Hollywood Stuntman Extraordinaire
A tribute to the actors/actresses & stunt performers who performed many of the stunt work in tons of other movies and TV shows or Indie films in Hollywood from the early days to modern day.
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- Actor
- Stunts
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Robert F. Hoy was equally at home as a stuntman and as an actor. He appeared as Joe Butler on the acclaimed TV Western, The High Chaparral. He stunt-doubled for such actors as Charles Bronson, Tony Curtis, Robert Forrester, Ross Martin, Tyrone Power, David Jansen, and Telly Savalas. He appeared in such films as The Outlaw Josey Wales, The Lone Ranger, Gambler II, Nevada Smith, Bronco Billy, and The Enforcer, and on television in such programs as Wanted Dead or Alive, Walker Texas Ranger, JAG, Dallas (recurring role), The Wild Wild West, Magnum P.I. (five episodes), and The Young Riders. Aside from appearing in front of the cameras, he was the 2nd Unit Director and Stunt Coordinator in Spain on the TV series Zorro and on the pilot episode of The Three Musketeers.
In his work as a stuntman, Bob specialized in horse work, although he was also called upon to double in fight scenes, do car work and handle high falls. The films in which lead actors and others were doubled for stunts are too numerous to mention but include: Operation Petticoat, The Defiant Ones, Spartacus, Tobruk, They Call Me Bruce, River of No Return, To Hell and Back, Drumbeat, Wings of the Hawk, and Revenge of the Creature From the Black Lagoon.
He held lifetime membership in the Stuntmen's Association, of which he was a founding member. He was also a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts and Sciences, Directors Guild of America, AFTRA, and the Screen Actors Guild (later SAG-AFTRA).- Stunts
- Actor
- Additional Crew
- Stunts
- Actor
- Director
Colin Follenweider is known for Avengers: Endgame (2019), X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) and Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018). He is married to Marcie Dodd.- Director
- Stunts
- Actor
Charlie Picerni was born in Corona Queens, New York. The fourth of five children to Italian parents. After high school, he worked different jobs, one being construction work on high-rise buildings in Manhattan. He married, at a young age, his childhood girlfriend, Marie. He had a son after one year of marriage and decided he didn't want to work in construction, anymore. So, he headed west to try his luck in the movie business!
His brother, Paul Picerni, was an actor on a hit TV show at that time called The Untouchables (1959). Charlie worked as a stand-in, an extra and started doing stunt double work. Charlie immediately fell in love with this work and moved his family to California. Charlie excelled as a stuntman and then moved up to stunt-coordinating TV shows. He got his big break on Starsky and Hutch (1975), he was the stunt coordinator and Paul Michael Glaser's stunt double. Aaron Spelling and Duke Vincent saw what direction Charlie was heading in - Directing"!
He started second unit-directing Starsky and Hutch (1975) and then moved up to directing episodes of "Starsky". He continued stunt-coordinating and second unit-directing such shows as Kojak (1973) and Magnum, P.I. (1980). He then started directing television for producers Aaron Spelling, Leonard Goldberg and Stephen J. Cannell, for such shows as T.J. Hooker (1982), Matt Houston (1982), Vega$ (1978), Hardcastle and McCormick (1983), Hunter (1984), Stingray (1986), Finder of Lost Loves (1984), The A-Team (1983), J.J. Starbuck (1987), Spenser: For Hire (1985), Blue Thunder (1984), Gavilan (1982) and HBO's Tales from the Crypt (1989).
At that time, Charlie caught Warner Brothers producer Joel Silver's eye. Joel hired Charlie to stunt-coordinate Die Hard (1988). This led to second unit-directing and stunt-coordinating on the films, Die Hard 2 (1990), Road House (1989), Lethal Weapon 2 (1989) & Lethal Weapon 3 (1992), Hudson Hawk (1991), National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989), The Last Boy Scout (1991), Demolition Man (1993), Ghost (1990), Ricochet (1991), Basic Instinct (1992), A Low Down Dirty Shame (1994), True Romance (1993), 2 Days in the Valley (1996), 15 Minutes (2001) and many more. Charlie also, during this time, directed multiple episodes on a TV series, called Seven Days (1998), for Paramount studios.
Charlie also worked as an actor in many TV and film projects throughout his career. Realizing he wanted to further his career as a director, he studied at the "Beverly Hills Playhouse" in the Master class for two years. In 2007, he directed, produced and co-wrote a feature film entitled Three Days to Vegas (2007), starring Peter Falk, Rip Torn and George Segal. In 2010, Charlie directed Ayn Rand's play, "Night of January 16th", at the Odyssey Theatre to rave reviews! While continuing to work in all avenues of the motion picture business, he is developing and writing his own project called "Spaghetti Park", which he will produce and direct.
Charlie is a proud member of "The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences".- Stunts
- Actor
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Chuck Picerni's unique array of talents as a Director, 2nd Unit Director, and Stunt Coordinator/Action Expert has enable him to create, capture, and deliver the kind of action films audiences have been parking theaters to see for years! A driving force behind some of Hollywood's Top Blockbusters, his work has helped bring in over 3 billion in box office receipts. Chuck has been one of the industry's most exciting "Go To" creative forces. Chuck has been in the industry for over 36 years and there are no signs of him or his reputation that precedes him slowing down. Chuck's action career began as an elite stunt performer on the original series "Starsky and Hutch." Through his creative talent and vision, Chuck emerged as one of the most successful and sought after Director's and Stunt Coordinator of the industry. Chuck is able to fuse all elements of his filmmaking evolution to continually redefine the realm of possibility and generate his distinctive style of extraordinary action films. Chuck is represented by UTA (Mike Rubi) 310-273-6700.- Stunts
- Actor
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Steve Picerni is known for Bad Boys II (2003), Pearl Harbor (2001) and Deja Vu (2006). He is married to Katina.- Stunts
- Actor
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Big, brawny and imposing actor and stuntman Bob Minor was born on January 1st in 1944 in Birmingham, Alabama. The 6' 2" onetime champion bodybuilder (he's a former Mr. Los Angeles bodybuilding title holder) made his debut as a stuntman doubling for James Iglehart in Russ Meyer's delightfully outrageous Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (1970). Minor subsequently played "Barbados" in Meyer's Black Snake (1973). Minor's next significant big break was working as both an actor and stunt coordinator for Jack Hill on both Coffy (1973) and Foxy Brown (1974). Minor also acted for Jack Hill in The Swinging Cheerleaders (1974) and Switchblade Sisters (1975) (aka "Switchblade Sisters"). Minor went on to become the first black member of the Stuntman's Association of Motion Pictures in 1973. Six years later, Minor became the second vice-president of the Stuntman's Association of Motion Pictures. Among the many films Minor has performed stunts in are National Treasure (2004), Holes (2003), Ocean's Eleven (2001), The Italian Job (2003), Volcano (1997), Witness (1985), The Beastmaster (1982), The Sword and the Sorcerer (1982), Dr. Black, Mr. Hyde (1976), Let's Do It Again (1975), Rollerball (1975), Earthquake (1974), Cleopatra Jones (1973), Black Eye (1974), Detroit 9000 (1973) and Black Caesar (1973). Minor has doubled for such actors as Jim Brown, Fred Williamson, John Amos, Danny Glover, Bernie Mac, Sidney Poitier, Roger E. Mosley and Carl Weathers. He has also worked as both a second-unit director and stunt coordinator on many pictures and TV shows. Minor's most memorable acting roles are "Studs the chauffeur" in Coffy (1973), a black revolutionary in Foxy Brown (1974), a back-alley pimp in Scream Blacula Scream (1973), a rollerball team member in Rollerball (1975), "Wiley" in The Deep (1977), a stick-up man in The Driver (1978), Harold Sakata's brutal henchman in Death Dimension (1978) and a vicious hitman in Action Jackson (1988). Minor's TV show guest spots include a Klingon on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993), ER (1994), Walker, Texas Ranger (1993), L.A. Law (1986), Jake and the Fatman (1987), Alien Nation (1989), Matlock (1986), The Fall Guy (1981), Quincy M.E. (1976), Starsky and Hutch (1975), Wonder Woman (1975), Eight Is Enough (1977), The Fall Guy (1981), The Greatest American Hero (1981) and The Six Million Dollar Man (1974). Minor was the stunt coordinator for the hit TV show Magnum, P.I. (1980) for six years and directed second unit on the show, as well. The film Bob Minor is proudest of is Glory (1989), in which he employed 70 some people to perform stunts in the picture.- Stunts
- Actor
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Buddy Joe Hooker was born on 30 May 1942 in Vallejo, California, USA. He is an actor and assistant director, known for Grindhouse (2007), Hard to Kill (1990) and Rules of Engagement (2000). He has been married to Gayle Hooker since 3 November 1990. They have two children.- Stunts
- Actor
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
One of the modern US cinema's greatest stuntmen and stunt innovators, Dar Robinson only appeared in a relatively small number of films compared to other stuntmen (before losing his life in an off-set motorcycle accident); however, he set new benchmarks in stunt performances.
Robinson first appeared onscreen doubling for Steve McQueen jumping into the sea off a clifftop in Papillon (1973), and the following year leapt into the sea again on a motorbike doubling for crooked cop David Soul in Magnum Force (1973). Robinson also doubled for Henry Silva in the dramatic conclusion to Sharky's Machine (1981) where Silva's hitman character is blasted by cop Burt Reynolds through a plate glass window and falls to his death from an Atlanta, Georgia, skyscraper. In reality, Robinson took the dive out the window and landed an on an airbag many floors below to break his fall!
Dar was a high-fall specialist and one of his most amazing stunts was doubling for Christopher Plummer at the conclusion of Highpoint (1982) where the villain falls from the 1,170-foot-high CN Tower in Toronto, Canada. Once again, Dar took the plunge with a concealed parachute, which he opened at the absolute last moment, and he earned $150,000 for his work. Robinson also appeared in several minor acting roles onscreen; however, in 1987, Burt Reynolds backed his faith in Dar by casting him as the sadistic albino villain "Moke" in the crime thriller Stick (1985). Not only did Dar act in front of the camera but he also designed and performed the incredible stunt where "Moke" falls to his death from a very high balcony, seemingly straight onto the pavement below. In actual fact, Dar was rigged to a complex wire rig that "deccelerated" his fall, and made the use of an airbag unnecessary.
