Actor Daniel Gillies, known for his roles in The Vampire Diaries and The Originals, has joined the growing number of Hollywood stars embracing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu!
And, like many new practitioners, he’s discovered both its rewards and its risks.
Speaking at Imagineland On The Road in Campina Grande, Brazil, Gillies shared that his year-and-a-half-long jiu-jitsu journey recently left him with a painful reminder of the sport’s physical demands:
I’ve been practicing jiu-jitsu for about a year and a half…
But I have a problem here in my bicep — I think I tore my ligament because I’m 49 years old.
I think that’s why I can’t even hold the microphone for long!
The revelation didn’t come with any hint of regret, though.
On the contrary, Gillies expressed appreciation for the discipline, calling it one of the most transformative experiences of his life:
I really wish I had discovered it much younger.
Jiu-jitsu isn’t Gillies’ first experience with martial arts.
The New Zealand-born actor revealed that he trained in muay thai and boxing for several years, developing a strong foundation that later helped him perform his own stunts on screen:
I love martial arts! The stunt people were relieved, especially since I did about seven or eight years of Muay Thai.
It was good to choreograph action sequences, because they didn’t need to use stunt doubles and could use me.
And it was a lot of fun!
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