Ernie Reyes

Ernie Reyes Jr. (born January 15, 1972) is an American actor and martial artist, known for his acting work in films such as The Last Dragon, Red Sonja, as Donatello's stuntman in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990) and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze (1991), Surf Ninjas (1993) and The Rundown (2003). He has also done stunt work in films such as Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, as well as motion capture stunts in films such as Avatar and Alice in Wonderland. His TV work includes season 3 episode 4 of Highway to Heaven, dramas such as the short-lived Sidekicks (in which he co-starred with Gil Gerard), and NCIS: Los Angeles and reality TV series such as Final Fu.

Early life Reyes was born in San Jose, California, to actor/stuntman Ernie Reyes Sr. and is the grandson of Filipino immigrants. He has three brothers and two sisters, one of whom, Lee, is a boxer and another, Santino Ramos, is a filmmaker/artist. By age 6, Reyes had joined his father's West Coast Demo Team.

Career Reyes made his film debut at age 13 in the 1985 film The Last Dragon. The same year he shared the screen with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Brigitte Nielsen in Red Sonja. During this time, he also had his own television series, Sidekicks, a spin-off of the original Walt Disney one-time special The Last Electric Knight, alongside Gil Gerard presented by Michael Eisner. Reyes had starring roles in Surf Ninjas, and notably as Keno, the pizza delivery boy, in the second Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film, The Secret of the Ooze. He also served as the martial arts stunt double for Donatello in the first Ninja Turtles film. He later appeared in films such as Rush Hour 2 playing Zing and in The Rundown alongside WWE wrestler Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.

In 2006, Reyes hosted the MTV martial arts reality show Final Fu.

Reyes has a professional fight record of 3–0 in Strikeforce which was a large mixed martial arts organization but started out as a Muay Thai and kickboxing organization. Ernie fought Anthony Elkaim the WKA ISKA Champion. Reyes knocked out the champion in the 3rd round. His next two fights would be won by decision, including a unanimous decision over Veasna Thach, which aired on ESPN. Ernie Reyes Jr.'s fight against the champion Anthony Elkaim also aired on ESPN.

Reyes has done motion capture stunts for blockbuster films such as Avatar and Alice in Wonderland. He also played a cemetery warrior in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull who gets killed by his own poison dart. Reyes guest starred on NCIS: Los Angeles "The Frozen Lake" and “Expiration Date” playing "Jay Thapa", a Nepalese soldier who is an expert in knife-fighting.

Personal life

In June 2015, it was reported that Reyes was suffering from kidney failure and was in need of a transplant. According to his sister, Reyes undergoes dialysis three times per week for four hours each day. His family set up a GoFundMe campaign to help raise $75,000 for his medical expenses. In August 2022, Reyes revealed that the transplant had been successful and that he was healthy.

Reyes married Lisa Reyes in 2009. They have since divorced and happily co-parent their two children, Lotus Blossom and Phoenix.

Filmography

As actor Year Title Role Notes 1985 The Last Dragon Tai (Karate Student) Red Sonja Prince Tarn 1986 Sidekicks Ernie Lee 1986 Highway to Heaven Michael Clancy Nguyen Episode: "Another Kind of War, Another Kind of Peace" 1988 MacGyver Luke Chen 1989 Ernie and Master Kim Ernie 1990 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Donatello As martial arts stunt double 1991 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze Keno Secret Bodyguard Ernie Rey 1993 Kung Fu: The Legend Continues Emperor Sing Ling Surf Ninjas Johnny Also associate producer 1995 White Wolves II: Legend of the Wild Steve 1996 Paper Dragons Small Time Marty 1998 The Ultimate Fight a.k.a. The Process Jesse Also Director 2001 Rush Hour 2 Zing 2002 Poolhall Junkies Tang 2003 The Rundown Manito 2007 Redline Ernie 2008 Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Cemetery Warrior 2009 The Red Canvas a.k.a. The Art of Submission Johnny Sanchez Also Executive Producer 2013–15 NCIS: Los Angeles Jay Thapa 2 episodes: "The Frozen Lake" and "Expiration Date" 2014 Ninja Apocalypse Hiroshi 2017 The Librarians Monkey King Episode: "And the Fatal Separation" 2018 Brooklyn Nine-Nine Bob #2 Episode: "The Negotiation" 2018 The Next Kill Badass Blue-Shirt-Wearing Pizza-Loving Surfer Dude 2018-2021 Superstore Customer; Ernesto; Candle customer 3 episodes: "Toxic Workplace" "Cloud 9 Academy" and "Perfect Store" 2018 Uncharted Live Action Fan Film El Tigre

As stunt performer Year Title Role 1990 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Fight/Stunt Double: Donatello 1991 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze Fight/Performer: Keno 2009 Avatar Utility Stunts 2010 Alice in Wonderland Stunt Double: Tweedledee 2011 Act of Valor Stunts

Kickboxing record