Dar Robinson was much loved by many people in Hollywood and his tragic passing meant the movie business lost a stunt genius and many people lost a sincere friend. Director Richard Donner dedicated his high voltage action film Lethal Weapon (1987) to Dar's memory!- Stunts
- Actor
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Eddie Hice was born on 1 March 1930 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He was an actor and assistant director, known for They Live (1988), Escape from New York (1981) and Repo Man (1984). He was married to Dianne L. Wilson and Patty Elder. He died on 12 March 2015 in Sylmar, California, USA.- Stunts
- Actor
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Stunts
- Actor
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Starting out as a rodeo cowboy and then becoming a stuntman in silent westerns, Yakima Canutt later doubled for such stars as Clark Gable and John Wayne, among others, in such dangerous activities as jumping off the top of a cliff on horseback, leaping from a stagecoach onto its runaway team, being "shot" off a horse at full gallop and other such potentially life-threatening activities. He became expert at staging massive events involving livestock, such as cattle stampedes and covered-wagon races, as well as Indians-vs.-cavalry battles on a grand scale. Canutt's most noteworthy achievement as a second-unit director came in his staging and direction of the chariot-race sequence in William Wyler 's Ben-Hur (1959)--which, from initial planning to final execution, took two years.- Actor
- Stunts
- Additional Crew
Cowboy actor Buddy Roosevelt was born Kenneth Stanhope Sanderson in Meeker, Colorado, in 1898. His parents were emigrants from England, and at age 16 Kenneth got a job with the C.B. Irwin WIld West Show. When the show traveled to Southern California in 1914, the young Sanderson learned that stunt work in the burgeoning film industry paid much better, and was quite a bit safer, than busting broncs and the kind of roping, trick riding and other hard and dangerous tasks required of a Wild West show performer, and he soon got a job doing stunts in westerns for pioneering producer Thomas H. Ince at his Inceville studio, and often performed as a stunt double for William S. Hart. When the US entered World War I in 1917 Roosevelt enlisted in the Navy and was aboard the USS Norfolk when it was sunk. As if that wasn't enough, he contracted the Spanish flu during the 1918 influenza pandemic that killed millions worldwide, but he managed to survive both the sinking and the flu and returned to Hollywood at war's end.
Going back to stunt work, he was the stunt double for matinee idol Rudolph Valentino in The Sheik (1921), the picture that made Valentino a star. After more stunt work and small parts in a few films, Sanderson was hired by shoestring producer Lester F. Scott Jr. to star in a series of low-budget westerns. Scott didn't think that "Kenneth Sanderson" was enough of a cowboy name so he changed it to Buddy Roosevelt. The newly renamed cowboy actor made Rough Ridin' (1924) for Scott, the first of 25 that Roosevelt would make for him. Budgets for these pictures were usually less than $25,000--a paltry sum even for the early 1920s--but Scott had the sense to hire veteran supporting characters and efficient directors like a young Richard Thorpe (later to become a mainstay at prestigious MGM) and the pictures proved popular and made money. Unfortunately for Roosevelt, however, Scott signed two more cowboy actors, Jay Wilsey and Hal Taliaferro, which meant that the low budgets on Roosevelt's films got even lower.
In 1928 Roosevelt left Scott for another "B" outfit, Rayart Pictures, but the films he made for that company weren't much of an improvement over his Scott opuses (and in many cases were even worse). After a half-dozen of Rayart's "extravaganzas", Roosevelt managed to get a good role in a big picture for a major studio--The Cisco Kid in In Old Arizona (1928) for Fox. As luck would have it, though, Roosevelt broke his leg shortly before filming was to start. He was replaced by Warner Baxter, who went on to win an Academy Award for the part, which started him on a long and distinguished career. Buddy, on the other hand, went back to making "B" (and even lower-grade) horse operas. He signed with cheapjack producer/director Jack Irwin for a trio of oaters that were barely released. Irwin ran out of money on the third of this trio, "Valley of Bad Men"--which was apparently NEVER released--and Roosevelt was once again out of a job. He did some stunt work and got some small parts in small films, and eventually signed with low-rent specialist Victor Adamson (aka Denver Dixon) for a series of extremely low-budget westerns for Adamson's Superior Talking Pictures outfit. Supposedly shot in only a few days on budgets that were so low that Superior could only afford to pay Roosevelt $250 for each one, these films have gained a reputation for incoherence, ineptness and cheapness that few others have achieved, even to this day.
These pictures finished Buddy Roosevelt's career as a "star", but he still remained active in the business, doing stunt work and appearing in small parts and bit roles until he retired after making his last film, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962), in 1962. He died in his home town of Meeker, Colorado, on October 6, 1973.- Stunts
- Actor
- Additional Crew
Buddy Sosthand was born on 29 March 1971 in Great Falls, Montana, USA. He is an actor, known for Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006), Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018) and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007).- Producer
- Actor
- Stunts
Hong Kong's cheeky, lovable and best-known film star, Jackie Chan endured many years of long, hard work and multiple injuries to establish international success after his start in Hong Kong's manic martial arts cinema industry.
Jackie was born Kong-sang Chan on April 7, 1954, on Hong Kong's famous Victoria Peak, to Charles and Lee-Lee Chan, and the family immigrated to Canberra, Australia, in early 1960. The young Jackie was less than successful scholastically, so his father sent him back to Hong Kong to attend the rigorous China Drama Academy, one of the Peking Opera schools. Chan excelled at acrobatics, singing and martial arts and eventually became a member of the "Seven Little Fortunes" performing troupe and began lifelong friendships with fellow martial artists / actors Sammo Kam-Bo Hung and Biao Yuen. Chan journeyed back and forth to visit his parents and work in Canberra, but eventually he made his way back to Hong Kong as his permanent home. In the early 1970s, Chan commenced his movie career and interestingly appeared in very minor roles in two films starring then rising martial arts superstar Bruce Lee: Fist of Fury (1972) (aka "The Chinese Connection"), and the Warner Bros. production Enter the Dragon (1973). Not long after Lee's untimely death, Chan was often cast in films cashing in on the success of Bruce Lee by utilizing words like "fist", "fury" or "dragon" in their US release titles.
Chan's own film career was off and running and he swiftly appeared in many low-budget martial arts films that were churned out at a rapid-fire pace by Hong Kong studios eager to satisfy the early 1970s boom in martial-arts cinema. He starred in Shaolin Wooden Men (1976), To Kill with Intrigue (1977), Half a Loaf of Kung Fu (1978) and Magnificent Bodyguards (1978), which all fared reasonably well at the cinemas. However, he scored a major breakthrough with the action comedy Drunken Master (1978), which has become a cult favorite among martial arts film fans. Not too long after this, Chan made his directorial debut with The Young Master (1980) and then "Enter the Dragon" producer Robert Clouse lured Jackie to the United States for a film planned to break Jackie into the lucrative US market. Battle Creek Brawl (1980) featured Jackie competing in a "toughest Street fighter" contest set in 1940s Texas; however, Jackie was unhappy with the end result, and it failed to fire with US audiences. In a further attempt to get his name known in the United States, Jackie was cast alongside Burt Reynolds, Sir Roger Moore and Dean Martin in the Hal Needham-directed car chase film The Cannonball Run (1981). Regrettably, Jackie was cast as a Japanese race driver and his martial arts skills are only shown in one small sequence near the film's conclusion. Stateside success was still a few years away for Jackie Chan!
Undeterred, he returned to East Asia to do what he did best--make jaw-dropping action films loaded with amazing stunt work. Chan and his legendary stunt team were without parallel in their ability to execute the most incredible fight scenes and action sequences, and the next decade would see some of their best work. Chan paired with the dynamic Sammo Kam-Bo Hung to star in Winners & Sinners (1983), Project A (1983), Wheels on Meals (1984), My Lucky Stars (1985) (aka "Winners & Sinners 2"), Twinkle Twinkle Lucky Stars (1985) (aka "Winners & Sinners 3"). Chan then journeyed back to the United States for another shot at that market, starring alongside Danny Aiello in The Protector (1985), filmed in Hong Kong and New York. However, as with previous attempts, Jackie felt the US director--in this case, James Glickenhaus--failed to understand his audience appeal and the film played to lukewarm reviews and box-office receipts. However, Jackie did decide to "harden" up his on-screen image somewhat and his next film, Police Story (1985) was a definite departure from previously light-hearted martial arts fare, and his fans loved the final product!
This was quickly followed up with the Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)-influenced Armour of God (1986), during filming of which Jackie mistimed a leap from a wall to a tree on location in Yugoslavia and fell many quite a few feet onto his head, causing a skull fracture. It was another in a long line of injuries that Chan has suffered as a result of doing his own stunt work, and he was soon back in front of the cameras. Project A 2 (1987), Police Story 2 (1988), Miracles: The Canton Godfather (1989) (aka "Mr. Canton and Lady Rose)", Armour of God 2: Operation Condor (1991) (aka "Armour of God 2") and Supercop (1992) (aka "Police Story 3") were all sizable hits for Jackie, escalating his status to phenomenal heights in Asia, and to his loyal fanbase around the globe. US success was now just around the corner for the hard-working Jackie Chan, and it arrived in the form of the action film Rumble in the Bronx (1995) (though it was actually filmed in Canada) that successfully blended humor and action to make a winning formula in US theaters.
Jackie did not waste any time and went to work on First Strike (1996) (aka "Police Story 4"), Mr. Nice Guy (1997), Who Am I? (1998), which all met with positive results at the international box office. Jackie then went to work in his biggest-budget US production, starring alongside fast-talking comedian Chris Tucker in the action comedy Rush Hour (1998). The film was a bigger hit than "Rumble in the Bronx" and firmly established Jackie as a bona fide star in the United States. Jackie then paired up with rising talent Owen Wilson to star in Shanghai Noon (2000) and its sequel, Shanghai Knights (2003), and re-teamed with Tucker in Rush Hour 2 (2001), as well as starring in The Tuxedo (2002), The Medallion (2003) and the delightful Around the World in 80 Days (2004). Not one to forget his loyal fanbase, Jackie returned to more gritty and traditional fare with New Police Story (2004) and The Myth (2005). The multi-talented Chan (he is also a major recording star in Asia) shows no sign of slowing down and has long since moved out of the shadow of Bruce Lee, to whom he was usually compared early in his career.
