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411 talks with Tamas Nadas about The Martial Arts Kid 2: Payback

June 7, 2018 | Posted by Bryan Kristopowitz

The 411 Interview: Tamas Nadas

Tamas Nadas is a world champion martial artist, police detective (in Albuquerque, New Mexico), actor, producer, stunt performer, and director who has been in the movie business for a little over a decade. Originally from Budapest, Hungary, Tamas has lived in the United States since 2000 and has worked on movies like The Last Sentinel, Battle Planet, and Running from WISHconsin, among others (check out his imdb page here). Tamas is set to help produce and appear in the upcoming sequel The Martial Arts Kid 2: Payback with Don “The Dragon” Wilson and Cynthia Rothrock. In this interview, Tamas talks with this writer about The Martial Arts Kid 2: Payback, his life in movies, and more.

Bryan Kristopowitz: How did you get involved in The Martial Arts Kid 2: Payback?

Tamas Nadas: I was invited to the Smash Global anti-bullying event in Hollywood back in February, and I ran into my childhood heroes, Cynthia Rothrock and Don “The Dragon” Wilson. I took the opportunity to talk to them and that’s when I learned about The Martial Arts Kid 2: Payback.

BK: How would you describe your character in The Martial Arts Kid 2: Payback?

TN: All I know so far is that I will be a bad ass fighter. 🙂

BK: How did you get involved in the martial arts?

TN: I started Martial Arts when I was three years old. My dad did wrestling, and he was the one who influenced me to start Judo. My coach left about three years later and I wanted to continue with Martial Arts, so I began training in Japanese Jiu-Jitsu. My coach got arrested (I don’t know the reason) and I had to stop. Fortunately, my mom saw an advertisement on the street and we went to see the training. That’s when I fell in love with Goju-Ryu Karate. Currently, I am still practicing the same style, but I trained Shotokan, Kickboxing, and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu as well for many years.

BK: How did you get involved in the movie business? Is it something you always wanted to get involved in or is it something that you sort of got interested in later on in life?

TN: I believe it comes from Martial Arts. I won many tournaments, and I loved the fact that people gathered around when I fought. I often goofed around by doing stunt moves without even knowing those were stunt moves. After winning one of the National Championships, a casting agent approached me and told me I should channel my talent into the entertainment business. I am from Hungary, and back in the day, there were not too many opportunities to do film there. So, I decided I will try it out in the USA. Because I was a World Champion, I received permanent residency and later US citizenship as having an extraordinary ability. I moved to Los Angeles and my first bigger project was with Don “The Dragon” Wilson in The Last Sentinel. I worked on many projects but, unfortunately, not all of them gave me the credit for it or my scenes were cut out from the movie. Then I met Martial Arts Hall of Famer, Emilio Lavizzi, who did cast me immediately in his action short film called The Exchange. I also produced several award winning short films with Rian Bishop and co-produced a movie called Argo 2 with Attila Arpa of which had a full theatrical release in Hungary and other European Countries.

BK: And when you did get involved in the movie business did you intend to work in front of the camera or behind the scenes? Do you have a preference?

TN: At the beginning, in front of the camera. I have done many student and short films, but most of them did not line up with my vision. Finally, I did a short film called The Exchange and that changed my perspective. I love producing, but my ultimate goal is to be in front of the camera.

BK: How did you come to direct the short film Busy Day? Is directing something you want to do more of in the future?

TN: Absolutely not!!! It was an unfortunate situation, and there was no one else to direct. I was pretty much forced to do it.

BK: How has your law enforcement background informed your movie choices?

TN: I was always into movies where the hero is a police character, like Bruce Willis in Die Hard.

BK: You’ve worked in a number of genres. Do you have a favorite genre to work in or is it, ultimately, all about the script?
TN: I love action movies, but I am very comfortable working on comedies and dramas, too. However, I would not just work on a movie, even if it’s an action movie, if the script is bad.

BK: Any movie making heroes?

TN: Luc Besson. I really like his style. The characters he writes are extremely charismatic, and his directing is just uniquely fantastic. One of my dream is to work with him one day.

BK: Outside of The Martial Arts Kid 2: Payback, any upcoming projects you can tell us about?

TN: Yes. I produced a movie that’s coming out this year titled Fierce Target. I have a small part in it, too. I play a special agent. It is an action / comedy. The style is very similar to Luc Besson’s first Transporter movie. I do have several other projects, but they are all at the beginning stages.

BK: Do you have a nickname like your The Martial Arts Kid 2: Payback co-star Don “The Dragon” Wilson and if so what is it?

TN: Not officially, but yes. When I fought, my coach and the karate community called me “Mongoose” because I was very fast. When I was with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, a good friend of mine who is a deputy named me “Transporter” because of my driving style and fighting skills. Later, I became a detective with the Albuquerque Police Department and I was given the name “Drago” because I am a European fighter.