Keith Jardine beat Forrest Griffin and Chuck Liddell within the UFC Octagon and now he’s trying to stun cinema audiences with Kill Me Once more, his first full-feature directorial debut. However whereas he could also be retired from MMA, the person they referred to as “The Dean of Imply” nonetheless makes use of the teachings he realized as an athlete to ace his film profession.
“As a fighter, until you win, you learn to fail: easy methods to get off the mat and combat once more, and performing is identical manner,” explains Jardine, who retired with a 17-11-0 file in MMA. “I gained greater than I misplaced in combating, and in performing, imagine me, I’ve failed far more than I’ve succeeded.”
Little doubt, 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’re taking it as a failure. You misplaced. You didn’t get it. You’re making an attempt to pay your lease, and also you didn’t get that job, you understand? In the event you don’t get off the bed and make issues occur, nothing’s taking place. In order that fighter’s mindset helped me rather a lot, and simply the work ethic. I simply put the hours in on daily basis, no matter how I’m feeling.”
Happily, 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 credit in Breaking Unhealthy and John Wick. Now, he’s constructing a stable fame behind the digicam, too. In 2023, Jardine gained an unbiased Quick Award for his crime story, El Paso:1155, and now he’s taking up his first full characteristic 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 good friend made me watch Clerks (1994) Top-of-the-line films I noticed.” Jardine tells M&F that he additionally attracts from films like The Large 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 along with his dad. “This pertains to Kill Me Once more rather a lot, as a result of there’s plenty of massive twists on the finish, and there’s plenty 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 Final Fighter, Season 2 again 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 can be solely plantain and baking soda mainly because the elements. So, I prefer to make these and eat them with my eggs and a few avocado. I don’t actually fear in regards to 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 massive one, one small one, and I’ll do my finest 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 proper exercise. “Simply go have enjoyable,” he encourages. “Simply go transfer some weight round and learn to be make your physique succesful. It shouldn’t be one thing you dread. In the event you go to the gymnasium and also you solely contact the leg press machine, and do 4 units and go house, that’s a hit!” You may’t take the combat out of this filmmaker, nonetheless. “On daily basis, I attempt to get to some extent the place I lose my breath,” says Jardine. “Which means I do max pull ups, or I dash up a hill or I do some energy cleans. , if I do that after a day, I really feel I’ve carried out rather a lot.”
Keith Jardine’s Kill Me Once more will likely be launched in theaters and VOD platforms comparable to Prime Video and Apple TV+ on August 8.