Chan is truly one of the international film industry's true maverick actor / director / stuntman / producer combinations - he has done this the hard way, and always his way to achieve his dreams and goals to be an international cinematic star. Off screen, he has been directly involved in many philanthropic ventures providing financial assistance to schools and universities around the world. He is a UNICEF GoodWill Ambassador, and he has campaigned against animal abuse and pollution and assisted with disaster relief efforts to the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami victims.- Stunts
- Actor
Dean Smith was raised in Eliasville, Texas, and later lived in Breckenridge, Texas, where he raised horses and longhorn cattle. He attended the University of Texas at Austin where he competed in track and football. He won an Olympic gold medal for the 400-meter relay in the 1952 Helsinki games and finished fourth in the 100-dash in the closest race in Olympic history. He was the lead-off man on the University of Texas world record relay team, 1954-55, and AAU national champion in the 100-meter dash. He played with the Los Angeles Rams during exhibition season and was traded to the Pittsburg Steelers at which time he decided to enter the movie business. He also won amateur rodeo championships for bareback bronco riding and calf roping.
He was an honorary member of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, was inducted into the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame (2006), the Texas Sports Hall of Fame (1985), Stuntman's Hall of Fame (1980), and the University of Texas Hall of Fame (1980). He was awarded the American Culture Award for Western Movies and Television (2000), the Golden Boot Award in 1998, the Ben Johnson Award in 1993, the All American Cowboy Award in 1997, and the Head of the Class Alvin Davis Award in 2002.
In 2002, he organized the Dean Smith Celebrity Rodeo benefiting the Cowboy Cancer Crusade tribute to Ben Johnson, the Dean Smith Celebrity Rodeo benefiting the John Wayne Cancer Institute honoring John Wayne and, in 2006, the Dean Smith Celebrity Rodeo benefiting the John Wayne Cancer Institute honoring The Singing Cowboys in Abilene, Texas, the third weekend in October. On April 8, 2006, the John Wayne Cancer Institute honored him with the "Duke Award" for his contributions to cancer research.
In 2023, Dean Smith died of cancer, aged 91, in Breckenridge, Texas.- Stunts
- Actor
- Producer
Stuntman Bob Yerkes was born Brayton Walter Yerkes on February 11, 1932 in Los Angeles County, California. Yerkes started tumbling down at Santa Monica Muscle Beach at age eleven and ran away from home to join the Clyde Beatty Circus as part of an acrobatic act at age fifteen. Bob began performing stunts in movies upon returning to Los Angeles in the late 1940's. His career as a stuntman encompasses several decades. Among the notable people that Yerkes has doubled for are Paul Newman, Robert Duvall, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Christopher Lloyd, and Della Reese. Moreover, Bob also taught many celebrities circus acts for various "Circus of the Stars" TV specials throughout the 1980's as well as has trained numerous stunt performers in the backyard of his home in Los Angeles, California.- Stunts
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Director
Gregg Smrz is known for Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation (2015), Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011) and Knight and Day (2010).- Stunts
- Actor
Brett Smrz was born on 28 February 1991. He is an actor, known for 6 Underground (2019), Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (2023) and Ferrari (2023).- Stunts
- Actor
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Prolific American stunt man and occasional small part actor, formerly billed as Wayne Van Horn. The son of a veterinarian who ministered to animals at Universal studios, he first worked as a horse wrangler following a stint in the U.S. Army. This earlier expertise as a rider served him well after he joined his brother Jimmy in Hollywood. Van Horn's riding skills were showcased in many westerns of the 50s and 60s. He frequently doubled for Guy Williams on Disney's popular TV series Zorro (1957). Equally adept at fencing and fight scenes, Van Horn also made his mark in epic swashbucklers like Spartacus (1960) and The War Lord (1965). Major stars he doubled for have included Gregory Peck (Mackenna's Gold (1969) ), James Stewart (Firecreek (1968)]) and Henry Fonda ([The Cheyenne Social Club (1970)]). He was latterly best known as a long-standing collaborator of Clint Eastwood in the capacities of stunt double and stunt coordinator (The Enforcer (1976), The Gauntlet (1977), Sudden Impact (1983)), director (Any Which Way You Can (1980), The Dead Pool (1988), and Pink Cadillac (1989)) and second-unit director (Magnum Force (1973), The Rookie (1990), Pale Rider (1985) etc.). Van Horn was an inductee into the Stuntmen's Hall of Fame and a recipient of the Taurus Lifetime Achievement Stunt Award .- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Clinton Eastwood Jr. was born May 31, 1930 in San Francisco, to Clinton Eastwood Sr., a bond salesman and later manufacturing executive for Georgia-Pacific Corporation, and Ruth Wood (née Margret Ruth Runner), a housewife turned IBM clerk. He grew up in nearby Piedmont. At school Clint took interest in music and mechanics, but was an otherwise bored student; this resulted in being held back a grade. In 1949, the year he is said to have graduated from high school, his parents and younger sister Jeanne moved to Seattle. Clint spent a couple years in the Pacific Northwest himself, operating log broncs in Springfield, Oregon, with summer gigs life-guarding in Renton, Washington. Returning to California in 1951, he did a two-year stint at Fort Ord Military Reservation and later enrolled at L.A. City College, but dropped out to pursue acting.
During the mid-1950s he landed uncredited bit parts in such B-films as Revenge of the Creature (1955) and Tarantula (1955) while digging swimming pools and driving a garbage truck to supplement his income. In 1958, he landed his first consequential acting role in the long-running TV show Rawhide (1959) with Eric Fleming. Although only a secondary player the first seven seasons, he was promoted to series star when Fleming departed--both literally and figuratively--in its final year, along the way becoming a recognizable face to television viewers around the country.
Eastwood's big-screen breakthrough came as The Man with No Name in Sergio Leone's trilogy of excellent spaghetti westerns: A Fistful of Dollars (1964), For a Few Dollars More (1965), and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966). The movies were shown exclusively in Italy during their respective copyright years with Enrico Maria Salerno providing the voice of Eastwood's character, finally getting American distribution in 1967-68. As the last film racked up respectable grosses, Eastwood, 37, rose from a barely registering actor to sought-after commodity in just a matter of months. Again a success was the late-blooming star's first U.S.-made western, Hang 'Em High (1968). He followed that up with the lead role in Coogan's Bluff (1968) (the loose inspiration for the TV series McCloud (1970)), before playing second fiddle to Richard Burton in the World War II epic Where Eagles Dare (1968) and Lee Marvin in the bizarre musical Paint Your Wagon (1969). In Two Mules for Sister Sara (1970) and Kelly's Heroes (1970), Eastwood leaned in an experimental direction by combining tough-guy action with offbeat humor.
1971 proved to be his busiest year in film. He starred as a sleazy Union soldier in The Beguiled (1971) to critical acclaim, and made his directorial debut with the classic erotic thriller Play Misty for Me (1971). His role as the hard edge police inspector in Dirty Harry (1971), meanwhile, boosted him to cultural icon status and helped popularize the loose-cannon cop genre. Eastwood put out a steady stream of entertaining movies thereafter: the westerns Joe Kidd (1972), High Plains Drifter (1973) and The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976) (his first of six onscreen collaborations with then live-in love Sondra Locke), the Dirty Harry sequels Magnum Force (1973) and The Enforcer (1976), the action-packed road adventures Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974) and The Gauntlet (1977), and the prison film Escape from Alcatraz (1979). He branched out into the comedy genre in 1978 with Every Which Way But Loose (1978), which became the biggest hit of his career up to that time; taking inflation into account, it still is. In short, The Eiger Sanction (1975) notwithstanding, the 1970s were nonstop success for Eastwood.
Eastwood kicked off the 1980s with Any Which Way You Can (1980), the blockbuster sequel to Every Which Way but Loose. The fourth Dirty Harry film, Sudden Impact (1983), was the highest-grossing film of the franchise and spawned his trademark catchphrase: "Make my day." He also starred in Bronco Billy (1980), Firefox (1982), Tightrope (1984), City Heat (1984), Pale Rider (1985) and Heartbreak Ridge (1986), all of which were solid hits, with Honkytonk Man (1982) being his only commercial failure of the period. In 1988, he did his fifth and final Dirty Harry movie, The Dead Pool (1988). Although it was a success overall, it did not have the box office punch the previous films had. About this time, with outright bombs like Pink Cadillac (1989) and The Rookie (1990), it seemed Eastwood's star was declining as it never had before. He then started taking on low-key projects, directing Bird (1988), a biopic of Charlie Parker that earned him a Golden Globe, and starring in and directing White Hunter Black Heart (1990), an uneven, loose biopic of John Huston (both films had a limited release).
Eastwood bounced back big time with his dark western Unforgiven (1992), which garnered the then 62-year-old his first ever Academy Award nomination (Best Actor), and an Oscar win for Best Director. Churning out a quick follow-up hit, he took on the secret service in In the Line of Fire (1993), then accepted second billing for the first time since 1970 in the interesting but poorly received A Perfect World (1993) with Kevin Costner. Next was a love story, The Bridges of Madison County (1995), where Eastwood surprised audiences with a sensitive performance alongside none other than Meryl Streep. But it soon became apparent he was going backwards after his brief revival. Subsequent films were credible, but nothing really stuck out. Absolute Power (1997) and Space Cowboys (2000) did well enough, while True Crime (1999) and Blood Work (2002) were received badly, as was Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1997), which he directed but didn't appear in.
Eastwood surprised again in the mid-2000s, returning to the top of the A-list with Million Dollar Baby (2004). Also starring Hilary Swank and Morgan Freeman, the hugely successful drama won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director for Eastwood. He scored his second Best Actor nomination, too. His next starring vehicle, Gran Torino (2008), earned almost $30 million in its opening weekend and was his highest grosser unadjusted for inflation. 2012 saw him in a rare lighthearted movie, Trouble with the Curve (2012), as well as a reality show, Mrs. Eastwood & Company (2012).
