Matthias Hues | |
---|---|
Born | |
Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 1988–present |
Website | http://www.matthiashues.com/ |
Matthias Hues (born 14 February 1959) is a German-born, naturalized American actor and martial artist. He was born in Waltrop, Germany, to Dr. Josef Hues and Maria Humperdinck Hues who still reside in Germany. Maria is the niece of Engelbert Humperdinck, composer of the opera Hansel and Gretel. In 2019 he self-published his autobiography "Shirtless in Hollywood".[1]
Life and career
After graduating from school, Hues moved to Paris to enter hotel management. Once there, he joined a health club in Paris, which had just been bombarded with the new Jane Fonda aerobic exercise program from the United States. Hues recognized an opportunity and after returning to Germany, he opened two health clubs, flying in aerobic teachers from the USA. During this time, he became obsessed with the American way of life and subsequently sold his clubs, boarding a plane to Los Angeles.
He immediately joined Gold's Gym in Venice, California, the mecca of bodybuilding and entertainment personalities. Derek Barton, a former Hollywood stuntman and formerly one of Gold's managing directors, received a call from a producer who had just lost Jean-Claude Van Damme for his movie and needed a replacement. Barton sent Hues to test for the role, and he managed to convince the producers to give him the part despite having no prior acting experience. The movie, No Retreat, No Surrender 2 (1987), was a moderate success, and opened the door for Hues to make more films.
His most commercially successful movie to date is I Come in Peace (1990) and he has played a variety of roles in his films, from a gladiator turned private investigator in Age of Treason (1993) to an aging hit-man in Finding Interest (1994), to a bumbling idiot trying to kidnap a rich kid in Alone in the Woods (1996), to a dancing lion tamer in Big Top Pee-wee (1988). He also played a Klingon general in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991).
Filmography
- 1988 No Retreat, No Surrender 2: Raging Thunder as Yuri
- 1988 Big Top Pee-wee as Oscar, The Liontamer
- 1989 Fist Fighter as 'Rhino'
- 1989 Cage as Italian Fighter
- 1990 I Come in Peace as Talec, Bad Alien
- 1990 Aftershock as Cassidy
- 1991 Kickboxer 2: The Road Back as Neil Vargas
- 1991 Diplomatic Immunity as Gephardt
- 1991 Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country as Second Klingon General
- 1992 I Don't Buy Kisses Anymore as Eric, Personal Trainer
- 1992 Blackbelt as John Sweet
- 1992 Mission of Justice as Titus Larkin
- 1992 Talons of the Eagle as Khan
- 1993 Bounty Tracker as Erik Gauss
- 1993 TC 2000 as Bigalow
- 1993 Fist Fighter 2 as C.J.Thunderbird
- 1993 Age of Treason as Justus
- 1994 Death Match as Mark Vanik
- 1994 Finding Interest as The Hitman
- 1995 Fists of Iron as Victor 'The Destroyer' Bragg
- 1995 Digital Man as Digital Man
- 1995 Droid Gunner as Hawks
- 1996 Tiger Heart as Hank (uncredited)
- 1996 Lone Tiger as Dark Tiger
- 1996 Starcrypt as Galleon
- 1996 Safety Zone as Marcos
- 1996 Alone in the Woods as Kurt
- 1997 Bloodsuckers as Reporter
- 1997 Executive Target as Vic
- 1997 Cyber Vengeance as Thor
- 1997 Conan the Adventurer (TV series) as Savann
- 1998 The Protector as Gunther
- 1999 Hostile Environment as Mike Erikson
- 1999 Power Rangers: Lost Galaxy (TV series) as Guardian
- 2000 The King's Guard as Angus
- 2001 Legion of the Dead as Togaio, Blond Man
- 2001 The Silent Force as Unknown (uncredited)
- 2003 Beyond the Limits as Big Blond Knight (uncredited)
- 2003 The Librarians as Ciro
- 2007 D-War as Bounty Hunter #1
- 2008 I Am Somebody: No Chance in Hell as Carl
- 2008 CarPirates as Unknown
- 2008 1066 as Unknown
- 2009 Immortally Yours as Marshall Pope
- 2009 Charlie Valentine as Victor
- 2009 Green Street 2: Stand Your Ground as Soccer Player
- 2009 Ved verdens ende as Aribert
- 2009 The Rogue as Unknown
- 2011 Goy as Martin Teinmann
- 2011 Little Klaus Big World as Unknown
- 2012 Money Fight as Matt
- 2012 The Sleeper, Deadly Recall as Unknown
- 2014 Black Rose as Black Mask Killer
- 2016 Showdown in Manila as Dorn
- 2016 Beyond the Game as Unknown
- 2017 Maximum Impact as Ian
- 2018 Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich as Strommelson
- 2018 Railroad to Hell: A Chinaman's Chance as Carl
- 2018 Goy as Martin Teinmann
- 2022 Terror on the Prairie as Mr. Samuelson
- 2022 Gunfight at Rio Bravo
- 2024 The Last Kumite