Darth Maul/Snake-Eyes/Toad Rolls into Supanova

Like James Earl Jones and Peter Mayhew, Ray Park is one of those iconic actors that you didn't realise you love. Having played iconic characters such as X-Men's Toad, Snake Eyes from GI Joe: Retaliation and Darth Maul from Star Wars Episode 1, Ray Park is one of the most iconic character actors of this generation.

The good news is, if you're planning on going to Supanova in Melbourne or the Gold Coast you could meet the man in person! 

Full details and guest list after the jump.

Supanova Rolls ‘Snake-Eyes’ in Landing G.I. Joe: Retaliation Star, 

RAY PARK, for the Melbourne and Gold Coast Expos!

Ray Park might just be the most famous actor you wouldn’t recognise if you bumped into him on the street. The jovial Glaswegian became a professional martial artist at age 16 and earned numerous international awards throughout the 1990s before making his screen debut as Darth Maul in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (1999). In the Star Wars ‘prequel’, Park was disguised by the heavy costuming of the diabolical Sith Lord, with crimson-tattooed skin, sinister zigzag facial tattoos and thorny protrusions from his skull. Ray’s handiwork with the Sith assassin’s double-bladed lightsaber demonstrated his martial arts talents and won praise from fans. In X-Men (2000), Park portrayed The Toad, an evil mutant with toad-like superhero qualities such as toxic spit and agile leaping with a few of Park’s signature Wushu moves thrown in. Park’s crafty, cocky and sarcastic performance in the film is credited with influencing later depictions of his character in the comic-book storyworld. For that role, he wore special contact lenses and had khaki skin, not to mention a four metre-long CGI toad tongue!

In the film adaptation of the Hasbro action figure franchise, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, Park played Snake Eyes, a near-silent ninja and one of the most popular members of G.I. Joe’s team. Like Park’s other famous roles, Snake Eyes was heavily costumed: Park wore a heavy black rubber mask and visor, rendering him unrecognisable. And only last week audiences were thrilled at the Australian Premiere of the sequel, G.I. Joe: Retaliation, as Park reprised the role with the film released nationally March 28. This time his new costume provides greater mobility so he can perform even more breathtaking martial arts stunts and although his face still isn’t seen, the fluid grace of Park’s body-language is manifestly visible to all. Supanova’s organisers are delighted to have the star of such a huge blockbuster joining their already blockbuster-sized guest line-up.

In other guest news actor Karl Urban (Judge Dredd, RED, Star Trek) has had to postpone his Supa-Star appearance until June due to rescheduling of his acting commitments, while voice actor Garry Chalk (Transformers) has had to do likewise but will be back in November instead.

Supanova is a celebration of popular culture, encompassing TV & film, geekery, gaming and gadgetry, collectibles, comics, cosplay and much more. Supanova’s Supa-Star celebrity guests sign autographs, pose for studio portrait photos, give behind-the-scenes talks, and more. To date, Supa-Stars already announced include:

SCREEN SUPA-STARS

David Hasselhoff [Baywatch, Knight Rider, The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie]

Rose McGowan [Charmed, Scream, Nip/Tuck, Planet Terror]

Eliza Dushku [Dollhouse, Angel, Tru Calling, Bring It On, True Lies]

Barbara Eden [I Dream of Jeannie, Harper Valley PTA]

Adam Baldwin [Firefly, Serenity, Chuck]

Natalia Tena [Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, ‘Molotov Jukebox’ band]

Michael Rosenbaum [Smallville, Justice League]

Sam J. Jones [Flash Gordon, Ted]

Ryan Robbins [Sanctuary, Falling Skies, Blade, Battlestar Galactica, Stargate: Atlantis]

Sylvester McCoy [The seventh Doctor Who, The Hobbit’s Radagast the Brown] - Gold Coast Exclusive

MIDDLE EARTH SUPA-STARS

From The Hobbit: Dean O’Gorman, Graham McTavish, Stephen Hunter

From Lord of the Rings: Mark Ferguson 

SUSHI GIRL SUPA-STARS (presented in collaboration with the Gold Coast Film Festival)

Noah Hathaway, Tony Todd, James Duval, Kern Saxton, Destin Pfaff, Andy McKenzie

ALL SUPERHEROES MUST DIE SUPA-STARS (in collaboration with the Gold Coast Film Festival)

Jason Trost, Lucas Till

VOICE SUPA-STARS

Vic Mignogna [Anime actor from Fullmetal Alchemist, Bleach and dozens more]

Greg Cipes [Actor from Ben-10, Ben-10 Alien Force, Bones; ‘Cipes and the People’ band]

Yuko Miyamura [Respected Japanese seiyū of Neon Genesis Evangelion, Berserk, Astro Boy]

COMICS SUPA-STARS

Rachel Dodson [Inker, X-Men, Spider-man, Wonder Woman]

Terry Dodson [Illustrator, Harley Quinn, Spider-Man, Star Wars, Superman, Wonder Woman, X-Men]

Dave Gibbons [Illustrator of the seminal comic book, Watchmen, and many more]Joe Jusko [Legendary painter & illustrator, Marvel Masterpieces, Conan the Barbarian, Marvel & DC]Nicola Scott [Illustrator, Secret Six, Wonder Woman, Birds of Prey, Earth 2]

Gail Simone [Writer, Secret Six, Wonder Woman, Birds of Prey]

Tom Taylor [Writer, Star Wars, Injustice: Gods Among Us, The Deep - now optioned by Technicolor]

Colin Wilson [Illustrator, Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper, Star Wars Invasion]

PUBLISHING SUPA-STARS

A.A. Bell [Award-winning author of Diamond Eyes, Hindsight and Leopard Dreaming]

Kylie Chan [Author, Dark Heavens Trilogy, Journey to Wudang Trilogy]

Marianne De Pierres [Author, Parrish Plessis, Sentients of Orion, Burn Bright]

Hugh Howey [Bestselling author of Wool, Shift, Bern Saga, The Molly Fyde Saga]

Colin Taber [Author, the Ossard Trilogy, The Landing]

K.J. Taylor [Author,The Fallen Moon series, Shadow's Heir, Shadowed Throne]

Kostya Tszyu [World Champion boxer; co-author of Bullies Aren’t Scary with Dustin Warburton]

Tad Williams [Author, Memory, Sorrow and Thorn, To Green Angel Tower, Otherland, Shadowmarch]