Between acting jobs, he chalked up an impressive list of credits behind the camera. He directed Mystic River (2003) (in which Sean Penn and Tim Robbins gave Oscar-winning performances), Flags of Our Fathers (2006), Letters from Iwo Jima (2006) (nominated for the Best Picture Oscar), Changeling (2008) (a vehicle for Angelina Jolie), Invictus (2009) (again with Freeman), Hereafter (2010), J. Edgar (2011), Jersey Boys (2014), American Sniper (2014) (2014's top box office champ), Sully (2016) (starring Tom Hanks as hero pilot Chesley Sullenberger) and The 15:17 to Paris (2018). Back on screens after a considerable absence, he played an unlikely drug courier in The Mule (2018), which reached the top of the box office with a nine-figure gross, then directed Richard Jewell (2019). At age 91, Eastwood made history as the oldest actor to star above the title in a movie with the release of Cry Macho (2021).
Away from the limelight, Eastwood has led an aberrant existence and is described by biographer Patrick McGilligan as a cunning manipulator of the media. His convoluted slew of partners and children are now somewhat factually acknowledged, but for the first three decades of his celebrity, his personal life was kept top secret, and several of his families were left out of the official narrative. The actor refuses to disclose his exact number of offspring even to this day. He had a longtime relationship with similarly abstruse co-star Locke (who died aged 74 in 2018, though for her entire public life she masqueraded about being younger), and has fathered at least eight children by at least six different women in an unending string of liaisons, many of which overlapped. He has been married only twice, however, with a mere three of his progeny coming from those unions.
His known children are: Laurie Murray (b. 1954), whose mother is unidentified; Kimber Eastwood (b. 1964) with stuntwoman Roxanne Tunis; Kyle Eastwood (b. 1968) and Alison Eastwood (b. 1972) with his first ex-wife, Margaret Neville Johnson; Scott Eastwood (b. 1986) and Kathryn Eastwood (b. 1988) with stewardess Jacelyn Reeves; Francesca Eastwood (b. 1993) with actress Frances Fisher; and Morgan Eastwood (b. 1996) with his second ex-wife, Dina Eastwood. The entire time that he lived with Locke she was legally married to sculptor Gordon Anderson.
Eastwood has real estate holdings in Bel-Air, La Quinta, Carmel-by-the-Sea, Cassel (in remote northern California), Idaho's Sun Valley and Kihei, Hawaii.- Actor
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- Director
Joseph Frank Keaton was born on October 4, 1895 in Piqua, Kansas, to Joe Keaton and Myra Keaton. Joe and Myra were Vaudevillian comedians with a popular, ever-changing variety act, giving Keaton an eclectic and interesting upbringing. In the earliest days on stage, they traveled with a medicine show that included family friend, illusionist Harry Houdini. Keaton himself verified the origin of his nickname "Buster", given to him by Houdini, when at the age of three, fell down a flight of stairs and was picked up and dusted off by Houdini, who said to Keaton's father Joe, also nearby, that the fall was 'a buster'. Savvy showman Joe Keaton liked the nickname, which has stuck for more than 100 years.
At the age of four, Keaton had already begun acting with his parents on the stage. Their act soon gained the reputation as one of the roughest in the country, for their wild, physical antics on stage. It was normal for Joe to throw Buster around the stage, participate in elaborate, dangerous stunts to the reverie of audiences. After several years on the Vaudeville circuit, "The Three Keatons", toured until Keaton had to break up the act due to his father's increasing alcohol dependence, making him a show business veteran by the age of 21.
While in New York looking for work, a chance run-in with the wildly successful film star and director Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle, resulted in Arbuckle inviting him to be in his upcoming short The Butcher Boy (1917), an appearance that launched Keaton's film career, and spawned a friendship that lasted until Arbuckle's sudden death in 1933. By 1920, after making several successful shorts together, Arbuckle moved on to features, and Keaton inherited his studio, allowing him the opportunity to begin producing his own films. By September 1921, tragedy touched Arbuckle's life by way of a scandal, where he was tried three times for the murder of Virginia Rapp. Although he was not guilty of the charges, and never convicted, he was unable to regain his status, and the viewing public would no longer tolerate his presence in film. Keaton stood by his friend and mentor through out the incident, supporting him financially, finding him directorial work, even risking his own budding reputation offering to testify on Arbuckle's behalf.
In 1921, Keaton also married his first wife, Natalie Talmadge under unusual circumstance that have never been fully clarified. Popular conjecture states that he was encouraged by Joseph M. Schenck to marry into the powerful Talmadge dynasty, that he himself was already a part of. The union bore Keaton two sons. Keaton's independent shorts soon became too limiting for the growing star, and after a string of popular films like One Week (1920), The Boat (1921) and Cops (1922), Keaton made the transition into feature films. His first feature, Three Ages (1923), was produced similarly to his short films, and was the dawning of a new era in comedic cinema, where it became apparent to Keaton that he had to put more focus on the story lines and characterization.
At the height of his popularity, he was making two features a year, and followed Ages with Our Hospitality (1923), The Navigator (1924) and The General (1926), the latter two he regarded as his best films. The most renowned of Keaton's comedies is Sherlock Jr. (1924), which used cutting edge special effects that received mixed reviews as critics and audiences alike had never seen anything like it, and did not know what to make of it. Modern day film scholars liken the story and effects to Christopher Nolan Inception (2010), for its high level concept and ground-breaking execution. Keaton's Civil War epic The General (1926) kept up his momentum when he gave audiences the biggest and most expensive sequence ever seen in film at the time. At its climax, a bridge collapses while a train is passing over it, sending the train into a river. This wowed audiences, but did little for its long-term financial success. Audiences did not respond well to the film, disliking the higher level of drama over comedy, and the main character being a Confederate soldier.
After a few more silent features, including College (1927) and Steamboat Bill, Jr. (1928), Keaton was informed that his contract had been sold to MGM, by brother-in-law and producer Joseph M. Schenck. Keaton regarded the incident as the worst professional mistake he ever made, as it sent his career, legacy, and personal life into a vicious downward spiral for many years. His first film with MGM was The Cameraman (1928), which is regarded as one of his best silent comedies, but the release signified the loss of control Keaton would incur, never again regaining his film -making independence. He made one more silent film at MGM entitled Spite Marriage (1929) before the sound era arrived.
His first appearance in a film with sound was with the ensemble piece The Hollywood Revue of 1929 (1929), though despite the popularity of it and his previous MGM silents, MGM never allowed Keaton his own production unit, and increasingly reduced his creative control over his films. By 1932, his marriage to Natalie Talmadge had dissolved when she sued him for divorce, and in an effort to placate her, put up little resistance. This resulted in the loss of the home he had built for his family nicknamed "The Italian Villa", the bulk of his assets, and contact with his children. Natalie changed their last names from Keaton to Talmadge, and they were disallowed from speaking about their father or seeing him. About 10 years later, when they became of age, they rekindled the relationship with Keaton. His hardships in his professional and private life that had been slowly taking their toll, begun to culminate by the early 1930s resulting in his own dependence on alcohol, and sometimes violent and erratic behavior. Depressed, penniless, and out of control, he was fired by MGM by 1933, and became a full-fledged alcoholic.
After spending time in hospitals to attempt and treat his alcoholism, he met second wife Mae Scrivens, a nurse, and married her hastily in Mexico, only to end in divorce by 1935. After his firing, he made several low-budget shorts for Educational Pictures, and spent the next several years of his life fading out of public favor, and finding work where he could. His career was slightly reinvigorated when he produced the short Grand Slam Opera (1936), which many of his fans admire for giving such a good performance during the most difficult and unmanageable years of his life.
In 1940, he met and married his third wife Eleanor Norris, who was deeply devoted to him, and remained his constant companion and partner until Keaton's death. After several more years of hardship working as an uncredited, underpaid gag man for comedians such as the Marx Brothers, he was consulted on how to do a realistic and comedic fall for In the Good Old Summertime (1949) in which an expensive violin is destroyed. Finding no one who could do this better than him, he was given a minor role in the film. His presence reignited interest in his silent films, which lead to interviews, television appearances, film roles, and world tours that kept him busy for the rest of his life.
After several more film, television, and stage appearances through the 1960s, he wrote the autobiography "My Wonderful World of Slapstick", having completed nearly 150 films in the span of his ground-breaking career. His last film appearance was A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1966) which premiered seven months after Keaton's death from the rapid onset of lung cancer. Since his death, Keaton's legacy is being discovered by new generations of viewers every day, many of his films are available on YouTube, DVD and Blu-ray, where he, like all gold-gilded and beloved entertainers can live forever.- Stunts
- Producer
- Actor
He came from a kick-boxing background; he entered the film field as a stunt performer at the age of 24. Before that, he worked as an instructor at the Inosanto Martial Arts Academy in California, teaching Jeet Kune Do/Jun Fan. After doing numerous roles in low budget martial art movies like Mission of Justice (1992) and Bloodsport III (1996) his first start as a stunt double came from the movie The Crow (1994) for doubling late Brandon Lee whom he trained with at the Inosanto Academy. After Brandon Lee's lethal accident Chad was picked for his stunt/photo double because he knew Lee, how he moved, and looked more like him than any other stuntman.
His greatest break as a stunt man came when he hooked up with Keanu Reeves on The Matrix (1999). He worked as martial arts stunt coordinator in its following sequels and doubled Keanu Reeves for extreme shots. He also formed a company called Smashcut with his stunt colleagues which was responsible for cool stunts in some of the greatest movies and series.
After a ten year in the film world he continued to give his best as a stunt coordinator and stunt performer.- Stunts
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Actor
He was a stuntman for over 30 years having left school at14 and started working with his father and the intention of being jockey riding point to point but he grew too big. As he was interested in films stuntman jimmy Lodge got him a job working with the horses on the film Arabesque, Some years down the line having become a professional stuntman he was in the Bond film You Only Live Twice in which he slid down a rope one handed while firing a machine gun with the other,- Stunts
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Director
Craig Baxley is a third-generation filmmaker. After starting his career in front of the camera, working his way up as a successful stunt coordinator and second unit director on films like Predator (1987), Reds (1981), The Long Riders (1980) and The Warriors (1979) (with such talented directors as Don Siegel, Alan J. Pakula, Warren Beatty, Norman Jewison, Walter Hill and Steven Spielberg), he transitioned making his directorial debut on the acclaimed hit series The A-Team (1983). His first feature film as a director was Action Jackson (1988) for Joel Silver and was the beginning of a very diverse career working in many genres. He later went on to direct Dark Angel (1990) (a.k.a. "I Come In Peace") starring Dolph Lundgren, Stone Cold and a number of mini-series, including Stephen King's Storm of the Century (1999), Rose Red (2002), The Triangle (2005), The Lost Room (2006) and King's television series Kingdom Hospital (2004), on which he directed every episode of the series.- Stunts
- Actor
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Craig Baxley Jr. is known for Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire (2023), R.I.P.D. (2013) and Captain America: The First Avenger (2011).- Stunts
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Actor
Paul Baxley was born in Casper Wyoming in 1923. Growing up in Los Angeles, he went on to become an all-city quarterback and track star at Eagle Rock High.
