In between all of the whirling interviews with the press and all the buzzing about his Dawson’s Creek heydays, not to mention those fashionable “toe condoms” he sported at the Emmys, actor Joshua Jackson still couldn’t escape questions about his appearance in The Karate Kid. Jackson reportedly portrays a character named Victor in the highly anticipated film, which will team up Karate Kid alums Ralph Macchio and Jackie Chan on the Silver Screen in 2025. And while Jackson didn’t give too much away in the way of juicy spoilers, other than he enjoyed making the picture, the actor did praise the movie’s lead, Ben Wang. Jackson said (per The Hollywood Reporter):
“It was a ton of fun. I can’t share too much, and we’ll be talking about that later on in the year, but, yeah, you hit on the big pieces. The young man who is playing the new Karate Kid [Wang], he did yeoman’s work. I’m so impressed with the physical work that he did. To be able to do that, because it’s no CG, it’s all practical effects, he actually did it, which is very unusual these days. And, yeah, I think — I mean I haven’t seen the movie yet — but I’m hoping it’s what everybody hopes it to be.”
It was announced that Wang won the highly coveted role of the new Karate Kid back in February after an exhaustive search, which resulted in over 10,000 entries from so many hopefuls desperately wanting to star alongside iconic actors Macchio and Chan. This new installment will merge the original film (1984) with the reimagining that came out in 2010, which starred Will Smith’s son, Jaden, playing the lead character. As for Jackson, though, before he makes his first appearance in that Crane-kicking world the fandom can’t wait for, the actor is headlining a new television series for ABC.
Joshua Jackson Teams with Don Johnson in Doctor Odyssey
Joshua Jackson and his Dawson’s Creek days are well behind him, but the Critics Choice Awards nominee (Best Actor in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television | Dr. Death) will star in the upcoming medical drama for ABC titled Doctor Odyssey. Jackson also serves as an executive producer on the project, which has been turned around rather quickly since his involvement was reported back in March. The synopsis, courtesy of ABC, for the away-at-sea series, which gives Jackson a chance to break away from darker characters, reads as follows:
“From the brilliant mind of Ryan Murphy comes high-octane procedural ‘Doctor Odyssey.’ Max (Joshua Jackson) is the new on-board doctor for a luxury cruise ship where the staff works hard and plays harder. It’s all-hands-on-deck as Max and his small but mighty medical team navigate unique medical crises and each other, miles from shore.”
Will the new drama rank among Joshua Jackson’s best performances? Find out when Doctor Odyssey premieres September 26 on ABC. Hollywood heavyweight Don Johnson joins Jackson on the voyage not only as one of the show’s integral characters, but also as one of the project’s executive producers. Now, for those fans who haven’t seen it yet, be sure to check out the show’s teaser trailer below: