Q: How did you get your start in the film industry?
A: I got into the business through a close friend of mine named Robert Samuels ("Don't Give A Damn"), who had just returned from Hong Kong after making a few movies. He needed a hand on a new project he was doing here in the States.

Q: What kind of martial arts training do you have?
A: I have studied Southern and Northern styles of Kung fu for over 25 years and I have a 4th degree black belt in Korean Hapkido.

Q: What was the first martial arts film that inspired you?
A: "Five Fingers Of Death" was the movie that inspired me to start looking for a teacher back in the earlier 70's.

Q: You have worked with some of the best in the industry. Tell us about your experiences.
A: Well I have worked with some very great martial artists since I got started in the business. I have worked with one of the co-stars of the "Five Deadly Venoms" who played the Toad. Lo Meng and his Kung fu is unbelievable, I must say. Also, I have worked with Vincent Lynn, co-star of Jackie Chan's "Operation Condor". Vincent was very cool to work with. I have worked with Jean Claude Van Damme on the set of his movie "Maxium Risk", some years back when he filmed in Philadelphia. And other top martial artists in that respect are not too well-known, but with martial skills second to none.

Q: You might be working on a modern-day version of the Shaw Bros. classic "Five Deadly Venoms". Explain.
A: Well since it will be a modern day adaptation you won't see any of the period piece clothing or anything like it, but you will see the same fierce style of martial arts. The story will center around a secret society of people that protect the weak and fight against injustice, but with no monetary rewards or fame. But within the society, there is one who wants more than just being invisible. The person wants fame and fortune. So a battle begins but no one knows who it is and the mystery of the traitor looms amongst the Clan. Also, I will try and incorporate some new styles of martial arts that have not been seen too much in American made martial arts movies.

Q: What do you think of the new generation of martial arts film choreography that are enhanced with cgi-effects?
A: The new technology of adding CGI to the fight choreography in martial arts movies these days, in my opinion, are overdone. I guess you could call me old school. I like to work with my people and see how much I can get out of them; their real skill not a computer image of a fighter. Now don't get me wrong, for the movie "The Matrix" I loved it, but if it were an actual martial arts movie, I think that I would have hated it even though it was a good movie.

Q: What do you think of people like Keanu Reeves, who have had no formal training, yet looked good on screen because of a few months of crash-course training with Yuen Woo-ping?
A: Now Keanu Reeves did what was asked of him and he trained with the Yuen brothers to get the moves to look somewhat believable. I think they pulled it off, especially for someone not coming from a martial arts background or even boxing. Keanu did very well.

Q: What was it like working with John H. Lee in "A Cut Runs Deep"?
A: Working with John H.Lee was a very good experience and it taught me a lot as well. Most of the time when I was on set, I was setting up most of the action, the stunt driving, the fight scenes and even some of the attitudes the actors should have. One thing that I did like about John H. Lee was that he would ask your opinion and that means a lot when you're doing what I do.

Because it's your input - not just give me this and give me that - it's important for a good relationship between the director and an action choreographer. So... I would love to work with John H. Lee again. Alex and David (the two leads) were cool guys too. I hope that David Lee McInnis won't get to upset with me, but Alex Manning was more of the physical actor than David was, plus he had that whole Brandon Lee thing going for him. I remember for Halloween, Alex put on "The Crow" makeup and people went crazy thinking he was Brandon when we went out that night. Now David was more the dramatic actor type. They were a good group of guys to work with.

Q: What do you think the connection is between Asian film and Hip Hop?
A: I think the connection could be about style and movement in Hip Hop. Most of the artists are always moving around on stage and doing things. And in martial arts, it's all about movement also. So being able to capture an audience with graceful movements and a hot Hip Hop beat soundtrack, combined with choreographed fight scenes, you have a good recipe for a martial arts action movie.

Q: Do you think Bruce Lee is overrated?
A: Bruce Lee overrated? Never! I would go out on a limb and say pound for pound that he was the best. He was a thinker, a doer and a fighter. There are not too many of them out there. And what I mean by that is most good fighters can't act, and most good actors can't fight; because they concentrate on either one or the other. So having both skills is rare. Bruce Lee made martial arts film what it is today and is the most recognized martial arts figure in the world. I think it's well deserved. I admired him and still do. He had movement and Style.

Q: Seagal and Van Damme are no longer box office items. What do you think happened to their careers?
A: They both got to where they thought they didn't have to give up themselves to their audience any longer, so they faded out. Also, the industry noticed this and said to themselves "why are we giving these two guys the decent budgets and they aren't even willing to work at it anymore?" So the investors got tired and now Seagal and Van Damme movies go straight to video. Can you believe that they were two of the biggest action stars of the 90's? If I were one of the two, first I'd look for good scripts before doing anything. I don't know what drives them, but I can bet that it's money.

Q: Everyone has a list of their favorite martial arts films. What are yours?
A: I do love the Chinese martial arts movies and here are just a few. Legendary Weapons of China, Mad Monkey Kung- fu, The Thirty Six Chambers, Heroes Two, Five Deadly Venoms, Chinese Super Ninja's, and Dragon's Forever. There are thousands more. My all time favorite is "The Godfather's of Hong Kong", which came out in 1972. I wish I could find a good copy of this one.

Q: Who would you like to work with in the future?
A: I think maybe someone new , not really anyone I've seen or known. This is not in anyway an insult to so many great martial arts actors out there. I just think it's time for something new. I want to see who I can discover that has the talent and dedication to be a top martial arts actor. But if I were going to pick someone, maybe Jet Li.

Q: Thanks for your time and good luck with all your upcoming projects.
A: I wish you guys the best.

For more information about Richard Hopkins, please visit Phillywood Entertainment.