A Marine, a Scout and Sniper in the 4th Division in World War II, he fought on Kwajalein (Roi-namur), Iwo Jima, Saipan and Tinian. He received Two Purple Hearts, a Bronze Star, and a letter of commendation from the President of the United States. Taught briefly on Paris Island after the war.
After the War, he went back to college and became an all-American quarterback. Afterwhich he met Richard Talmadge, who at the time, was the most successful Stunt Coordinator in the motion picture business. Along with Dick and Davey Sharp, the threesome were probably the best all around athletes the industry had ever known. His movie star looks were an obvious fit for doubling some of the biggest stars in Hollywood, among them James Dean, Alan Ladd and Marlon Brando. After working together, he and Marlon became best friends and remained so until Marlon passed away in 2004.
Continuing as one of the most successful Stunt Coordinators and Second Unit director through the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s, he also directed several episodes of T.H.E. Cat and The Dukes of Hazzard. Later in his career he enjoyed working as his son's Stunt Coodinator and Second Unit director.- Stunts
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Actor
- Stunts
- Actor
John Epper was born on 6 May 1906 in Switzerland. He was an actor, known for Temple Houston (1963) and The Big Valley (1965). He died on 3 December 1992 in Santa Clarita, California, USA.- Stunts
- Actress
Jeannie Epper was born on 27 January 1941 in Simi Valley, California, USA. She was an actress, known for Romancing the Stone (1984), Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004) and Quarantine (2008). She was married to Tim Kimack. She died on 5 May 2024 in Simi Valley, California, USA.- Actress
- Stunts
- Additional Crew
Born in 1935, Margo Epper, a stocky actress, made her career as a Hollywood body double and was used frequently, in various films. In 1959, the 24-year-old Epper was hired by the master of suspense Alfred Hitchcock to be a body double in his new thriller "Psycho." In the film, Epper posed as the supposedly still-alive Mrs. Norma Bates. Epper was seen whenever Mrs. Bates is seen in her bedroom window, and during the famous shower scene, in which the leading lady Marion Crane (played by actress Janet Leigh) was murdered. In the shower scene, however, Epper was not used in the entire scene, but only for a brief moment. Margo played Mrs. Bates as she is seen creeping into the bathroom, unknown to Marion, and rips open the shower curtain. During the rest of the shower scene, an actress named Anne Dore was used as "Mother". After "Psycho" was released, Margo made a guest appearance as The Boston Strong Girl's Mother Wrestler in the 23rd episode of the 6th season of "The Beverly Hillbillies" in the episode entitled 'The Great Tag-Team Match'. The last piece of film work Epper ever did was playing the role of a whore, in the 1972 Paul Newman film "The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean."- Stunts
- Actor
- Additional Crew
Gary Epper was born on 31 December 1944 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He was an actor, known for Jurassic Park (1993), Broken Arrow (1996) and They Live (1988). He died on 1 December 2007 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- Andy Epper was born on 9 December 1943. He was an actor, known for Star Trek: First Contact (1996), Die Hard (1988) and The Mask (1994). He died on 9 June 2010 in California, USA.
- Stunts
- Actor
- Stunts
- Actor
Richard Epper was born in 1957. He is an actor, known for Black Panther (2018), Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) and 6 Underground (2019).- Stunts
- Actor
Hal Burton was born on 14 June 1942 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He is an actor, known for Iron Man (2008), Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991) and The Fugitive (1993).- Stunts
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Actor
- Stunts
- Actor
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
William H. Burton Jr. is known for Star Trek: First Contact (1996), Grosse Pointe Blank (1997) and Face/Off (1997).- Bob Woodward was born on 5 March 1909 in Kiowa, Oklahoma, USA. He was an actor, known for The Adventures of Kit Carson (1951), The Range Rider (1951) and The Fighting Texan (1937). He was married to Diana Mack. He died on 7 February 1972 in Granada Hills, California, USA.
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Stunts
- Actor
Greg Rementer was born in Havertown, Pennsylvania, USA. Greg is an assistant director and actor, known for Bullet Train (2022), Nobody (2021) and Avengers: Endgame (2019).- Stunts
- Actor
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Gary Davis was born on 11 September 1951 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He is an actor and assistant director, known for Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), Against All Odds (1984) and The Amazing Spider-Man (2012).- Stunts
- Actor
Jalil Jay Lynch is known for F9: The Fast Saga (2021), Black Panther (2018) and Captain America: Civil War (2016).- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Born in Burchard, Nebraska, USA to Elizabeth Fraser and J. Darcie 'Foxy' Lloyd who fought constantly and soon divorced (at the time a rare event), Harold Clayton Lloyd was nominally educated in Denver and San Diego high schools and received his stage training at the School of Dramatic Art (San Diego). Lloyd grew up far more attached to his footloose, chronically unemployed father than his overbearing mother.
He made his stage debut at age 12 as "Little Abe" in "Tess of d'Ubervilles" with the Burwood Stock company of Omaha. Harold and his father moved to California as a result of a fortuitous accident settlement in 1913. Foxy bought a pool hall (that soon failed) while Harold attended high school. The pair were soon broke when his father suggested he try out for a job on a movie being shot at San Diego's Pan American Exposition by the Edison Company. On the set he first met Hal Roach who would be the most influential person in his professional life. Roach (admittedly a poor actor) told Lloyd that someday he'd be a movie producer and he'd make him his star.
Soon afterward, Roach inherited enough money to begin a small production company (Phun Philms, quickly renamed Rolin, with a partner who he soon bought out) and contacted Lloyd to star in the kinds of films he wanted to make: comedies. On the basis of a handful of self-produced shorts starring Lloyd, he managed to land a production contract with the U.S. branch of the French firm, Pathe, who literally paid Roach by the exposed foot of film on what films were accepted. Things were touch and go in the beginning, with improvised scenarios, outdoor shoots meaning Pathe rejected several of their first efforts, resulting in missed paydays. During his first contract with Roach he appeared in "Will E. Work" and then "Lonesome Luke" comedies, essentially cheap variations of Charles Chaplin's Little Tramp character. He abandoned the character in disgust in late 1917, adopting his "glasses" persona, an average young man capable of conquering any obstacle thrown at him. He began cementing his new image with Over the Fence (1917), that ushered in a prolific number of shorts through late 1921, often releasing 3 per month. In his "glasses" personification, Lloyd's popularity grew exponentially with each new release, but Lloyd rapidly grew dissatisfied with his relationship with his producer. Roach and Lloyd fought constantly; it's not so much that he didn't want to work for Roach, he didn't want to work for anyone - a trait he himself recognized from early on. To be fair, Roach was increasingly preoccupied with other stars (The "Our Gang" series was launched to huge success in 1922 and he also produced ''Snub Pollard" shorts, among others) and although he would always resent Lloyd's attitude and ultimate defection to Paramount, the loss of his major star wouldn't financially cripple him. Lloyd had his own quirks; he fell in love with his first co-star Bebe Daniels, who left him after it became apparent he was unable to make a commitment (however the two would remain lifelong friends). Lloyd, in his own way was decidedly complex: he could be professionally generous (often allowing debatably deserving directorial credit to members of his crew) while being notoriously cheap. Yet he practiced little financial self control in anything that concerned himself. Wildly superstitious, he engaged in strict rituals about dressing himself, leaving through the same doors as he entered, and expected his chauffeurs to know which streets were unlucky to traverse. As his finances improved with age he happily indulged himself with a myriad of hobbies that would include breeding Great Danes, amassing cars, bowling, photography, womanizing, and high-fidelity stereo systems. He was open minded about homosexuals while being practically Victorian in his ideas about raising his daughters. He had an enormous libido and rumors abounded about illegitimate children and according to Roach, chronic bouts with VD. Most traumatically, he suffered the loss of his right thumb and forefinger in an accidental prop bomb explosion on August 14, 1919, just as his career was starting to take off. Lloyd would go to great lengths to hide his disability, spending thousands on flesh-colored prosthetic gloves and hiding his right hand whenever knowingly photographed, even long after his career ended. Upon his recovery he completed work on Haunted Spooks (1920) and successfully renegotiated his contract with Pathe, which began a career ascent that would rival Chaplin's (indeed, Lloyd was more successful, considering grosses on total output as Chaplin's output soon dwindled by comparison). Lloyd began feature film production with the 4-reel A Sailor-Made Man (1921). It began as a 2-reel short but contained, in his words, "so much good stuff we were loathe to take any of it out." It became a huge hit and continued to release hit features with ever increasing grosses but split with Hal Roach (who retained lucrative re-issue rights to his earlier films) after completing The Freshman (1925), one of his finest films. Pathe's U.S. operations quickly unraveled after their U.S. representative, Paul Brunet returned to France, and Lloyd made a decisive move (Roach himself would also leave Pathe, opting for a distribution deal with MGM - Mack Sennett, also distributed by Pathe, would be financially ruined). After weighing various attractive offers, Lloyd signed an advantageous contract with Paramount and racked up another hit with For Heaven's Sake (1926), one of his weakest silent features, yet it grossed an incredible $2.591 million, nearly equaling "The Freshman" and astonishing even himself.
