Fil-Am Jonathan Eusebio shares his journey from stuntman to ‘Love Hurts’ director

Director Jonathan Eusebio (right) with Oscar winner Ke Huy Quan on the set of ‘Love Hurts’ / CONTRIBUTED

LOS ANGELES – If you’ve been watching blockbuster action movies, you’ve probably seen Jonathan “JoJo” Eusebio’s stunt work.

Coming from the world of martial arts, Eusebio has worked as stunt coordinator on films like “Black Panther” and “Deadpool 2.”

He  has also worked on “Iron Man 2” (2010), “The Avengers” (2012), “John Wick” (2014) and “The Bourne Ultimatum” (2007).

Eusebio is now making his directorial debut with the comedy-action film “Love Hurts,” starring Oscar and Golden Globe winners Ke Huy Quan and Ariana DeBose.

This image released by Universal Pictures shows Ke Huy Quan, left, and Lio Tipton in a scene from “Love Hurts,” a comedy-action film directed by Jonathan Eusebio. FILE PHOTO (Universal Pictures via AP)

The film landed in the top 3 at the box office when it opened in North American theaters over the weekend.

In an exclusive interview with Inquirer.net USA, the Filipino American filmmaker shared his journey in Hollywood.

Hiyasmin Quijano: When I watched the official trailer, I thought the fighting scenes were intense, creative and comedic at times, but that Celine Dion song will capture every Filipino lola’s heart. Do you agree?

Jonathan Eusebio: (chuckles) I agree. I mean, Filipinos love karaoke. I am sure her (Celine Dion’s) songs are at the top of the playlist. It’s such a great song. It kind of encapsulates the whole movie.

HQ: Can you share with us how you landed the director role for “Love Hurts?” 

JE: I’ve been in the business for over 25 years. I started as a stunt performer and then kind of made my way up to fight choreographer, fight coordinator, stunt coordinator, then second unit action director.

I was very fortunate to have met David Leitch and Chad Stahelski. I watched over the years as they became stuntmen, stunt coordinators and directors. (They later collaborated on “John Wick.” Stahelski went on to direct the Keanu Reeves film sequels. Leitch directed “Deadpool 2,” “Bullet Train” and “The Fall Guy.”)

They groomed and mentored me. (Producer and Production Manager) Kelly McCormick, who managed us, approached me and said, you should think about directing. I feel like I’ve been groomed for this (role) for a long, long time.

HQ: As immigrants, we achieve things that make a mark for our own (Filipino American) community. And many times there is no template to follow. But you meet people who provide guidance along the way. Can you name some of these people? 

JE: I’ll bring it back to Kelly McCormick and David Leitch. I followed them. I’ve known them for a long, long time. I was very, very fortunate to be around people who were willing to uplift others.

HQ: Has your family seen you on set directing ‘Love Hurts’ or doing a stunt?

JE: It’s funny, I tend to get really nervous and self conscious when my family’s around. I’m so focused on set. They’re never really around when I’m working on set, especially when (I’m) stunt performing. People get freaked out when something goes wrong. At the end of the day you know you’re doing all this stuff for them, and they know you’re following your dream, and for them to be supportive of (your dream) is the greatest thing.

HQ: Did you do any crazy stunts as a child that made your parents nervous or upset? 

JE: I won’t say I did anything crazy. I grew up watching all those Shaw Brothers and Golden Harvest movies. Young Jackie (Chan), Samuel and Yuen Biao and all those guys from that Hong Kong wave in the ’80s. And we just copied it all. We copied everything. I remember making weapons, like stuff we see in Shaw Brothers movies. And my parents were like, what are you doing?

One time I saw something from a movie and it was like a bow or something. I remember looking for strings and I cut the strings off my guitar to use to make a bow. And oh boy, my parents were pissed! But that’s what my passion was. You just gravitate to the things you wanna do.

HQ: Is directing your ultimate goal? What other things would you like to accomplish?

JE: It’s what I’ve worked for, for a long time. I will never say it’s my ultimate goal, because I think when you’re a creative person, you always want to grow as an artist. For right now, yes, I want to continue directing.

HQ: What piece of advice would you give to fellow Filipinos who might be interested in becoming a film director?

JE: I think anything that you have to express, let it out! Don’t let anything hold you back. In our (AAPI) culture, when we were growing up, we were told to study hard, put your head down, try to blend in and not to stand out. It’s okay to stand out and be yourself.

HQ: Can you describe a moment when you felt like, ‘Wow, I made it!’

JE: (chuckles) I was just talking about this. It’s been a roller coaster ride and there’s a lot of things coming at you. I think I’m just trying to be present in the moment. I always think everything’s my “last.” Enjoy this time because it might be the last time. That’s how I see things. So be very present, then later you can look back and say, “Wow, I did that stuff!”