John Medlen's early life was marked by four distinct passions: karate, stunts, music, and directing. His extensive background in martial arts paved the way for him to become a stunt player and co-owner of a small production company in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he honed his skills as a director and editor.
With an insatiable appetite for learning, Medlen took on various roles, from extra to production assistant, to gain experience on different production sets. This persistence eventually paid off in 1994, when he worked as a stunt player/actor for a Universal Studio's live show and as a stunt player under stunt coordinator Pat Johnson on "WMAC Master's: Quest for the Dragon Star" (4Kids Productions 1995-96).
This marked a turning point in Medlen's career, leading him to become Johnson's Assistant Stunt Coordinator and the character "Ermac" in "Mortal Kombat: Annihilation" (NewLine 1997),which debuted at number one at the box office.
Medlen's subsequent work as a 2nd unit director, stunt coordinator, and fight choreographer on "The New Adventures of Robin Hood" (13 episodes, Warner Bros. International 1997) and "Mortal Kombat Conquest" (22 episodes, NewLine/Threshold Entertainment/Warner Bros. 1998-99) showcased his unique style and earned him recognition.
Between these projects, Medlen worked in Europe as the 2nd unit director, stunt coordinator, and fight choreographer for "Beowulf" (Miramax 1998),set in a "time out of time" and featuring Christopher Lambert.
Medlen then stunt coordinated and fight choreographed military combat for "To End All Wars: A True World War II Story" starring Keffer Sutherland (Argyll Film 2000) in Hawaii.
Returning from Hawaii, Medlen joined the crew of the acclaimed "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (44 episodes, 20th Century Fox) as the 2nd unit director, stunt coordinator, and fight choreographer, and has since worked on numerous other shows and features.
Medlen received an American Choreography Award for "Outstanding Achievement in Fight Choreography" for his work on the "Alias" pilot, "Truth Be Told" (Touchstone 2001),and was nominated for his work on "Spiderman" (Sony Pictures 2000).
Medlen has recently completed work on "In the Houze" (Touchstone) starring Steve Martin and Queen Latifa, and is a proud member of the Directors Guild of America (DGA) and the Screen Actors Guild (SAG).