Lloyd could do no wrong throughout the 1920s, he consistently earned at or near $1.5 million per film with his Paramount contract, and seemed invincible. He married his second co-star Mildred Davis on February 10, 1923 and she retired from acting (replaced by Jobyna Ralston). He built a huge 32-room mansion he christened, "Greenacres" that took over 3 years to complete and the couple eventually had 3 children. His final silent film, Speedy (1928), shot on location in New York, was one of the few major hits of the sound transition period and remains (as do most of Lloyd's films) thoroughly enjoyable today. The advent of sound proved problematic for the comedian. His films were gag-driven and his writing team was wholly unaccustomed to converting their type of comedy into dialog. While his first sound effort (began as a silent), Welcome Danger (1929) grossed nearly $3 million, by any standard it's a bad film, and marked a serious decline in Lloyd's screen persona; he became a talking comedian. Ironically, as bad as the film is, it would prove to be the last solid hit of his career. His next talkie, Feet First (1930), included a climb reminiscent (but technically superior to that) of his hit Safety Last! (1923), only being in sound, it contained every grunt and groan and proved painful to watch. With a gross of less that $1 million, Lloyd would see slightly over $300,000, his smallest feature paycheck to date, and it became clear he was in trouble. Lloyd fought back with Movie Crazy (1932). Generally regarded as his finest talkie, it grossed even less than "Feet First." Lloyd left Paramount for Fox and suffered his first outright flop with his next feature, The Cat's-Paw (1934), which grossed $693,000 against a negative cost of $617,000 ---resulting in red ink on a net basis. The miracle Harold Lloyd needed to salvage his career would never happen, but he refused to go down without a fight. Amazingly, the public was oblivious to his decline, and he was widely considered as one of the few silent comedy stars to have made a successful transition through the first decade of sound. But to those within the industry, the numbers didn't add up. Back at Paramount on a 2-movie deal, Lloyd starred in The Milky Way (1936), a better-than-average comedy that pulled a world-wide gross of $1.179 million, but it had production budget exceeding $1 million, resulting in a $250,000 loss for the studio. Paramount was livid, demanding a personal guarantee from Lloyd on anything over $600,000 for his next film, Professor Beware (1938). The comedian soon discovered he couldn't complete the film within the required budget and did something unprecedented --for him at least-- he invested his own money. The final production cost was $820,275 - and it grossed a mere $796,385 - and as a result of a complex payment deal, Lloyd ended up personally losing $119,400 on its initial release (he would eventually recoup the bulk of his losses over the next 35 years). At the relatively young age of 45, Harold Lloyd's Hollywood career was effectively over. Still immensely wealthy from a conservative investment strategy, and always hyperactive, he sought out ways to occupy his time, dragging his kids on marathon movie nights all across Los Angeles and falling back on his many hobbies. Foxy, who had handled the bulk of his correspondence (almost all Lloyd's pre-1938 autographs were actually signed by Foxy) and had carefully documented his press clippings since his acting career had began, retired to Palm Springs in 1938, leaving a void in Lloyd's life. He produced two pictures for RKO, A Girl, a Guy, and a Gob (1941), and a Kay Kyser vehicle, My Favorite Spy (1942) which must have looked good on paper but went nowhere at the box office. This ended his career as a producer. He would sign a $25,000 deal with Columbia in 1943 for a comeback project that never materialized. In 1944, Lloyd was approached by director Preston Sturges who envisioned a first-rate vehicle for him entitled, The Sin of Harold Diddlebock (1947). The production launched Sturges' new California Pictures, was financed by Howard Hughes, and initially released by United Artists. It proved to be a nightmare for everyone concerned. Its $1.7 million production cost proved to be an insurmountable obstacle preventing it from profitability and the eccentric Hughes withdrew it from circulation, later retitling it "Mad Wednesday," re-editing and re-releasing it as an RKO feature in 1951 to an even more dismal box office. Lloyd would also zealously protect ownership of his material and was quite litigious. He successfully sued MGM over their unauthorized poaching of his gags on a Joan Davis vehicle, She Gets Her Man (1945) (sadly an action that put the final nail in the professional coffin of the hopelessly alcoholic Clyde Bruckman). With his career at an end, Harold renewed his interest in photography and became involved with color film experiments. Some of the earliest 2 color Technicolor tests had been shot at Greenacres in 1929. In the late 1940s he became fascinated with color 3D still photography and often visited friends on film sets. Throughout the late 40s and well into the 1960s Lloyd indulged himself with glamor models. At his death, his collection of 3D stills numbered 250,000 (the vast majority of which are nudes). Recently his granddaughter published an elaborate book of photos carefully excised from the collection. In the late 1940s Lloyd became an active member of the Shriners (he'd joined originally in 1924) and an effective administrator for their Los Angeles crippled children's hospital. Harold is reported to be the only actor that owned most of the films he appeared in (sadly many of the earliest ones were destroyed in a nitrate fire in a vault at Greenacres in 1943). This ownership gave him the ability to withhold his films from being shown on television; Lloyd feared incorrect projection speed and commercials would damage his reputation. As a result, a generation of film fans saw very few of his films and his reputation was diminished. He did release 2 compilation films, of which the first, World of Comedy (1962) was very successful. Mildred descended into alcoholism in the 1950s and died in 1969. Lloyd occupied his time with extensive travel (he thoroughly enjoyed speaking engagements where he could interact with students on the subject of silent film) and continued his pathological passion for his hobbies through the end of his life. He became interested in high fidelity stereo systems and habitually ordered several record companies' entire annual catalogs, eventually amassing an LP collection rivaling most record stores. He enjoyed cranking music to volumes that caused the inlaid gold leaf on Greenacres' ceilings to rain down on anyone below. Conversely, he balked at modernizing anything inside the mansion, seeing improvements and redecorating as things that would survive him, and thus a complete waste of money. Lloyd was diagnosed with a recurrence of cancer by his brother-in-law, Dr. John Davis (Jack Davis, who starred in early "Our Gang" shorts) and died on March 8, 1971. His son, Harold Lloyd Jr. was an alcoholic homosexual and died soon afterward. Although Lloyd left an estate valued at $12 million (in 1971 dollars), he failed to make a provision for the maintenance of Greenacres, a blunder that would seriously complicate his estate. His granddaughter Suzanne Lloyd has been largely responsible for restoring his reputation of late, working to preserve his surviving films; many have been issued on HBO Video, Thames Video. Several have been superbly restored with new musical accompaniments and are shown periodically on TCM.- Actor
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Robert Conrad was a graduate of Northwestern University, spending his first few years out of school supporting himself and his family by driving a milk truck and singing in a Chicago cabaret. Conrad befriended up-and-coming actor Nick Adams during this period, and it was Adams who helped Conrad get his first Hollywood work in 1957. A few movie bit parts later, Conrad was signed for a comparative pittance by Warner Bros. studios, and in 1959 was cast as detective Tom Lopaka on the weekly adventure series Hawaiian Eye. Upon the 1963 cancellation of this series, Conrad made a handful of Spanish and American films and toured with a nightclub act in Australia and Mexico City. Cast as frontier secret agent James West in The Wild Wild West (1965) in 1965, Conrad brought home $5000 a week during the series' first season and enjoyed increasing remunerations as West remained on the air until 1969. There are those who insist that Wild Wild West would have been colorless without the co-starring presence of Ross Martin, an opinion with which Conrad has always agreed. The actor's bid to star in a 1970 series based on the venerable Nick Carter pulp stories got no further than a pilot episode, while the Jack Webb-produced 1971 Robert Conrad series The D.A. was canceled after 13 episodes. When Roy Scheider pulled out of the 1972 adventure weekly Assignment: Vienna, Conrad stepped in--and was out, along with the rest of Assignment: Vienna, by June of 1973. Conrad had better luck with 1976's Baa Baa Black Sheep, aka Black Sheep Squadron, a popular series based on the World War II exploits of Major "Pappy" Boyington. Cast as a nurse on this series was Conrad's daughter Nancy, setting a precedent for nepotism that the actor practiced as late as his tenth TV series, 1989's Jesse Hawkes, wherein Conrad co-starred with his sons Christian and Shane.
Though few of his series have survived past season one, Conrad has enjoyed success as a commercial spokesman and in the role of G. Gordon Liddy (whom the actor admired) in the 1982 TV movie Will: The Autobiography of G. Gordon Liddy (1982). As can be gathered from the Liddy assignment, Conrad's politics veered towards conservatism; in 1981, he and Charlton Heston were instrumental in toppling Ed Asner and his liberal contingent from power in the Screen Actors Guild.
As virile and athletic as ever in the 1990s, Robert Conrad continued to appear in action roles both on TV and in films; he also maintained strong ties with his hometown of Chicago, and could be counted on to show up at a moment's notice as a guest on the various all-night programs of Chicago radio personality Eddie Schwartz.- Stunts
- Producer
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
While training for a Golden Gloves boxing tournament in Southern California, Corey was discovered in his gym and cast to play the role of a young boxer in the feature film The Sting II (1983) for Universal Pictures. Intrigued by the entertainment industry, Corey spent the next four years perfecting his craft as a professional stuntman on the television show The Dukes of Hazzard (1979). Soon Corey's talents as a stuntman were in demand, and he began working on several other action shows such as The A-Team (1983), Hunter (1967), and The Fall Guy (1981). Throughout his twenty-year career, Corey has kept extremely busy working as one of Hollywood's top professional stuntmen, doing stunts for such stars as Tom Cruise (Far and Away (1992), Mission: Impossible II (2000), and Vanilla Sky (2001)), Robert De Niro (Midnight Run (1988) and Backdraft (1991)), and Sylvester Stallone (Cobra (1986) and Get Carter (2000)).- Stunts
- Actor
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ron Stein was born on 5 October 1938 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He is an actor and assistant director, known for Airwolf (1984), Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984) and Godzilla (1998).- Stunts
- Actor
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Aaron Toney is known for Avengers: Endgame (2019), Black Panther (2018) and Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (2023).- Stunts
- Actor
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Arguably Hollywood's greatest stunt driver ever, Carey Loftin's amazing driving and stunt skills were utilized in dozens of Hollywood productions over a period of nearly half a century.
Loftin was born on January 31st, 1914 in Blountstown, Florida and broke into movie stunt work in the late 1930s. Loftin's expertise with motor vehicles, including cars, trucks & motorcycles, saw him involved in contributing his skills to numerous cult films of the 1960s / 1970s that featured thrilling car chase sequences including The Love Bug (1969), Bullitt (1968), Vanishing Point (1971)Diamonds Are Forever (1971), The French Connection (1971), Duel (1971), Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974) and White Line Fever (1975). The versatile Loftin also appeared in front of the camera as an actor in over seventy minor roles during his long career.
