Adam Hunter

==Early Life==
Adam Wesley Hunter was born in Orlando, Florida, the son of Maryann (nee Long), a teacher's assistant, and Wesley Rudolph Hunter, an aircraft engineer. However, Adam grew up in Bronx, New York with his younger brother, by 10 years, Samuel Hunter and their parents. As a young boy Adam aspired to be a dancer, much to the chagrin of his father. In an effort to thwart his son's dancing dreams, Wesley enrolled Adam into martial arts, a more stereotypical male hobby. At the age of 12, Adam began training under Marcus Salgado a former classmate of Wesley who became a mentor to Adam. Although practically forced out of dancing, Adam didn't mind as martial arts taught him how to deal with the adversity in his life, such as being a small child, who matured late and loved to dance. Those factors made growing up in a tough world even tougher for Adam who got into fights daily; which ultimately pushed Adam into a thirst for defense techniques within marital arts, and gave him the power to not only endure but to also overcome the intense physical pain required just to learn the maneuvers. Upon Adam's later teenaged years, he attended the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing where Adam took drama class for the first time, leading to him developing a love for the theater. Shortly after his first year in Drama Adam decided that his new dream was to pursue acting wanting to make that his profession at life. Meanwhile the Bronx had become one of the five poorest Congressional Districts in the entire United States, meaning that the quality of life for many Bronx residents declined sharply, including the Hunters. Nonetheless Adam continued to attend the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing but due to the Bronx being plagued by a wave of arson, he and his family were force to move back to Orlando, Florida. While in Orlando, Adam attended Jones High School and continued to pursue acting for competitions and festivals doing work such as puppet theater, mime and musical theater. After graduating from Jones High School in Orlando, Hunter attended Southwest College in Los Angeles, California, before returning to New York in order to attended the State University of New York at Purchase, where he was "to be a well-trained actor for the classical American stage.".
== Police Academy ==
After Graduating from the State University of New York at Purchase, Adam tried to find work as an actor, but to no avail. Soon the college graduate with nothing to his name but an acting degree and student loans, found himself in need of steady income to support himself and the pursuit of his dream. Not qualified for any thing above a person with only a High School diploma, Adam didn't have many choices between well paying jobs to choose from. Finding it the best choice, Adam entered the police academy. During his time at the academy he began training in Shotokan Karate and Hapkido earning a 5th dan black belt and 2nd dan black belt respectively.
=== World Warrior Tournament ===
Wanting to test his new skills in Shotokan Karate and Hapkido Adam enters The World Warrior Tournament, an underground fighting tournament hosted by an undefeated Muay Thai Champion named Sagat Kiatsongrit. Despite a decent fight, Adam is ultimately defeated in the first match by an old master named Gen Huo. Though disappointed in his performance Adam returns to his daily life at the academy determined to improve his skills.
== Streets of Rage ==
After leaving the police academy, Adam officially joined the New York Police Department and was consequently partnered with a similar minded Kyokushin Karate expert, Axel Stone Lundgren. The duo would form a strong friendship which even expanded to included the Judo specialist, Officer Blaze Fielding. Together the three were able to bring a significant crackdown on crime operations within the state spanning from The city of New York to the Bronx, discovering a crime syndicate behind the crime wave across the state. However, when the trio try to report their findings on the Syndicate and who they believe to be it's leader, they are shut down by the department and forbidden to further investigate. Coming to the conclusion that the Police chief as well as others within the department were in the pocket of the syndicate Adam, Axel, and Blaze turn in their badges in order to personally hunt down the syndicate leader themselves. Later that evening the three begin their assault making their way to the syndicate leader's supposed headquarters. Coincidentally New York City has it largest crime wave in recent years, resulting in the trio having to face off against waves of criminals, hoodlums, punks, and junkies, as well as the syndicate's personal henchmen. After defeating all the goons, they make it to the syndicate's lair, where they discover the leader to be millionaire entrepreneur, Mr. X. Upon seeing the former officers, Mr. X asks them if they would be willing to work for him, offering them a million dollars each. Adam is admittedly tempted by the huge offer but out right refuses his advances, based solely on “principle”. Axel and Blaze follow suit turning down the millionaire's enormous offer, which prompts Mr. X to send more henchmen to fight them. After the henchmen are defeated, Mr. X is forced to finally attack, and begins firing his machine gun everywhere. The three then defeat Mr. X and call Murphy, one of the last good cops on the police force, to take Mr. X into police custody. No longer an officer, Adam knows he will need money to pursue his dream and takes one of the three million dollar suitcases of the unconscious Mr. X's bribe money before the police show up. Using the stolen money, Adam started a film company called Amen-Ra which proves to be more expensive than Adam originally thought, leading him to scam the government for more money by filing a false tax refund claim of over $4 million. Now fully equipped with enough financial resources, Adam spends the next year writing, directing, producing, and starring in a movie of his own creation; a blaxploitation picture called Streets of Rage, based on his battle against Mr. X's Syndicate.
