just took it and ran with it. There may have been a few things I would have done differently, but overall the team really did a nice job.” Having an opportunity to appear in this type of action film with a cast predominantly female, goes to show just how the landscape has changed for women in action films. “I think the world is opening up and are more accepting of hand-to-hand combat and female action heroes so we’ll just keep pushing,” she says with pride.
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Once the film was completed, there would be a small premiere for the cast and crew. Even though Johnston was excited to complete the film, it turns out that watching it would be a bit difficult. She describes why, “I can’t stand watching myself but it was a private screening and my friends were there, my mom, the cast, the people from Voltage, and some of the producers. It’s hard to not hate everything about it just because I’m always judging myself but after watching it a second time, I really enjoyed it. I was always proud of it and the work we all did, it just took some time for me to enjoy it for what it was and not critique myself.” It’s not uncommon for people to feel uncomfortable seeing themselves on a screen for a variety of reasons. As time passed by, she would eventually come to appreciate it all. “I remember after that first screening when one of the producers came up to me and said, ‘It’s not bad, we did pretty good!’ I was just like, ‘It’s okay.’ I think he was taken aback by my response and I probably should have given him a better explanation as to why I said it that way. It was just how I was feeling about myself. I am truly proud of that film, though I would have liked to change some things. For all of the things that went on behind-the-scenes, for my first film, I’m really proud of the message and some of the performances.”
After Lady Bloodfight, Johnston found herself committed to another project, Female Fight Squad. This one was much smaller, but the benefits were hard to ignore. “It was a really quick shoot for director Miguel Ferrara who was really great to work with. We didn’t have many rehearsals but the process was fun and knowing Dolph Lundgren would be in the film, even if only for a day, made me really happy. He got to hold the pads for me so I just thought that was really cool. It was a fun process to go into a darker space and different type of character compared to Lady Bloodfight.” No shoot is without difficulties, and this was no exception. There would be such a positive vibe for her that those were easy to overlook. “Every film has problems but I was working with a bunch of friends. It was filmed in Los Angeles, close to home, and working with my friends was probably the best part.”
Filmmaker Jesse V. Johnston has been wowing audiences with his brand of action pictures for over two decades (as a stunt performer, much longer). In a two-year time period, Jesse had seven feature films released, each one of them completely different than the next. Five of those features starred one of the greatest action stars working in the business today, Scott Adkins. One of those films was Accident Man, a comic adaptation that was a passion project for Adkins. Amy Johnston was cast as the villainous Jane the Ripper and the experience proved to be highly enjoyable for her. “I first met Jesse Johnson on set, but he used to do stunts and he was always working on multiple things at once. He was doing stunts, he was directing, so I knew I wanted to work with him. I enjoy working with directors who understand action and he definitely does. He gave me a lot of freedom and, obviously, working with Scott Adkins was a dream. He’s so good, so talented, a great presence, and he really knows what the audience wants which is really important. I hope to get a chance to work with them again in the future.”
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Performers as exciting as Johnston and Adkins don’t come along very often and when they do, the films usually debut direct to video. The age of action stars like Jean-Claude Van Damme, Chuck Norris, or Steven Seagal is long over. In the modern world of action, popular actors are trained to fight as opposed to hiring actors who were fighters first. It’s not that these actors aren’t giving their all but it’s a different presence and dynamic that’s sorely missed on the big screen and Johnston knows how difficult it can be. “It’s so frustrating, and it’s a weird balance between action movies and the superhero films compared to the indie or B-action film. There’s this weird gap and Scott’s kind of stuck in between. He’s fully capable of so many different roles, and I hope that Scott gets to continue making his own films and is able to work in bigger projects as well,” she declares. Every trend goes in cycles and things once thought dead and gone tend to get resurrected and at some point, hopefully, the action star will be no different.
In 2018, Johnston self-published the book, How to Stunt in Hollywood: Insight and Advice from World Class Stunt Professionals, a book aimed at enlightening people on how to get started in the business. “Coming up in this industry was very confusing for me, being an actress and stunt performer, trying to understand how to get into both professions and not step on toes. There’s just so much you learn from experience, and how do you get experience without having it? It’s just so difficult. One of the biggest questions I get from people is how do I get into the business? I never have a direct answer for them, so I thought I could get as many professionals as I could and get them to answer for me so they could see the different approaches that could guide them into the business so they would know what to expect.”
Johnston enlisted the help of friends like the aforementioned Jesse Johnson, Luke Lafontaine, Heidi Moneymaker, Natasha Hopkins, and many others to offer their insight into their craft. She elaborates, “I wanted to create something to help people get where they want by learning through all the different perspectives. Another question I hear all the time is in regards to the craziest stunts I’ve ever done, or they’ll want to know if stunt people are adrenaline junkies so I try to answer that as well. There’s a lot that goes into what we do, action design, and it was really important to cover that, too. I was also hoping it would inspire people to make a living out of what they love.”
While continuing to work on studio projects, Johnston has managed to find the time to participate in several fan films that were previously mentioned. These projects come from a different place for the performer, a place she is happy to discuss. “Fan films today are not coming from a place of profit but passion. People who grew up on this stuff are really passionate about it, and I would love to see more fan films on a much bigger scale in this industry. It is, however, really hard to balance the profits and production side of things, but hopefully, more and more people who are passionate about existing I.P.’s (intellectual properties) and new ones can have the chance to be part of something like that.”
After the popularity of her film Never Back Down: Revolt, director Kellie Madison may try pursuing a feature-length version of the popular short The Gate, which Johnston starred in. “I think Kellie has started pitching it again and I really hope it goes somewhere. I enjoyed working with Cecep Arif Rahman from The Raid, he’s like the most humble badass I’ve ever met. He also had the best flow of choreography of anyone I’ve ever worked with. It just takes so much time to get projects like this off the ground, lots of back and forth, but hopefully one day we’ll get the chance to do something else with it.”
In the meantime, Johnston has plenty to keep her busy. Whether it be film, television, or video games, there’s always something in the pipeline. “There are a lot of things in progress. I do a lot of motion capture for video games, like most female action in video games I’ve been a part of, I’m very heavy into motion capture. There’s a film called Day Labor which is coming out soon, I also did some stunt doubling for Jennifer Lopez in a project. There are TV shows like Magnum P.I. and lots of other fun things to look forward to.” One thing is for sure: Amy Johnston isn’t the type of person to sit around and wait for something to come her way; she creates opportunities. “I get tired of waiting for people, so I try to do as much as I can by myself.”
If you’ve never seen Lady Bloodfight, it’s a breath of fresh air in a sea of interchangeable superhero flicks. Johnston gives an electrifying performance and proves she’s ready to step up and lead the way for more women to take over the action genre with their bare knuckles. Lady Bloodfight is currently streaming on Amazon Prime and is available to rent from various VOD platforms. Amy’s book, How to Stunt in Hollywood, is available to purchase on Amazon.
To keep up-to-date on Amy Johnston and her career, you can visit her official website.
