Meet Joey Ansah, A Ghanaian British Actor; Director of Popular Street Fighter Film

Joey Ansah is an Ghanaian British actor and martial artist who co-wrote and co-directed Street Fighter: Legacy and also appeared in the short film as Akuma. His other notable roles include Desh in The Bourne Ultimatum.

Born in London, the second son of Ghanaian fashion designer Kofi Ansah and his Devon-born wife Nicola, Joey spent the first ten years of his life in the capital.

During this time he became interested in martial arts and acting, avidly watching videos with his dad starring the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan.

The family then moved to Ghana where Joey trained for four years at a local Tae Kwon Do class.

At 15 he returned with his mum and baby sister Tanoa to Plymouth to finish school before moving to Oxford to enrol on a three-year-degree in Human Biology.

During this time Joey worked as an extra and model before landing a job as a stuntman in 2005 flick Batman Begins. Since graduating, Joey has appeared in a range of TV and film projects including UK indie flick Love Struck, Spooks and BBC series Timewatch. In 2007, he got his Hollywood break in The Bourne Ultimatum, playing Desh, a super assassin chasing Matt Damon’s Jason Bourne.

He undertook all his own stunts in the sequence, which led to his performance being acclaimed by critics – one of whom described his extended fight scene as among the best ever filmed.

Joey was later nominated for an MTV award in the ‘Best Fight’ category.

source: ghmediahub.com | credit hellomagazine.com