STAR TREK BEYOND Cast Grows
The third Star Trek film cast just keeps growing. With rumors confirmed earlier this month that Idris Elba joined the cast, another casting announcement has been released this week. Joe Taslim, an Indonesian model, actor, and martial artist known for his roles in Fast & Furious 6 and The Raid, has been cast in Star Trek Beyond in an unknown role.
While Taslim’s acting career is certainly the smallest in comparison to the rest of the major cast, his martial arts credentials are nothing to sneeze at. His training includes Pencak Silat, Judo, Taekwondo, and Shotokan.
He found a passion for Judo early on that led to a professional career as a Judo athlete. He won numerous gold medals in national championships, a gold medal at the 1999 South East Asia Judo Championships, and at silver medal at the 2007 ASEAN Games. He was a member of the Judo national team for over a decade, until an injury forced him to retire in 2009. Since that retirement, Taslim’s acting career has taken off, with his first major break being cast in The Raid in 2010.
Like most news surrounding highly anticipated big-budget films like this, the details on Taslim’s character are being kept on the down low. However, according to The Hollywood Reporter, his role is rumored to be a key part opposite Elba, who has been cast as a villain.
Production is currently underway in Vancouver with returning cast members including Chris Pine, Karl Urban, Zoe Saldana, Zachary Quinto and Simon Pegg.
Star Trek Beyond opens July 8, 2016.
