Keith Jardine beat Forrest Griffin and Chuck Liddell within the UFC Octagon and now he’s trying to stun cinema audiences with Kill Me Again, his first full-feature directorial debut. However whereas he could also be retired from MMA, the person they known as “The Dean of Imply” nonetheless makes use of the teachings he realized as an athlete to ace his film profession.
“As a fighter, except you win, you discover ways to fail: how you can get off the mat and struggle once more, and performing is identical manner,” explains Jardine, who retired with a 17-11-0 report in MMA. “I received greater than I misplaced in preventing, and in performing, consider me, I’ve failed far more than I’ve succeeded.”
Little question, within the ultra-competitive world of showbiz, Jardine has realized that he should financial institution on himself simply as he did as an athlete. “You gotta stand up off that mat after that failed audition. They didn’t such as you, no matter, you are taking it as a failure. You misplaced. You didn’t get it. You’re making an attempt to pay your hire, and also you didn’t get that job, you understand? Should you don’t get away from bed and make issues occur, nothing’s taking place. In order that fighter’s mindset helped me loads, and simply the work ethic. I simply put the hours in each day, no matter how I’m feeling.”
Thankfully, issues are positively taking place on account of Jadine’s warrior-like work ethic. His first forays on-screen included a task reverse Jason Statham in Crank 2: Excessive Voltage and credits in Breaking Bad and John Wick. Now, he’s constructing a stable repute behind the digital camera, too. In 2023, Jardine received an unbiased Brief Award for his crime story, El Paso:1155, and now he’s taking up his first full function as a director.
Kill Me Once more follows Charlie (performed by Brendan Fehr), a serial killer who turns into trapped in his personal nightmare. It’s a psychological horror that has many twists and turns, and was additionally written by Jardine, who’s love of tales from completely different genres influenced the plot. “It’s The Batman’s, the blockbusters, and all that motion of the 80s,” remembers the renaissance man.
“I used to be in highschool within the early 90s and my pal made me watch Clerks (1994) Top-of-the-line motion pictures I noticed.” Jardine tells M&F that he additionally attracts from motion pictures like The Massive Lebowski. “I bear in mind simply laughing out loud all through the theater,” he remembers. Jardine additionally has a fond place for Lifeless Man, starring Johnny Depp, a film he watched together with his dad. “This pertains to Kill Me Once more loads, as a result of there’s a variety of large twists on the finish, and there’s a variety of little Easter eggs in there,” he teases.
How Keith Jardine stays match for making movies
“Each morning, I work out, eat my large breakfast, and the remainder of the day appears to fall in line after that,” says the person who reached the semi-finals of The Ultimate Fighter, Season 2 back in 2005.
Jardine nonetheless units his alarm for 5am and both hits the gymnasium or takes his canine out for a dash. The massive breakfast that Jardine speaks of contains six eggs, together with tortillas. “I attempt to begin off good with actually clear meals,” he says. “I bought these tortillas which might be solely plantain and baking soda principally because the elements. So, I prefer to make these and eat them with my eggs and a few avocado. I don’t actually fear concerning the energy within the morning. I simply attempt to attempt to really feel good after which, relying on how intense my exercise was, I’ll have two extra meals within the day. One large one, one small one, and I’ll do my greatest to not snack… as a result of I’m a hell of a snacker!”
Jardine, who was additionally a private coach at one time, says that being match isn’t about having the right exercise. “Simply go have enjoyable,” he encourages. “Simply go transfer some weight round and discover ways to be make your physique succesful. It shouldn’t be one thing you dread. Should you go to the gymnasium and also you solely contact the leg press machine, and do 4 units and go residence, that’s successful!” You’ll be able to’t take the struggle out of this filmmaker, nonetheless. “Day by day, I attempt to get to a degree the place I lose my breath,” says Jardine. “Meaning I do max pull ups, or I dash up a hill or I do some energy cleans. You realize, if I do that when a day, I really feel I’ve executed loads.”
Keith Jardine’s Kill Me Again will likely be launched in theaters and VOD platforms reminiscent of Prime Video and Apple TV+ on August 8.
