Nop Daren, the Cambodian Stuntman Shaking Up Hollywood

From a refugee camp on the Thai border to the sets of John Wick and The Expendables, Nop Daren's story reads like a script he could have stunted himself. This French-born performer of Cambodian descent, trained in the shadow of some of the biggest names in the business, now carries the colours of Cambodia into some of the most spectacular productions in the world of action cinema.

Nop Daren

Born in Paris to Cambodian refugee parents, Nop Daren grew up far from the country of his roots, but carrying the weight of a family history marked by the Khmer Rouge tragedy. At just eight years old, he began training in martial arts — a discipline that would go on to become far more than a passion: a trade, and eventually a calling.

For nearly a decade, he built solid experience performing in stunt shows before reaching a decisive turning point: joining the team of Brad Allan, the Australian stuntman and longtime collaborator of Jackie Chan. That encounter changed the course of his career. Allan, whom Daren still describes as a brotherly figure, opened the door to international film work.

His first major personal breakthrough came in 2014 with Shadow of 13, an action short film he co-wrote and starred in, which drew attention in both Asia and the United States. That project marked the starting point of a rise that would, a few years later, land him on some of Hollywood's most anticipated sets.

From 2017 onward, Nop Daren worked steadily as a stunt performer and fight choreographer. His most widely noted performance remains his work on the series Moon Knight, where he served as stunt double for actor Oscar Isaac in the character's combat scenes. That work earned him an Emmy nomination in 2022 for Outstanding Stunt Performance — a rare distinction for a performer of Cambodian heritage.

His career continued with notable work on John Wick: Chapter 4, then on Expend4bles, where he appeared on screen as the formidable right-hand man to the film's antagonist, alongside Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham and Tony Jaa, among others. He helped choreograph several of his own fight scenes, deliberately steering away from classic Muay Thai styling to bring his own signature to the screen. He also appears in the credits of Fast X and the series Star Wars: The Acolyte, cementing his place among the most sought-after fight coordinators and stunt performers working today.

But beyond Hollywood sets, it is toward Cambodia that Nop Daren's attention increasingly turns. True to the traditions and codes of respect instilled by his parents, he regularly expresses his wish to contribute to the growth of Cambodian cinema, with the stated ambition of becoming the first recognised French-Cambodian action star on the international stage.

“I'd love to create something big in Cambodia, with a new style, a fresh vision, free of clichés,” he recently told the local press.

A promise that, should it materialise, could turn him into far more than a stuntman working in the shadows — a true ambassador for Cambodian cinema on the world stage.

What Is He Doing Today?

Far from slowing down after Expend4bles, Nop Daren has kept up a steady run of work. In 2025, he served as fight coordinator on A Working Man, the action film led by Jason Statham — another collaboration within the Statham universe, following John Wick: Chapter 4. Several industry databases also credit him as assistant fight coordinator on Avengers: Doomsday, the next highly anticipated instalment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, further evidence that his work continues to run through some of Hollywood's biggest productions.

Alongside his film work, Daren remains devoted to the memory of Brad Allan, who passed away in 2021. Together with other members of the team Allan founded, he works to keep his method and standards alive, training the next generation of stunt performers and sharing, notably on social media, a glimpse behind the curtain of a profession that has long stayed in the shadows. A daily martial arts routine — kicks, acrobatics, constant physical upkeep — continues to shape his life, on set or off.

What matters most to him, though, is bringing some of that Hollywood experience back to Cambodia. Nothing has been officially announced yet, but Daren continues to speak publicly about his wish to take part, in his own way, in a revival of Cambodian action cinema — an ambition Cambodge Mag will be following closely in the months ahead.