Yayan Ruhian is Indonesian actor and martial artist. Born in Tasikmalaya, West Java on 19 October 1968, he studied Indonesian martial arts of pencak silat. Eventually, he helps out director Gareth Evans for the choreography in Merantau (2008) and ends up also getting casted in his first film role. Yayan becomes famous after his role as Mad Dog in his next collaboration with Evans, The Raid (2011). It really helps that Mad Dog (and his term gereget) becomes a Memetic Badass after the film release, a status sometimes shared with Yayan himself. The fame also gives him roles in Hollywood productions such as The Force Awakens and John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum. In films, Yayan is usually cast as a quiet, but deadly villainous fighter.
His notable roles include:
- Merantau (2008) as Eric
- The Raid (2011) as Mad Dog
- The Raid 2: Berandal (2014) as Prakoso
- The Force Awakens (2015) as Tasu Leech
- Beyond Skyline (2017) as Huana
- John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (2019) as Shinobi #2
- Boy Kills World (2023) as The Shaman
Tropes related to his work:
- Pint-Sized Powerhouse: Since Yayan is 5'2'' tall, his action characters are naturally this, inverting Evil Is Bigger when the role is villainous. For example, Mad Dog in The Raid is treated as the best fighter in the film, despite being towered by his opponents.