== Streets of Rage 2 ==
However the film never sees a release as the company who is executive producing the project backs out of it's contract for mysterious reasons. Adam heartbroken over the cancellation of the movie he knew would catapult him to stardom, spends the rest of the evening at Amen-Ra studio in order to watch his shelved film. However upon exiting the studio he is ambushed by Shiva, a master of the Koppou martial art and the newly employed, cool-headed, heartless bodyguard of Mr. X; who was recently released from prison on bail. The fight heads back into the Studio, where an angered Adam manages to thwart Shiva's first assault and makes the connection between his backers withdrawal and Mr. X's release and demands to know why. Shiva then reveals to Adam that Mr. X shutdown his production because of it's funding done with his stolen money. The furious Adam charges forth and the two commence their battle, resulting in Adam's defeat and the studio burning down, destroying any copy of Adam's unreleased film. Shiva then takes Adam to Mr. X who holds him hostage as a way to draw out Axel and Blaze. Unbeknownst to the captive Adam, Adam's kid brother Sammy "Skate" Hunter joins up with Axel and Blaze, and manages to rescue Adam, helping defeat Mr. X. Disappointed in himself for his humbling loss at the hands of Shiva, Adam converted to Islam stating that Islam made him more conscious of what African people have accomplished, of his self-worth, giving himself some self-dignity. Adam them spent the next two years training in Capoeira under Mestre Jelon Vieira and in a number of other disciplines including Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
== Streets of Rage 3 ==
During this time Adam meets and marries April Dubois, with whom he has a son, Jelani Asar Hunter. Not long after his son's birth, Adam is called upon by Blaze, now a Private Investigator, to help her shut down Mr. X again after his early release from prison, thanks to his lawyers. Blaze tells Adam that Mr. X has started a research company called RoboCy Corporation to act as a cover for his illegal activities, but Adam admits to Blaze that he is disillusioned with the personal war they have against Mr. X, sighting that it was only leading to an inevitable end where they realize the justice system will never keep X behind bars. With Adam truing down Blaze's proposal to join the team, Skate once again takes his elder brothers place on the mission. Later during the final battle against Mr. X and his remaining Syndicate, Skate informs Adam that Mr. X has planted bombs all over New York City, resulting in Adam playing a pivotal role in the fight by dismantling all of the bombs as Axel, Blaze, Skate, and the rest of their team kill Mr. X. Following Mr. X's death Adam regains his focus on acting and begins to enter multiple acting competitions, hoping to get noticed by agents and producers.
== Golden Opportunity ==
Not long after, Adam was discovered by the agent of the infamous singer, Michael Jackson, while performing in a competition. Months later, Adam appeared as Michael Jackson's nemesis in the Martin Scorsese-directed music video "Bad" which propelled Adam Hunter as an instantly recognizable face all over the world as Michael Jackson's songs and music videos were shown globally with repetition. Soon Adam's phone rang off the hook with casting opportunities and auditions for theatrical films. Later that year, Adam appeared on the TV show Miami Vice as a drug-dealing pimp in the episode "Streetwise" which was followed up by an appearance on the television series: Vietnam War Story, where he played the character of Young Soldier in the Episode "An Old Ghost Walks the Earth", for which Adam won CableACE Awards fro Best Actor in a Dramatic Series. That same year, Adam was cast in his first feature film, Streets of Gold, which earned a modest $2,546,238 at the box office.
