Check Out Peter Jang’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Peter Jang.

Hi Peter, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My path into entertainment started with martial arts, long before I thought acting could be a career. I grew up in Columbus, Ohio, where my father introduced me to kung fu through a family friend. I began taekwondo at eight and eventually became a five-time national champion. That upbringing taught me discipline, persistence, and how to stay committed to something without expecting immediate results.

I dabbled in theater in high school and took one filmmaking class in college, but I majored in economics at UC San Diego. Entertainment interested me, but I didn’t see it as a viable profession until after I moved to Los Angeles.

In LA, I started doing background and stand-in work while attending a three-year Meisner acting program, along with other classes and seminars around town. Working on sets gave me a practical education in the business while my training helped me develop as a performer. My martial arts background also opened doors into stunt work, allowing me to build a career that combined acting with physical performance.

I understood from the beginning that this was entrepreneurship. My acting and stunt services were the product, and building a sustainable business would take time. I focused on developing my skills, building relationships, and being someone people could depend on. Progress came through those efforts accumulating over years.

Over the past 15 years, I’ve worked on more than 150 television and film productions, including Westworld, The Rookie, NCIS: Hawai‘i, and For All Mankind. Alongside that, I’ve developed an audience through online entertainment, including playing Ryu and, most recently, Shredder in Bat in the Sun’s Super Power Beat Down. My earlier episodes have collectively amassed more than 50 million views.

I also founded Simplicity Pictures to create my own work as a writer, director, and producer. My short film Mask, about a veteran struggling with PTSD, won the Grand Prize for Best Narrative Short at the Marina del Rey Film Festival and earned me a Best Actor award at the RED Movie Awards in France.

Today, all those experiences inform one another. Performing helps me direct, filmmaking helps me understand what a production needs, and martial arts continues to shape my approach to both. The mission behind my personal work is to entertain for a cause—to tell compelling stories connected to relevant issues that leave people with something to feel and think about.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It hasn’t been a smooth road. Like many journeymen in this industry, I’ve encountered false gurus, dead ends, false promises, and a steep learning curve. One of the hardest parts is learning to distinguish genuine guidance and opportunities from people who know how to sell you what you want to hear. You can invest a lot of time, money, and energy before recognizing the difference.

What helped me was staying open to community and remaining adaptable. Disappointing experiences can make you close yourself off, but genuine relationships with other working creatives have been essential to finding my way. I’ve also had to be willing to change direction when an approach wasn’t working, without treating that change as a failure.

Over time, I’ve become more discerning while staying open to learning. That balance has helped me build a path that makes sense for my skills, values, and the kind of work I want to create.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m an actor, stunt performer, writer, director, and the founder of Simplicity Pictures. My specialty is combining acting with martial arts and physical storytelling. Over the past 15 years, I’ve worked on more than 150 television and film productions, including The Suicide Squad, NCIS, S.W.A.T., SEAL Team, The Rookie, Will Trent, and The Forever Purge.

Online audiences may recognize me as Ryu or, most recently, Shredder in Bat in the Sun’s Super Power Beat Down. My earlier episodes have collectively amassed more than 50 million views. Those projects have allowed me to bring characters I love to life while reaching an audience that complements my television and film work.

What sets me apart is the combination of skills and perspectives I bring to a project. As a five-time national taekwondo champion and a Meisner-trained actor, I approach action through both its physical demands and the character’s emotional experience. Writing and directing have also made me a more thoughtful collaborator because I understand how my contribution needs to serve the larger production.

I’m particularly proud of the work I’ve created through Simplicity Pictures. My short film Mask explores a veteran’s struggle with PTSD and won the Grand Prize for Best Narrative Short at the Marina del Rey Film Festival, along with a Best Actor award for me at the RED Movie Awards in France. It represents the kind of storytelling I want to pursue: engaging entertainment with a meaningful purpose.

The mission behind my personal work is to entertain for a cause. I’m interested in relevant issues and the human experiences behind them, whether I’m telling those stories through action, drama, or science fiction. I want people to enjoy the experience and leave with something that stays with them.

Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
I’m always interested in connecting with filmmakers, producers, performers, and other creatives who value thoughtful storytelling and collaboration. People can work with me as an actor or stunt performer, or connect with me about writing, directing, and producing projects through Simplicity Pictures. I’m particularly drawn to work that combines compelling entertainment with something meaningful to say.

You can connect with me through my website, www.simplicity.pictures, or on Instagram, @peterjangofficial. If you’re reaching out about a collaboration, tell me about the project, what you’re hoping to accomplish, and where you see me contributing.

For anyone who wants to support my work, watching and sharing my films, following my channels, and engaging with projects when they’re released makes a difference. Sharing independent work with someone who might connect with it helps us reach new audiences and creates opportunities to keep making more. Also, starting discussions on social media and reddit about me helps tremendously.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.simplicity.pictures
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/peterjangofficial/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/peterjang87/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterjang
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@simplicitypictures8719