|
Sunday
Mirror February 23, 1997
|
|
Actor,
Stuntman, musician, martial artist comes home
|
|
Trini
star makes it
big in Hollywood
|
| By
Denise Nicholson |
|
Dave
Stevenson: "I've achieved because of the grace of God
and determination." |
TRINIDADIAN
Dave Stevenson never Imagined that when he left these
shores when he was pet a mere sevenyear-old, he would
be starring In a Hollywood movie today.
In fact, life has beep good to the 6ft, 5
inches, multi-talented Toronto, Canada-based star.
Dave, who is originally from San Juan, is
an accomplished actor, stuntman, martial artist, musician,
aerobics instructor and choreography.
The 38-year-old man can now boast that he
has had the leasure of gracing the covers of several
magazines, including Pride magazine.
It never struck me that I would become a
movie star one day," he told TnT Mirror.
" But I knew that whatever I did with my career,
it would have been with the arts."
" Most members of my family
|
are musicially
inclinded," Dave continued.
" My father is a writer historian, my mom
was a singer, and my uncle still plays with Charlie's
Roots ... and I can go on and on."
"Ever since I knew myself, I've loved the
arts - singing, dancing, what have you may ... I loved
it, " he added.
Dave's life has been filled with
music, as
he has been a member of several music bands.
He has worked with the likes of Patti La Belie,
Sammy Davis Jr,, and even performed for Prime Minister
Pierre Trudeau on Canada Day some years ago.
He has also worked with several leading dance
groups in the USA, including the Phil Blacks and Alvin
Ailey Dance Companies.
|
Although he was into music at the time, Dave
had yet another talent ... acting.
He worked on and off Broadway performances.
His accomplishments over the past number of
years are very impressive ... especially for his age.
"Acting is a job that I take very seriously.
"'I've achieved because of the grace of God and determination.
"If you sit and wait until the 'phone rings, you
zit just never get' anything done.
""My motto is to `get up and get'.
"That was something I learnt in Trinidad," he
observed.
Dave created history a few years ago when he
did the first translation of martial arts in the arena
of competitive skating.
The choreography he incorporated into Elvis Stojko's Olympic
silver medal performance had never been done before on
ice.
When he acts, Dave is usually cast as a stuntman, martial
artist or military officer.
He recalled working on the films "Knight Heat",
"Matrix", "Cool Runnings", "Kung Fu",
"Secret Service", "Expect To Die",
"Tek Wars", "Phantom Of The Opera"
... and numerous others.
He has also done work with some top martial
artists/actors throughout the world ... like Jet Lee,
Wayne Yee, Master Wong Lee, Mo Chow and others.
But ever so often, he admits he becomes desperate for a taste of the sun, sea and sand.
Dave recently came back home for Carnival in order to get some "sorca injection" ... as the "down to earth" actor puts it.
|
"I worked very very hard to accomplish
the things I have, and it is still a big battle out there,"
he pointed out.
"'I've gone through many disappointments
in life, and I've overcome them all."
However, he said he is never able to stay in one place for too long as he has to "jump" when duty calls.
This was the reason for his early departure from TnT Carnival Tuesday.
"I am supposed to do a movie with Lou Gossette Junior, and I was called back for that," he revealed.
Before he left, Dave recalled"getting on bad"
at the Soca Monarch competition, and even "followed the
leader".
"I really played myself for Panorama too, although
my band, WITCO Desperadoes, didn't win.
"There's nothing better than being back home to all
the niceness," he gushed.
"There are a lot of Trinidadians who are vary successful
in the acting business. Strangers to our culture just
don't know who they are.
"I can't help but be a Trini. It's all good.
"Whether I'm in Hong Kong
or India, people here have to know that I'm all Trini.
"Although I must speak American once I'm on the set, the Trini sland swings in at times," he confessed.
Dave pointed out that he has a desire to become more active in the struggle for Africans, everywhere, to achieve social justice, peace, harmony and unity.
He is already in the process of becoming a successful director.
"I have even directed a show for Star Trek star William Shattner who was very impressed," he concluded. |
|
|