Loftin was still contributing stunt and driving work in feature films until his mid-seventies, and eventually retired from film in 1991. He died in March 1997, in Huntington Beach, California from natural causes.- Actress
- Stunts
Helen Gibson was one of the earliest serial stars. In 1915 she took over the title role in The Hazards of Helen (1914) from Helen Holmes. Known for her athletic abilities and willingness to do dangerous but exciting stunts, she made the transition from serials to features easily. She was the second wife of cowboy star Hoot Gibson. After her starring days ended in the early 1920s, she went on to become one of the industry's best stunt women, while also taking small acting parts, until her retirement in early 1962.- Actor
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- Soundtrack
An American stuntman who, after more than 30 years in the business, moved into acting and became an acclaimed and respected character actor, Richard Farnsworth was a native of Los Angeles. He grew up around horses and as a teenager was offered an opportunity to ride in films. He appeared in horse-racing scenes and cavalry charges unbilled, first as a general rider and later as a stuntman. His riding and stunting skills gained him regular work doubling stars ranging from Roy Rogers to Gary Cooper, and he often doubled the bad guy as well. Although. like most stuntmen, he was occasionally given a line or two of dialogue, it was not until Farnsworth was over 50 that his natural talent for acting and his ease and warmth before the camera became apparent. When he won an Academy Award nomination for his role in Comes a Horseman (1978), it came as a surprise to many in the industry that this "newcomer" had been around since the 1930s. Farnsworth followed his Oscar nomination with a number of finely wrought performances, including The Grey Fox (1982) and The Natural (1984). In 1999 he came out of semi-retirement for a tour-de-force portrayal in The Straight Story (1999).- Stunts
- Actor
Diamond Farnsworth was born on 7 October 1949 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He is an actor, known for No Way Out (1987), They Live (1988) and First Blood (1982).- Stunts
- Actress
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
As an established and extremely talented stunt double and actress, Zoe Bell has made a name for herself through her unparalleled dedication, skills, and focus.
Zoe Bell was born on Waiheke Island, New Zealand, to Tish, a nurse, and Andrew Bell, a doctor. She has a background in gymnastics and martial arts. She began working as a stunt woman when she doubled Lucy Lawless on the cult favorite TV series Xena: Warrior Princess (1995). Bell also appeared as a double in the ABC thriller Alias (2001) and on an episode of Cleopatra 2525 in 2000 as a double for Vicki Pratti. In the action packed-documentary Double Dare (2004), Bell, along with legendary stunt-woman Jeannie Epper, give an insight into the career of women who take falls and punches for a living. Double Dare also gives a glimpse into the struggles of stunt-women to stay thin, employed, and sane in a male-dominated career.
After the cancellation of Xena, Bell's next gig was working with Quentin Tarantino in Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003) and Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004), playing the stunt double for Uma Thurman's role, The Bride. Bell was nominated for her work in Kill Bill, Vol. 1 in the categories of Best Stunt by a Stunt Woman and Best Fight for the Taurus World Stunt Awards, both of which she would win the following year for Kill Bill: Vol. 2. Bell also showed off her stunt-woman skills as a double for Sharon Stone in Halle Barry's Catwoman (2004).
Bell was injured in the final days of filming, requiring surgery, but she has since recovered and returned to work. Bell appeared along with legendary stunt woman Jeannie Epper in Amanda Micheli's acclaimed documentary Double Dare (2004), which offers a glimpse at the lives and careers of both women, as well as the friendship they share.
Bell debuted her acting career, with her already famous stunt skills, in the double feature Grindhouse (2007) written by Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez. She was hand-picked, by Tarentino himself, to star in his segment of the double feature, Death Proof (2007), about four women working in the film industry that are stalked by a murderer in his Death Proof car.
Bell, a native of New Zealand, resides in Los Angeles but hopes to someday own a home in New Zealand.- Stunts
- Actor
- Director
As the highest paid stuntman in the world, Hal Needham broke 56 bones, his back twice, punctured a lung and knocked out a few teeth. His career has included work on 4500 television episodes and 310 feature films as a stuntman, stunt coordinator, 2nd unit director and ultimately, director.
He wrote and directed some of the most financially successful action comedy films, making his directorial debut with the box office smash, Smokey and the Bandit (1977). The ten features he directed include Hooper (1978) and The Cannonball Run (1981)... A real outlaw race from coast-to-coast, where he drove a fake ambulance that could peg the speedometer at 150 mph, on which the movie, "Cannonball Run", was based. He also set trends in movies - the first director to show outtakes during end credits.
Needham wrecked hundreds of cars, fell from tall buildings, got blown up, was dragged by horses, rescued the cast and crew from a Russian invasion in Czechoslovakia, set a world record for a boat stunt on Gator (1976), jumped a rocket powered pick-up truck across a canal for a GM commercial and was the first human to test the car airbag.
He invented and introduced to the film industry, the air ram, air bag, the car cannon turnover, the nitrogen ratchet, the jerk-off ratchet, rocket power and The Shotmaker Camera Car to make stunts safer and yet more spectacular at the same time.
Needham revolutionized the art of the stuntman - from new devices and techniques, to conceptualizing the organization and execution of complicated action set pieces. To a large degree, he elevated the stuntman and his craft to become important and critical elements in contemporary American Film.
He mentored a new generation of stuntmen and fought for the respect and recognition that stuntmen and stuntwomen deserve for their contribution to moviemaking.
Life also got exciting outside of the movie business. Needham owned a NASCAR race team and was the first team owner to use telemetry technology. His Skoal-Bandit race team was one of the most popular NASCAR teams ever - second only to that of the King, Richard Petty. Needham set Guinness World Records and was the financier and owner of The Budweiser Rocket Car. The car is now on display in the Smithsonian's National Air & Space Museum.
His many awards include an Emmy and an Academy Award.- Actor
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- Producer
Enduring, strong-featured, and genial star of US cinema, Burt Reynolds started off in T.V. westerns in the 1960s and then carved his name into 1970s/1980s popular culture, as a sex symbol (posing nearly naked for "Cosmopolitan" magazine), and on-screen as both a rugged action figure and then as a wisecracking, Southern type of "good ol' boy."
Burton Leon Reynolds was born in Lansing, Michigan. He was the son of Harriette Fernette "Fern" (Miller) and Burton Milo Reynolds, who was in the army. After World War II, his family moved to Riviera Beach, Florida, where his father was chief of police, and where Burt excelled as an athlete and played with Florida State University. He became an All Star Southern Conference halfback (and was earmarked by the Baltimore Colts) before a knee injury and a car accident ended his football career. Midway through college he dropped out and headed to New York with aspirations of becoming an actor. There he worked in restaurants and clubs while pulling the odd TV spot or theatre role.
He was spotted in a New York City production of "Mister Roberts," signed to a TV contract, and eventually had recurring roles in such shows as Gunsmoke (1955), Riverboat (1959) and his own series, Hawk (1966).
Reynolds continued to appear in undemanding western roles, often playing a character of half Native American descent, in films such as Navajo Joe (1966), 100 Rifles (1969) and Sam Whiskey (1969). However, it was his tough-guy performance as macho Lewis Medlock in the John Boorman backwoods nightmare Deliverance (1972) that really stamped him as a bona-fide star. Reynolds' popularity continued to soar with his appearance as a no-nonsense private investigator in Shamus (1973) and in the Woody Allen comedy Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex * But Were Afraid to Ask (1972). Building further on his image as a Southern boy who outsmarts the local lawmen, Reynolds packed fans into theaters to see him in White Lightning (1973), The Longest Yard (1974), W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings (1975) and Gator (1976).
At this time, ex-stuntman and longtime Reynolds buddy Hal Needham came to him with a "road film" script. It turned out to be the incredibly popular Smokey and the Bandit (1977) with Sally Field and Jerry Reed, which took in over $100 million at the box office. That film's success was followed by Smokey and the Bandit II (1980) and Smokey and the Bandit Part 3 (1983). Reynolds also appeared alongside Kris Kristofferson in the hit football film Semi-Tough (1977), with friend Dom DeLuise in the black comedy The End (1978) (which Reynolds directed), in the stunt-laden buddy film Hooper (1978) and then in the self-indulgent, star-packed road race flick The Cannonball Run (1981).
The early 1980s started off well with a strong performance in the violent police film Sharky's Machine (1981), which he also directed, and he starred with Dolly Parton in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982) and with fellow macho superstar Clint Eastwood in the coolly received City Heat (1984). However, other projects such as Stroker Ace (1983), Stick (1985) and Paternity (1981) failed to catch fire with fans and Reynolds quickly found himself falling out of popularity with movie audiences. In the late 1980s he appeared in only a handful of films, mostly below average, before television came to the rescue and he shone again in two very popular TV shows, B.L. Stryker (1989) and Evening Shade (1990), for which he won an Emmy. In 1988, Burt and his then-wife, actress Loni Anderson, had a son, Quinton A. Reynolds (aka Quinton Anderson Reynolds), whom they adopted.
He was back on screen, but still the roles weren't grabbing the public's attention, until his terrific performance as a drunken politician in the otherwise woeful Striptease (1996) and then another tremendous showing as a charming, porn director in Boogie Nights (1997), which scored him a Best Supporting Actor nomination. Like the phoenix from the ashes, Reynolds resurrected his popularity and, in the process, gathered a new generation of young fans, many of whom had been unfamiliar with his 1970s film roles. He then put in entertaining work in Pups (1999), Mystery, Alaska (1999), Driven (2001) and Time of the Wolf (2002). Definitely one of Hollywood's most resilient stars, Reynolds continually surprised all with his ability to weather both personal and career hurdles and his almost 60 years in front of the cameras were testament to his staying ability, his acting talent and his appeal to film audiences.
Burt Reynolds died of cardiac arrest on September 6, 2018, in Jupiter, Florida, U.S. He was eighty two.- Stunts
- Actress
- Producer
Debbie Evans Stuntwoman
Debbie Evans is considered one of Hollywood's top stunt women. The writing was on the wall from the age of six when she started riding motorcycles in her hometown of Lakewood, California. By the age of nine she started competing in the sport of motorcycle trials. By 1976, she became the first woman to reach the rank of expert, successfully competing against the men. She was considered the best female observed trials rider in the United States, earning factory-backed sponsorship from Yamaha.
