A Few of Andrew Koji’s Favorite Things

In November, Andrew Koji wrapped the third season of “Warrior,” the martial-arts television drama inspired by the writings of Bruce Lee. He’s still recovering.

At 35, he’s “just past the peak age of an athlete,” he said, massaging his upper arm during a video call from London, “and I am feeling it.”

In “Warrior,” which begins airing June 29 on Max, Koji plays a Chinese immigrant whose search for his sister forces him into the role of hatchet man for a gang.

After he finished work on Season 2, Cinemax, which produced the first two seasons, canceled the show, the pandemic hit and his gut told him that “Snake Eyes,” his 2021 G.I. Joe movie, wasn’t going to be good.

“I was like, ‘This is it — my time has come, my career’s over and the world is ending,’” he said. “A little bit dramatic there.”

Then he landed a part in the Brad Pitt movie “Bullet Train,” playing an alcoholic father intent on avenging his son’s death. And “Warrior” was picked up by Max for a third season.

“I’ve got more options now,” he said, “but I’m definitely not in that position where I’m getting great scripts sent to me. I’m still having to hustle and figure out the next move and be smart.”

Koji’s list of cultural essentials is more categorical than specific, like a book in his hand and a poem in his head. “I try to live my life as non-materialistically or attached to things as possible,” he said. “But it did make me think, ‘What are the things that I do need?’”

These are edited excerpts from our conversation.

1

Meditation

Meditation is the start of my day and something I always take with me. It has helped me through tough times. I believe it helps entering the state of “flow” for creativity and helps us sit through and deal with negative and challenging states of mind.

2

Pen and Paper

I need this wherever I go. I journal for my own sanity and use a similar practice of the “Morning Pages” from “The Artist’s Way.” I write ideas, thoughts, images, things I want to develop. For every character I play, I create a notebook with back stories, inner monologues, abstract ideas, and add to it over time.

3

Poetry From Memory

If I’m not on a job, I like to keep my brain sharp by memorizing a speech, a poem or a passage that I connect with. The last one was Rudyard Kipling’s poem “If.” Before that it was a passage from a Taoist book about how insignificant we are in the vastness of the cosmos, yet how we should still strive to be a better part of it.

4

Exercise

Training has become a big part of my life again after almost 10 years of more unhealthy and self-destructive habits during my early struggling acting years. It helps me avoid or work through negative states. Anything that can take me out of my head and into the body — training with weights, the punching bag, Brazilian jiu-jitsu or yoga.

5

Teachers

If we don’t keep learning throughout our lives, I think we stagnate. I’ll always look to study as much as I can between work, studying with a Japanese language tutor, meditation teachers, martial-art teachers or any subject that helps inspire me creatively and think differently about something. I studied film and theater in college, and I remember my drama teacher at the time saying, “You should never become an actor.” Then I found a class at the Actors’ Temple, and a great teacher called Tom Radcliffe opened my eyes to maybe I could be doing this, that I had the potential to be a good actor.

6

Nonfiction

“Man’s Search for Meaning,” Bruce Lee’s “Striking Thoughts,” “Hardcore Zen,” “The Road Less Traveled.” “Easy Riders, Raging Bulls” is what I’m reading now. Older books that remind me why we do what we do on a deeper level I find helpful in this increasingly superficial modern western world.

7

Traveling in Japan

Kyoto is one of my favorite places — exploring temples, disconnecting from technology, going off the beaten path. One of my favorite trails so far was the Kumano Kodo, an ancient pilgrimage route.

8

American and Japanese Classics

Pop and more modern music I can take or leave. But Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Frank Sinatra, Joe Hisaishi and Shigeru Umebayashi — any music that evokes or moves my soul, rather than being light and catchy, can help inspire some creative thought.

9

Stand-up Comedy

Dave Chappelle, Bill Hicks, Jim Jefferies — I used to have a habit of taking life incredibly seriously, and I need to remember to laugh and find humor in things that annoy or upset me. Stand-up comedy is such an incredible and primal craft form. I’ll usually try and find a comedy show or stand-up night when I’m in a new city.

10

PlayStation

Last but not least, an indulgence. Watching TV and films gets my gears turning too much, but PlayStation helps me switch off my brain.