== Box-Office Star ==
Meanwhile Adam was still most famous for his role in the Bad video that was still in syndication even after a year from it's debut. Adam's performance in the music video caught the eye of director Spike Lee. Adam turned down a small role in Lee's Do the Right Thing for the larger part of Willie Mays Hayes in Major League, beginning a succession of box-office hits for Adam. Lee would later cast Adam as the jazz saxophonist Shadow Henderson in Mo' Better Blues and as the lead in the interracial romance drama Jungle Fever. He then Played Thomas Flanagan in King of New York opposite Christopher Walken. Following this he played the drug lord Nino Brown in New Jack City, which was written specifically for him by Barry Michael Cooper. Not long after, Adam's marriage to April fell apart due to his frequent work and April was awarded custody of Jelani. Following the divorce, Adam appeared in the drama, The Waterdance, and the comedy, White Men Can't Jump, before staring in his first major action film in Passenger 57.
=== Action Hero Icon ===
The film's success made Adam's a popular action hero icon, leading to a number of other action roles in the films, Boiling Point, Rising Sun (with Sean Connery), and Demolition Man (with Sylvester Stallone). He also played a drug dealer in the film Sugar Hill. After Sugar Hill's release Adam would go on to star in a string of action movies such as Money Train, The Fan, and Murder at 1600, before wining the Best Actor Volpi Cup at the Venice Film Festival for his performance in New Line Cinema's One Night Stand. Adam then stared in the HBO original movie, Disappearing Acts, a dramatic role co-starring popular actress Sanaa Lathan. The movie won a NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special, while Adam was individually nominated for, Network/Cable – Best Actor by the Black Reel Awards. Although Adam had won awards for his acting such as the MTV Movie Awards for Best Villain in Demolition Man, the Image Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Television Movie or Mini-Series in America's Dream, the Image Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Motion Picture for New Jack City, and the WorldFest Houston Gold Special Jury Award for Best Actor in The Waterdance, he began to star in a succession of box-office flops with the films U.S. Marshals, The Art of War, Liberty Stands Still, Undisputed, and Unstoppable.
== Driect-to-DVD Movies and Other Ventures ==
Despite being nominated by the Black Reel Awards for Best Actor in a Motion Picture following his work in Undisputed, Adam was no longer a box-office draw, leading to Adam being forced off the Big Screen and reduced to direct to DVD action movies, which he himself had to create and produce, restarting his film company, Amen-Ra. Also during this time, Adam and his brother, who had also become an actor (Most famous for his lead role in The Last Dragon), started a security firm called the Royal Guard of Amen-Ra, dedicated to providing VIPs with bodyguards trained in law enforcement and martial arts. Adam would then go on to marry painter Nakyung "Nikki" Park, with whom he already had two children: Four year old son Akhenaten Kihwa-T Hunter, and two year old daughter Iset Jua-T Hunter. After Adam and Nikki's wedding, Adam would star in the Direct-to-video movies, 7 Seconds, The Marksman, The Detonator, Hard Luck, The Contractor, and The Art of War II: Betrayal. Adam's was supposed to continue on in the Art of War film series, set to star in the third film, The Art of War III: Retribution, however, Adam sued co-producers/distributors Stage 6 Films, and Josef Rusnak, director of The Art of War II: Betrayal, which Adam also produced. He claimed that the studio did not pay his full salary, that he was intentionally cut out of casting decisions, and that what lead to poorly-made sequel that only sold 206,604 DVD units for a gross of $4,013,907 out of it's $13,300,000 budget, costing Amen-Ra Studio's a large sum of money. The suit was later settled, but Adam was dropped from the third installment in the series and replace with Anthony "Treach" Criss. During this time Adam and Nikki have their third child, a son named Alaafia Jehu-T Hunter.
