“I've learned from other Bond Girls all this never stops. I feel extremely grateful and fortunate. The world of Bond is something else.”

Born into royalty and gifted with beauty, few would have blamed Rachel Grant for taking the easy way out. After all, when your family tree has roots in Buckingham Palace and your body gets a nod from Angelina Jolie, doors have a way of opening all by themselves.
         
But Grant (whose full name is Rachel Louise Grant de Longueil) chose to make her mark the old-fashioned way—she earned it. Of course, it didn’t hurt that she went into battle with an IQ of 140 (as though she needed more weapons). 

Born in Luzon to a Filipina mother and an English father, Grant has more than paid her dues. She’s studied acting, modeling, dance and martial arts. From small stock to big commercials; bit parts to international openings, Grant has seen the business from all sides. Not easy, but never dull. For Grant, maybe her big—and ever-lasting break came in 2002 when she played “Peaceful Fountains of Desire,” James Bond’s masseuse/assassin in Die Another Day.

As they say, once a Bond girl, always a Bond girl. The notoriety has allowed Grant to pursue her dreams on a number of varied fronts—from body double to body beautiful; choreography to directing; serious action to Filipino action; low budget to high fashion; and premieres to philanthropy.
         
Through it all she remains the consummate professional, dedicated to making her acting, as well as the world around her, better every day.
--D.C.

INSIDE KUNG-FU: When did your take up martial arts?

IKF: What attracted you to Filipino martial arts (FMA)?
RG: I was attracted to the immediate use of weaponry and the techniques involved. Unlike other martial arts that start with empty hands and later add the use of weapons, FMA starts with weapons and later moves on to empty-hand techniques. I’ve always found that aspect of FMA training interesting and one that works well. Another appeal is the diversity of weapons. FMA encompasses the use of an assortment of weaponry from bladed, impact and flexible weapons, including spears, swords, shields, whips, the sarong, ropes and the yoyo.

IKF: What do you get from studying Filipino martial arts (FMA)?
RG: Enjoyment. I was a little embarrassed when guro Dan caught me having fun and smiling in his class once. However, he turned to me and said, “I like to see a student smiling—it means you are enjoying my class.”

IKF: Tell us about your FMA training? Is it kali, escrima, or more of a mixed version?
RG: It is a mixed version. Guro Dan teaches a blend based on what he has learned over the years under the 34 instructors he has studied with.

IKF: Who is your guro and how often do you train?
RG: His name is guro Victor Gendrano Jr. and he has been training in FMA over 30 years. Initially we worked together in guro Dan's class at the Inosanto Academy in Los Angeles and now I take classes with him privately and at irregular intervals depending on my schedule. In the last two years I have also taken and assisted guro Victor with teaching FMA at the Jun Chong Martial Arts Center in West Los Angeles. We are now very good friends and he is very talented with his style of teaching.

IKF: Who were your martial arts heroes growing up and have you met any of them?
RG: My first crush was Daniel from The Karate Kid—he  was quite a hero to me and I was inspired from them on….. Cynthia Rothrock, Jackie Chan, Bruce Lee and Jean-Claude Van Damme. I had Jean-Claude Van Damme movie posters on my bedroom wall when I was a child and now I can say I have actually worked him. I thoroughly enjoyed my time and conversations with Jean-Claude while working on Until Death.

IKF: Do you worry that because of your physical beauty people won’t take your martial arts seriously?
RG: I don’t worry about it and yes it happens. At times “trying” to play the beautiful woman becomes an obstacle with some people, but I don’t get concerned about it. In fact, it empowers and inspires me! Obstacles have always pushed me to do better, to aim higher with my goals and further my achievements. I am sure there are those who are looking at this cover and thinking just what you are asking. Well, here I am!

IKF: You recently became involved with idomartialarts.com (IDMA). What attracted you to the project?
RG: I was fascinated with the scope of the project as well as the professionalism in which it was being presented. I am intrigued with how martial arts can adapt to a new age marketing tool like the internet and how it can reach so many more people. The quality, presentation and the direction IDMA is going and its creator's reputation made me want to be part of it.

IKF: How much teaching do you think can be done online?
RG: IDMA teaching is good in so many ways—for martial artists to see and learn other disciplines; for those that have no access to martial arts schools, for women that may feel intimidated to join a male-dominated school, for those with hectic schedules who don’t have time to travel or stick to fixed class hours, or for first timers who are unsure about what discipline to choose and want to avoid the expense of joining a school full time. IDMA is also an inexpensive way to learn and is a good way to be exposed to a variety of martial arts that not a lot of people have access to.

IKF: How did you get cast in Die Another Day. Were you surprised at the attention you received after appearing in the film?
RG: I was cast from one audition for the Bond movie. For the audition, I brought along my nunchaku and asked if I could perform a martial arts nunchaku demo, which was somewhat in keeping with the character but not written in to the script. They let me and liked it! The demo really caught their attention—it was very much like a Bond Girl villainess so I got the role, I was told. It’s quite extraordinary how a couple of sticks and being a martial artist got me cast in my most notable character and changed everything. The knock-off effect of Bond has been remarkable.

Die Another Day also brought about much media interest, press coverage, invitations, events and a variety of wonderful experiences. The premiere alone was spectacular; with the longest red carpet I have ever seen and took place at The Royal Albert Hall in London. It was a rare event, attended by Her Majesty and marked her Golden Jubilee year as Queen. Since then I have been invited to all sorts of exciting events including Le Toussrok hotel opening in Mauritius and I opened the Acapulco Film Festival in Mexico. I've learned from other Bond Girls all this never stops. I feel extremely grateful and fortunate. The world of Bond is something else.

IKF: Tell us about the Padua Charitable Fund?
RG: My family runs a registered charity in England called The Padua Charitable Fund, which was founded in the name of our Padua family from the Philippines. We are very proud to have raised over $85,000 in the last year, which has gone to building houses and schooling for children in poor communities in the Philippines. Recently some of our fundraisers have been martial arts. We would gladly feature, no matter how small, any fundraising efforts and ideas on our web site. Our web site is www.paduacharitablefund.org.

IKF: You come from royalty. When you are on the set of a low-budget movie, do you get frustrated that you’re not living up to family expectations?
RG: Absolutely not. Low-budget film can offer an actor so much and there are many low-budget films out there that are critically acclaimed and have won Academy Awards. Plus, I am always pleased to perform or act regardless of the budget involved. All my experiences on set have led to bigger things and I am happy and grateful for that. When I body doubled for Angelina Jolie in Tomb Raider, I worked very closely with Academy Award-winning costumier Lindy Hemming. What an experience! The following year she was dressing me for Die Another Day and I recall Lindy saying, “Rachel you have gone from body double to Bond girl.” My family has always been delighted with my work, particularly the thoughtful things I do, like my work with charities. My life as a traveling actor and adventurer has opened many opportunities to help others and to aid charities around the world.

Up Close
Name: Rachel Louise Grant de Longueil
Birthdate: 1977
Birthplace: Luzon, Philippines
Personal: Two sisters, one brother
Father: Michael Grant, 12th Baron de Longueuil
Martial Arts: Kali, with guro Dan Inosanto and guro Victor Gendrano Jr.
Films: Die Another Day, The Purifiers, Until Death, The Tournament
TV: Masters of Combat, Sci-Fright, Braniac: Science Abuse
Contact: www.rachelgrant.com