KZ: Hi Sam! What performance experience did you have before the show?

S: I started performing small martial arts and acrobatics demos in my high school years for talent shows and heritage nights with a few friends of mine. It was more for fun and not professional by any means. Those performances eventually evolved into doing live demonstrations with other martial arts schools, including my own. Marvel Universe Live was vastly different than the scale of what I was used to and the first show I’ve done of this calibre.

KZ: Did you do any sports or activities, or have any hobbies as a child that gave you skills that help with your role today?

S: For me, it’s always been martial arts. I started Taekwondo at 10 years old and it’s always been a part of life since then. It eventually led me to other disciplines like boxing and performance martial arts (tricking) and the combination of those styles gave me a great foundation for fight choreography and acrobatics, both of which are greatly utilized by Spider-Man.

KZ: What are the best and worst parts of travelling and performing in the MUL?

S: As someone who doesn’t travel much, it is absolutely amazing to travel so vastly and so frequently as my job. I’ve had the opportunity to visit countries and cities that I would never have otherwise visited and, in retrospect, would have missed out greatly. The experience has taught me much about life and has opened my eyes to a more global scale. The worst parts are the little things that I’ve taken for granted back home. Conveniences such as kitchens, laundry, driving a car, and a bit of privacy becomes quite noticeable after touring for a while. I also miss my family being so far away.

KZ: How often do you train in order to be Spider-Man?

S: Training and rehearsing are pretty much part of my lifestyle. I love to train in different ways including lifting, calisthenics, running, martial arts, and acrobatics. With touring it’s been more difficult to find a training routine but I try to get at least a few sessions every week.

KZ: What’s your favourite place you’ve visited on the Marvel Universe LIVE! Tour so far?

S: That’s a tough one to answer because there were so many amazing places in every city we’ve toured so far. One place that stands out to me though was the Necropolis in Glasgow. It was a great place to reflect back and also had an amazing view over the city.

KZ: What are you looking forward to seeing in Australia?

S: I’m very curious to see how different things in Australia might be compared to the U.S and U.K. I’ve never been to Australia and haven’t had much exposure to the culture beyond what’s portrayed in movies and television. Honestly, I’m not quite sure what to expect!

Marvel Universe LIVE! hits Adelaide in March 2020, and heads to Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney and Perth in April 2020. For more info, visit www.marveluniverselive.com!

Want to read more of my interview with Sam Lee, or just want more Marvel news? Grab the March issue of K-Zone, on sale now!