== Tax Evasion ==
Shortly after Alaafia's birth, Adam Hunter was charged with one count of conspiring to defraud the United States and one count of knowingly making or aiding and abetting the making of a false and fraudulent claim for payment against the United States. Adam was also charged with six counts of willfully failing to file federal income tax returns by their filing dates. The conspiracy charge against Adam alleged that he filed a false amended return, including a false tax refund claim of over $4 million a decade ago as well as a false amended return, including a false tax refund claim of over US$7.3 million for the following year. The government alleged that Adam attempted to obtain fraudulent tax refunds using a tax protester theory called the "861 argument" (essentially, an argument that the domestic income of U.S. citizens and residents is not taxable). The government also charged that Adam sent three worthless, fictitious "bills of exchange" for $14 million to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The government then charged that Adam failed to file tax returns for an entire decade. Adam responded to his indictment in a letter, declaring himself to be "a non-resident alien" of the United States; in reality, Adam is a birthright U.S. Citizen. Adam said he was being made an example of and was unfairly targeted by prosecutors because of his fame in connection with the federal tax fraud investigation.
=== Fleeing the Country ===
However once documented proof came out that Adam was in fact born in Orlando, Florida, Adam decided his safest bet would be to flee America, taking one of his private jets and smuggling himself away to South Africa, fully equipped with a South African passport he had made as "Proof of his citizenship”. Adam entered South Africa on May 23rd , but left for Mozambique the next day via Lanseria Airport, while then returning to South Africa on May 26th , having flown into Durban; all in an effort to cloak his whereabouts from any American officials that maybe looking for him. However Adam would only stay in South Africa for the remainder of the month, as he learned that the country has an extradition treaty with America, meaning that South African Officials had the right to hand him off back to America, if discovered. On June 1st, Adam was caught using his South African passport when he tried to leave the country. Adam was then held and questioned at Johannesburg International Airport, resulting in him missing his Air France flight to Switzerland, before he was allowed to board a Kenya Airways flight later that night to Geneva. Nonetheless the damage was done as the South African Prime Minister contacted the United States who then informed Switzerland of Adam's imminent arrival. Adam was then detained once the plane landed. Fortunately for Adam, he was being guarded by a star-struck fan who allowed him to go free in exchange for a few autographs for him and his family, as well as a few renditions of his infamous line in Passenger 57, "Always bet on black.". Once released from federal custody, Adam boards a non-commercial flight trying to stay as low key as possible while sneaking himself back into the United States, having come up with a sure fire plan to get him out of his sticky predicament.
=== Fighting Joe Rogan ===
Back in the States, Adam calls Ultimate Fighting Championship owner Dana White and negotiates a one fight contract against the UFC's color-commentator Joe Rogan, in the amount of $38,500,000; the exact sum Adam needed in order to pay off his Tax debt and avoid a prison sentence. Joe Rogan is a stand-up comedian, TV personality, expert UFC analyst and a four-time Taekwondo state champion, as well as holding Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belts under Carlson Gracie and Eddie Bravo. Both guys have been entangled in a back and forth, when and where, trash-talking media scrap over a few years, with Joe consistently maintaining his willingness to "choke out" Adams. Seeing now as the perfect time for them to finally to settle out their beef with a sanctioned fight, Joe instantly accepts and the fight is secretly scheduled. With the negotiations handled, Adam personally goes to the IRS office in order to assure them that he was going to soon be able to pay and the IRS gave him an extension on the due date. Although financially secure in his debt to the IRS, Adam still felt that he needed to provide for his wife and children as she had just told him of her pregnancy and that they were expecting their fourth child. Adam was also mindful that if anything tragic were to happen between now and the fight, such as Dana backing out of his deal and not paying him the money, or Joe getting too severely injured during his training camp, that he would be thrown in jail and his family would have no income. In an effort to maintain a little financial standing for his family, Adam went back to work, doing what he loves and was cast as Caz, a supporting character in what was to become known as Adam's comeback performance, Brooklyn's Finest. Brooklyn's Finest was Adam Hunter’ first theatrical release film since the Box-Office bomb, Unstoppable, and ranked in $36.4 million out of their $17 million budget. For Adam's role as Caz he won the Black Reel Award for Best Supporting Actor, but was unable to capitalize on his reinvigorated success as he had to tun down major parts in theatrical release films in order to allow more time for his training although he never let his work interfere with him training, as Adam still trained a solid 3 hours a day, 5-6 days a week depending on the weeks of shooting. No longer obligated to continue filming, Adam zoned in on his up coming fight, training with fight veterans Larry Lisbee and Johnny Lats, as well as some of the guys from former UFC 41 Lightweight Tournament Semifinalist, Matt Serra’s school in Long Island. Adam also began training with guys from the Gracie camp helping him with his ground game while practicing with Nunzio Dibella, former UFC Heavyweight Champion Dan “The Beast” Severn, and former Shaolin Monk Kung Lao, helping him with a more balanced standup.
