Cynthia Rothrock is an American martial artist and actress best known for her martial arts films. She holds black belt rankings in seven styles of martial arts and was a high-level competitor in martial arts before becoming an actress. In 2014, she was inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame. In 2016, Martial Arts History Museum bestowed Rothrock the official title of The Queen Of Martial Arts. Rothrock made her acting debut in the Hong Kong action film Yes, Madam (1985), alongside Michelle Yeoh. She went on to star in several Hong Kong action films, such as Millionaires Express, The Magic Crystal, Righting Wrongs (all 1986), No Retreat, No Surrender 2 (1987), and The Inspector Wears Skirts (1988). In the 1990s, Rothrock co-starred with Richard Norton in three martial arts films: China O'Brien, China O'Brien II and Lady Dragon (all 1990). She also starred in Martial Law, and its sequel, Martial Law 2: Undercover (both 1991), as well as Tiger Claws (1991), Irresistible Force (1993), Undefeatable, and Fast Getaway II (both 1994).

Early life

Rothrock grew up in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and started taking martial arts lessons at the age of 13.

Career

Martial arts

Rothrock was World Champion in forms and weapons five times between 1981 and 1985. These categories are not combat-oriented, being displays of fluidity of movement rather than fighting, and are not segregated into male and female categories but fully open to both sexes. Rothrock took first place in forms 32 times and first place in weapons 12 times in her first 38 tournaments, including competing in "Men's Forms" three out of four times, as there was no Women's Division. She was "Grand Master" of five tournaments and came in first place in 4 out of 5 fighting events. Rothrock holds seven black belts and sashes in multiple Far Eastern martial disciplines, including Tang Soo Do, Taekwondo (Korean), Eagle Claw (Chinese), Wushu, Northern Shaolin, Ng Ying Kungfu (Chinese: 五形功夫) and Pai Lum White Dragon Kung Fu. She received her 6th degree black belt in Tang Soo Do Moo Duk Kwan in 2006. She was tested by Grand Master Robert Kovaleski, 9th Dan and chair of the I.T.M.A., and was later promoted by him to 7th degree black belt in 2011 and 8th degree black belt in 2015. She is a martial arts instructor and her favorite weapons are the hook swords. In 1983, Rothrock was inducted into the Black Belt Magazine Hall of Fame as "Female Competitor of the Year." She was the first woman to appear on the cover of a martial arts magazine, and in 1986, co-authored a book with George Chung titled, Advanced Dynamic Kicks. In 2014, she was honored with the Legacy Award at the Urban Action Showcase & Expo at HBO. In 2016, she was inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame by Arnold Schwarzenegger and Dr. Robert Goldman. In 2022, Rothrock received the Martial Arts SuperShow "Lifetime Achievement Award" in Las Vegas. Past recipients have included Chuck Norris, Fumio Demura, Benny “The Jet” Urquidez and former Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell, among others. Rothrock made history by becoming the inaugural woman to grace the cover of Karate Illustrated (August 1981) and holds the distinction of being the first woman featured on the cover three times in the magazine's history. In March 2024, Black Belt Magazine named Rothrock in its list of "The Most Influential Women Martial Artists on the Planet."

Acting

In 1983, while Rothrock was on Ernie Reyes' West Coast Demonstration Team, she was discovered by Golden Harvest in Los Angeles, California. It was two years later that she made her first martial arts movie for them, Yes, Madam (also known as Police Assassins or In the Line of Duty Part 2), which also starred Michelle Yeoh. It proved to be a box office success. Rothrock ended up staying in Hong Kong until 1988 doing seven films there. Possibly her first US film was 24 Hours to Midnight, a Leo Fong-directed film, which also starred Stack Pierce and Bernie Pock (son of actress Nancy Kwan). Rothrock became one of the few Western performers to achieve genuine stardom in the local Hong Kong film industry before achieving success in their own country. She was credited as 羅芙洛 ("Fu Lok Law" or "Foo Lok Law") in many Hong Kong movies. Producer Pierre David initiated Rothrock's move to the American turf. David offered her a co-starring role with Chad McQueen in Martial Law, Rothrock's first U.S. production. For the next 10 years, she led a successful career in action movies. Her films include China O'Brien and China O'Brien 2, Guardian Angel, Honor & Glory, No Retreat, No Surrender 2 and Prince of the Sun, amongst a roster of thirty films. Rothrock appeared as Bertha Jo in the 1997 television film The Dukes of Hazzard: Reunion! Rothrock did voice work on the animated series Eek the Cat, which premiered in September 1992. Rothrock made an appearance in the television series Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, playing Hera's second Enforcer in the 1996 episode, "Not Fade Away." After starring in the 2004 film Xtreme Fighter (a.k.a. Sci-Fighter), where she played "Sally Kirk/The White Dragon," Rothrock retired from acting to teach private martial arts lessons at her martial arts studio in Studio City, California. She returned to acting for the role as Nanna in the 2012 Christmas family film Santa's Summer House, alongside British martial artist and actor Gary Daniels. In 2014, Rothrock starred in the action movie Mercenaries, alongside Kristanna Loken, Brigitte Nielsen, Vivica A. Fox and Zoë Bell. In 2023, Rothrock began production on the movie Black Creek, in which she took on multiple roles. She not only produced it, but also co-wrote the script and stars as the lead. This dark and gritty dystopian Western combines elements of action and martial arts, featuring a powerful female protagonist played by Rothrock herself. Joining her are familiar faces from her previous Robert Clouse film China O'Brien, including Richard Norton and Keith Cooke. Black Creek is set to be released in 2024, and will have an accompanying graphic novel.

Filmography

Awards