It's the classic Hollywood story: an actor scores the role of a lifetime, leading to fame and big bucks. Only for Frank Grillo, it's playing out 7,000 miles from home.

Grillo plays the role of “Big Daddy”, a ruthless mercenary who seems hell-bent on killing Chinese citizens and proving that Americans are superior. Grillo had no idea his character would be such a big hit with Chinese audiences, and he’s already thinking of his next move in that lucrative market.

VICE News visited Grillo at his favorite boxing gym to see what it’s like to be the biggest punching bag in Chinese cinema history.

This segment originally aired December 15, 2017 on VICE News Tonight on HBO.

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