=== Conversion ===
However a few weeks before the fight, Adam had a series of talks with his childhood idol, who had inspired him to become an actor, Mr. T; Mr. T who became a born-again Christian over a decade ago, convinced Adam to convert from his faith in Islam back to Christian, in which Adam was originally raised. In converting Adam to become a born again Christian, Mr. T opened Adam's eyes to the wrong he has done in his life, leading him to see the error in what he was preparing to do, as he was once again attempting to beat the system with the money from his mega fight, even though that had been the reason he was in this financial predicament in the first place. Not seeing an end to the cycle of bad karma if he escapes God's punishment this time, Wesley immediately calls Dana White and tells him to cancel the bout, without giving Dana a reason why as he did not want his epiphany to be public knowledge as he felt it would influence his trial in one way or another. With the Mega fight canceled Adam had no choice but to face judgment and stand trail against all the governments accusations.
=== Trial ===
Adam was acquitted on the felony count of conspiracy to defraud the government and on the felony count of filing a false claim with the government. He was, however, found guilty on three misdemeanor counts of failing to file federal income tax returns (and acquitted on three other "failure to file" charges). Adam was sentenced to three years in prison for willful failure to file federal income tax returns under 26 U.S.C. § 7203, but was allowed two years to get his family situated for the dramatic decrease in financial stability and to get his affairs in order; under the condition that he did not leave the country.
=== Imprisonment ===
Adam then spent his remaining years as a free man, spending time with his bother, wife, and his five children while also filming the direct-to-DVD movies, Game of Death and Gallowalkers, before Adam reported to federal prison to begin his three-year sentence, being held at McKean Federal Correctional Institution, a federal prison in Pennsylvania. A year later the United States Supreme Court declined to hear Adam's appeal, resulting in him serving the full three years.
== A Free Man ==
Because of Adam's imprisonment he had to turn down a role to play one of the four leads in Spike Lee's war film Miracle at St. Anna, as well as the part of Hale Caesar in Sylvester Stallone's Box-office hit The Expendables. However once a free man again Adam didn't hesitate to appear in the sequel The Expendables 3, where he was reunited with his former partner and old friend Axel Stone, who had also become an actor. The Expendables 3 grossed $39,322,544 in North America and $166,850,000 in other territories for a worldwide total of $206,172,544. A few years later, Adam decided to retire from acting and moved with his wife, to Nikki's home country of South Korea, which he had already spent a considerable amount of time at, as he often called it his "second home".
== Legacy ==
Adam Hunter's Martial Arts and overall Acting abillity has distinguished him as one of the most talented and respected leading men, as evidenced by his starring roles in numerous box office hits. He has starred opposite such notable actors as Robert De Niro and Sean Connery, and went on to star in a succession of audience and critical hits.
=== Martial Arts ===
Adam Hunter will always be remembered as a seasoned, trained martial artist who has learned and mastered a number of different disciplines including Karate, Kung Fu and Capoeira, an African/Brazilian martial art. Adam likes a lot of fighting styles, each one for a different reason. He loves all of the Chinese systems for line and beauty, and flexibility; Ancient Egyptian, Brazilian and Indonesian martial arts. He also trained in some African-born systems which are very deadly, where he have to train like cats fighting - wild cats in the jungle - jumping out of bushes ect.  Adam personally prefers fast – strong, effective combinations, and has developed a basic philosophy of life that guides him through all the craziness he dealt. He keep things very spiritual. That's a strong motivation for his behavior, discipline and balance to all of his Hollywood on goings and short comings.