| Birth Date: | 31 August 1965 |
| Yearsactive: | 1996 - present |
| Birth Place: | Ittigen, Canton of Bern, Switzerland |
| Occupation: | Actor, stunt performer, model, fight choreographer |
Daniel Bernhardt (born 31 August 1965) is a Swiss actor, stuntman, martial artist, and former model.[1] He is known for his work on various action films. He made his acting debut in the leading role in the martial arts film (1996), and appeared in two of its sequels, Bloodsport III (1997) and (1999).
Also known for playing villainous characters, he appeared opposite Chuck Norris in The Cutter (2005), Jean-Claude Van Damme in Kill 'Em All (2017), Sylvester Stallone in (2019), and Keanu Reeves in The Matrix Reloaded (2003), and John Wick (2014). He also starred as Siro on the short-lived television series (1998-99), based on the fighting video game of the same name. He has also worked as a stunt performer and fight choreographer on various productions, including Creed II (2018) and Nobody (2021).
Bernhardt is a black belt in Taekwondo under Black Belt Hall of Fame member Hee-il Cho (the two also starred together in Bloodsport II). He also studied Kyokushin karate under South Korean master Mas Oyama.[1]
Bernhardt was born in Ittigen, Canton of Bern in 1965, to Heidi and Horst Bernhardt. He began studying martial arts at the age of 15, learning what called “something cobbled together out of kung fu and kickboxing."[2] He later earned black belts in Taekwondo under Hee-il Cho, and Kyokushin Karate under Mas Oyama.[1] In Paris, he was a pupil of Dominique Valera.[3] He has also studied boxing, judo, and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
Prior to his acting career, Bernhardt worked at an architecture firm, and was a top model in Paris and New York, working for the likes of Claude Montana, Thierry Mugler, Hugo Boss, and Versace. His first exposure to the film world was in 1992, when he was featured in a martial arts-themed Versace ad campaign, featuring Jean-Claude Van Damme.[4] He subsequently moved to Los Angeles to pursue a film career.
Bernhardt made his acting debut in the leading role in (1996),[5] a sequel to the 1988 Jean-Claude Van Damme film.
He also appeared in two of its sequels and starred in Future War (1997), True Vengeance (1997), Perfect Target (1997), G2 – Mortal Conquest (1999), Black Sea Raid (2000) and Global Effect (2002). From 1998 to 1999, he starred in the TV series .
In 2003, he appeared as Agent Johnson in The Matrix Reloaded (2003), and in 2005 he appeared with Chuck Norris in The Cutter.
In 2013, he returned to acting with Jason Statham in Parker (2013) and in a cameo in (2013) as the male tribute from District 9. He trained with the 87Eleven Stunt Team and played Russian henchman Kirill in John Wick and the following year, he made his Bollywood debut as mixed martial arts fighter Max Potter in the remake of Warrior, titled Brothers. He co-starred in a particularly acclaimed episode of HBO's Barry as Ronny Proxin.[6]
In September 2020, it was announced that Bernhardt was reprising his Matrix role as Agent Johnson in The Matrix Resurrections;[7] however, his scenes were cut from the final film.
Bernhardt is set to play the title character in Deathstalker, an upcoming remake of the 1983 cult film of the same.[8]
Bernhardt's credits as a stunt performer include A Good Day to Die Hard (2013), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014), (2016), Deadpool 2 (2018), (2019), Hobbs & Shaw (also 2019), and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023). He was the principal fight trainer and fight choreographer for Creed II (2018) and Nobody (2021), and The Equalizer television series.
Bernhardt has two brothers, Cliff and Dirk. He is married to actress Lisa Stothard, whom he met on the set of Bloodsport: The Dark Kumite.[9] They have a daughter together.