Vietnamese actor cast in ‘The Marvels’ without audition

Martial artist Tien Hoang. Photo from Hoang's Facebook

The actor told NgoiSao that he was invited by a member of the crew who had worked with him in another film before. Knowing his competence, they offered him a role directly.

According to Hoang, the only scene he took part in took the crew almost six months to complete. As the script was kept confidential, all he knew about his scene was that it was a grand battle with many of the main cast joining in.

Though the film has been released, his busy schedule has not allowed him to go to the theatre to watch his performance on the screen, he said.

As his character required a lot of styling work, he had to arrive at the shooting site at 5 a.m. everyday, two hours before the shoot to get his makeup done.

He said he met many of the world’s top stars during the shooting process, and they often exchanged greetings before continuing with their work.

"There were many things going on simultaneously at the shooting site, and they [the world’s top stars] had to focus on their parts in the movie," he said. "I had to focus on doing my job well too."

Hoang, 30, was born in Hanoi. He immigrated to London with his family aged 11, where he was introduced to Shaolin kung fu.

Debuting as a martial actor aged 19, he has starred in various Hollywood blockbusters including "Doctor Strange," "Ready Player One," and "Star Wars: Han Solo," with his performance in "Doctor Strange" getting praise from the movie’s lead actor Benedict Cumberbatch.

Released in Vietnam on Nov. 10, "The Marvels" is a superhero film based on Marvel Comics. It is the sequel to the 2019 movie "Captain Marvel."