Moving to Los Angeles at age one, Lewis Tan transitioned from stunt choreography to lead roles in international action franchises. Born in Manchester in 1987, he leverages expertise in Muay Thai, Kung Fu, Ju-Jitsu, and katana swordplay to execute his own stunts across television and film productions spanning the United Kingdom and the United States.
Early Development and Relocation
The son of fashion model Joanne Cassidy and martial arts stunt coordinator Philip Tan, Lewis Tan spent his childhood in various international locations, including China, France, and Spain. His family relocated from Salford to Los Angeles when his father secured a fight coordinator position on Tim Burton's 1989 film Batman. By his early teens, Tan began formal theatre training, grounding his physical martial arts foundation in acting technique.
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Tan’s initial screen appearances consisted of minor supporting roles in films like The Hangover Part III and Olympus Has Fallen. He gained professional experience through episodic work on several high-profile procedural television series, including CSI: Miami, CSI: NY, NCIS: Los Angeles, Hawaii Five-0, 24, and Rush Hour. These roles preceded his entry into more substantial character work within serialized streaming dramas.
Action Franchises and Streaming Series
His career expanded significantly with roles in Netflix productions and superhero films. He appeared as Zhou Cheng in Iron Fist and later as Gaius Chau in Into the Badlands. Tan secured the role of Lu Xin Lee in the Netflix series Wu Assassins, reprising the character in the 2022 film Fistful of Vengeance. In 2018, he played Shatterstar in Deadpool 2, later returning to the role for Deadpool & Wolverine. His streaming presence continued with the character Tolya Yul-Bataar in the second season of Shadow and Bone and a recurring role as Sensei Wolf in the sixth season of Cobra Kai.
Mortal Kombat and Lead Roles
Tan’s involvement in the Mortal Kombat franchise began with the unreleased web series Mortal Kombat X: Generations, where he was cast as Kung Jin by director Garrett Warren. He later took the lead role of Cole Young in the 2021 Mortal Kombat film and continued the character in Mortal Kombat II. Beyond action-centric projects, he signed on to portray CIA officer Harris Chang in an adaptation of David Ignatius’s novel The Quantum Spy and appeared in the 2021 romantic comedy About Fate alongside Emma Roberts.
Fast facts
- Born: 1987, Manchester, United Kingdom
- Citizenship: United Kingdom; United States
- Primary Occupations: Actor, stunt performer, model
- Notable TV Roles: Lu Xin Lee, Tolya Yul-Bataar, Sensei Wolf
- Notable Film Roles: Cole Young, Shatterstar, Zhou Cheng
- Martial Arts Styles: Muay Thai, Kung Fu, Ju-Jitsu
- Father: Philip Tan, martial artist and stunt coordinator
- Mother: Joanne Cassidy, retired fashion model
Questions readers ask
Does Lewis Tan perform his own stunts?
Yes, Tan is known for performing his own stunts, drawing on his training in multiple disciplines including Japanese katana swordplay, Ju-Jitsu, and Kung Fu.
What is the background of Lewis Tan's family?
He is the son of English fashion model Joanne Cassidy and Chinese Singaporean stunt coordinator Philip Tan. His brother Sam is an actor, Ben is a director, and Evan is a photographer.
Achievements
- Worked as actor, stunt performer and model
