Johannes "Joe" Taslim is an Indonesian actor, model, and martial artist.
Born on June 23, 1981 in Palembang, Taslim was exposed to martial arts at an early age. He learned many forms of martial arts, including pencak silat, wushu, Taekwondo, Karate, and Judo. He eventually mastered the latter, leading him to win many awards and join the national judo team from 1997 to 2009, before an injury forced him to retire.
Nowadays, Taslim is more active in the entertainment industry, appearing in many movies, shows and commercials. Perhaps his most famous role is in the action-crime film The Raid as the no-nonsense police sergeant Jaka. Thanks to that, he has a reputation of playing cutthroat and dangerous badass characters who also fit as villainous characters at times. Off-stage, however, he's a very friendly and fun guy.
His notable roles include:
- The Raid Redemption (2011) as Sgt. Jaka
- Dead Mine (2012) as Joko
- Fast & Furious 6 (2013) as Jah
- La Tahzan (2013) as Yamada
- Star Trek Beyond (2016) as Manas
- The Night Comes for Us (2018) as Ito
- Warrior (2019) as Li Yong
- Mortal Kombat (2021) as Sub-Zero I/Bi-Han
Tropes related to his work:
- All Asians Know Martial Arts: Most of his characters are really good at martial arts which is a given considering his background as an actual martial artist..
- Big Ol' Eyebrows: His eyebrows are part of his appeal, as seen in the page image.
- Mean Character, Nice Actor: While he's a friendly, fun Nice Guy off-stage or in many Indonesian advertisements, many of the characters he plays in international movies are villains, jerks (except for Sgt. Jaka who is a Jerk with a Heart of Gold), or both.
- Promoted Fanboy: He was a huge fan
of the Mortal Kombat games before eventually being cast as Sub-Zero, a role he considers "a dream come true." - Star-Making Role: His performances in The Raid and Fast & Furious 6 are what got him international recognition.