Her entertainment roots began with halftime shows at various stadium events, which included her famous headstand on the seat of a balancing motorcycle. Not one to shy away from the challenge of a male-dominated field, she accepted the offer to do a motorcycle jump over a 30-foot ravine for the movie Deathsport. This job would be the beginning a stunt career that would span decades, and garner her accolades and awards for future work to come. Shortly after her path started, things exploded for Debbie when she tied for second overall in the 1978 CBS Stunt Competition as the only female competitor, and won first place in the car race, beating out all of the top male stunt drivers. She has since been featured in Reader's Digest, Glamour Magazine, Cycle World, Dirt Bike, and on ESPN, The Montel Williams Show, Women's Entertainment Television, and Entertainment Tonight, just to name a few.
Debbie honed all aspects of her physical ability, performing just about every stunt there is, but never steering too far from her first love...motorcycles and cars! In 2002, Debbie won two Taurus World Stunt Awards for doubling Michelle Rodriguez in The Fast and the Furious, and has continued with the franchise, and actress, in the subsequent films. Debbie has won 7 Taurus World Stunts Awards, one of the highest acknowledgements in her industry. She has also been inducted into the American Motorcyclist (AMA) Hall of Fame, The Hollywood Stuntman's Hall of Fame, along with many other awards and nominations. Debbie has been had an amazing career with many memorable pieces of work. A few of her most notable sequences were for Carrie Anne Moss, in Matrix Reloaded where she drove a Cadillac CTS and rode a Ducati 996 in the famous freeway chase sequence. Also doubling for Michelle Rodriguez in the first Fast and Furious driving a car under a semi-truck, crashing and flipping it off the embankment into the field below. Debbie worked on many other Fast and Furious movies in all the female driving sequences Fast films 1,2,3,6,7, and 8. She has doubled for many of the leading ladies in Hollywood and was the stunt driving double for Angelina Jolie in Wanted, Mr. and Mrs. Smith and Taking Lives.- Actress
- Music Department
- Producer
Lynda Jean Cordova Carter is an American actress, singer, and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss World USA 1972 and finished in the top 15 at the Miss World 1972 pageant. Carter is best known as the star of the live-action television series Wonder Woman, in the role of Diana Prince / Wonder Woman. The role was based on the DC comic book fictional superhero character of the same name, and aired on ABC and later on CBS from 1975 to 1979.- Actor
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Carl Mathews was born on 19 February 1899 in Oklahoma, USA. He was an actor, known for Custer's Last Stand (1936), The Black Coin (1936) and Rough Riding Ranger (1935). He was married to Irene and Margaret F.. He died on 3 May 1959 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- Stunts
- Actor
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Stunts
- Actress
- Producer
Originally from New York state, Kim Renee moved to Las Vegas when she was a teenager. Her discovery about her passion of theater occurred while attending high school and subsequently worked the midway at Circus Circus. It led to a career as a trapeze artist, working as part of the Flying Dell-Steel's aerial act in Vegas. After high school, she performed and traveled with the European Circus. In 1975, Renee returned to Las Vegas and appeared nightly at the MGM Hotel and Casino as a swimmer with the dolphins in their Hallelujah Hollywood show. Two years later, her agent called her to be a stunt double for Lynda Carter in the "Wonder Woman" television series. That professional career is what led her to join legacy SAG in 1977. In 1978, she transferred my SAG membership to Nevada. In 1995, she and Diane Thorne were successful in creating the SAG Conservatory in Nevada. For many years, Renee sat on the Young Performers Committee and contributed to the Young Performers Handbook. As a member of SAG and SEG, and as the stunt representative for Nevada's committee on stunts, she attended meetings regularly and my interest and participation in SAG increased. Renee successfully lobbied to reduce insurance costs for stunt professionals and proposed a health coverage plan for aging performers that was instituted in 2017 as part of the merged plans. Over a few decades, she sat on many wages and working conditions committees and worked on many cinematic films. From 2015 to 2017, Renee proudly served as vice president for the SAG-AFTRA Nevada Local. Now, as local president, her goal is to institute change to benefit all SAG-AFTRA Nevada Local members.- Stunts
- Actor
Stuntman and bit player Kenny Endoso was born on July 22, 1940 in Hilo, Big Island, Hawaii. Endoso grew up in a small town on the island of Hawaii. Kenny first started performing stunts in films in 1967. Moreover, Endoso also appeared in a handful of movies and TV shows in which he was often cast as a bad guy. In addition, Kenny not only was an avid golfer and a lover of classic cars (his favorite automobile was a red 1967 convertible Camaro), but also coached his son's baseball team and participated in Indian Princess/Charity League activities with his two daughters. Endoso died at age 70 following a six year battle with cancer on August 10, 2010 in Burbank, California. He was survived by his wife and sweetheart of 44 years, Laureen; son Michael and daughters Kathy and Carlisa; brother George and sisters Pearl and Shirley; and grandchildren Nick, JJ, Kristin, and Lilah.- Stunts
- Actor
- Production Manager
Gene Hartline won a Taurus World Stunt Award for Best Work With A Vehicle in 2010 for his work on the 2009 Fast and the Furious.
A car and two tow trucks follow a tanker, trying to steal the tanker's cargo. Stunt woman walks on top of tanks to release them until the tanker driver realizes he's being robbed. Tanker then maneuvers and goes over a cliff, while cars try to avoid crashing into the tanker.- Stunts
- Actress
Cindy Wills is known for Innerspace (1987), Raising Arizona (1987) and Friday the 13th: A New Beginning (1985).- Actor
- Producer
- Soundtrack
One of the British theatre's most famous faces, Daniel Craig, who waited tables as a struggling teenage actor with the National Youth Theatre, has gone on to star as James Bond in Casino Royale (2006), Quantum of Solace (2008), Skyfall (2012), Spectre (2015) and No Time to Die (2021).
He was born Daniel Wroughton Craig on March 2, 1968, at 41 Liverpool Road, Chester, Cheshire, England. His father, Timothy John Wroughton Craig, was a merchant seaman turned steel erector, and then became landlord of the "Ring O'Bells" pub in Frodsham, Cheshire. His mother, Carol Olivia (Williams), was an art teacher. Craig has English, as well as Irish, Scottish and Welsh, ancestry. His parents split up in 1972, and young Daniel was raised with his older sister, Lea, in Liverpool, then in Hoylake, Wirral, in the home of his mother. His interest in acting was encouraged by visits to the Liverpool Everyman Theatre arranged by his mother. From the age of six, Craig started acting in school plays, making his debut in the Frodsham Primary School production of "Oliver!", and his mother was the driving force behind his artistic aspirations. The first Bond movie he ever saw at the cinema was Roger Moore's Live and Let Die (1973); young Daniel Craig saw it with his father, so it took a special place in his heart. He was also a good athlete and was a rugby player at Hoylake Rugby Club.
At age 14, Craig played roles in "Oliver", "Romeo and Juliet" and "Cinderella" at Hilbre High School in West Kirby, Wirral. He left Hilbre High School at age 16 to audition at the National Youth Theatre's (NYT) troupe on their tour in Manchester in 1984. He was accepted and moved down to London. There, his mother and father watched his stage debut as Agamemnon in Shakespeare's "Troilus and Cressida". As a struggling actor with the NYT, he was toiling in restaurant kitchens and as a waiter. Craig performed with NYT on tours to Valencia, Spain, and to Moscow, Russia, under the leadership of director Edward Wilson. He failed at repeated auditions at the Guildhall, but eventually his persistence paid off, and in 1988, he entered the Guildhall School of Music and Drama at the Barbican. There, he studied alongside Ewan McGregor and Alistair McGowan, then later Damian Lewis and Joseph Fiennes, among others. He graduated in 1991, after a three-year course under the tutelage of Colin McCormack, the actor from the Royal Shakespeare Company. From 1992-1994, he was married to Scottish actress Fiona Loudon, their daughter, named Ella Craig (born 1992).
Craig made his film debut in The Power of One (1992). His film career continued on television, notably the BBC2 serial Our Friends in the North (1996). He shot to international fame after playing supporting roles in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001) and Road to Perdition (2002). He was nominated for his performances in the leading role in Layer Cake (2004), and received other awards and nominations. Craig was named as the sixth actor to portray James Bond, in October 2005, weeks after he finished his work in Munich (2005), where he co-starred with Eric Bana under the directorship of Steven Spielberg. Craig's reserved demeanor and his avoidance of the showbiz-party-red-carpet milieu makes him a cool 007. He is the first blond actor to play Bond, and also the first to be born after the start of the film series, and also the first to be born after the death of author Ian Fleming in 1964. Four of the past Bond actors: Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan have indicated that Craig is a good choice as Bond.
He was appointed Companion of the Order of St. Michael and St. George (CMG) by Queen Elizabeth II at the 2022 Queen's New Years Honours for his services to Film and Theatre.- Stunts
- Actor
Jophery C. Brown was born on 22 January 1945 in Grambling, Louisiana, USA. He was an actor, known for Wanted (2008), Cyborg (1989) and Jurassic Park (1993). He died on 11 January 2014 in Newhall, California, USA.- Stunts
- Actress
- Stunts
- Actor
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Graf is one of Hollywood's premier second unit directors and stunt coordinators whose 35-year career behind the cameras includes the staging of stunts in over five dozen films while directing second unit action on three dozen features, including such recent films as Todd Phillips' comedy, "Due Date", "The Muppets" (2011, on which he also coordinated stunts) and Phillips' independent feature, "Project X" (2012).
A native of Southern California, Graf first made his mark on the gridiron, where he captained the 1967 San Fernando High School city championship team, winning All-American honors. He won a full athletic scholarship to the University of Southern California, and played offensive guard for John McKay's powerhouse Trojans. Graf started on McKay's legendary, undefeated (12-0) 1972 NCAA National Championship team, and was one of the heroes at the 1973 Rose Bowl, when USC defeated Ohio State 42-17. He next played in the 1973 college all-star game against the NFL's undefeated Miami Dolphins at Chicago's Soldier Field.
Following graduation, Graf became a free agent with the Los Angeles Rams before joining the World Football League's Portland Storm during their inaugural 1974 season. When the league abruptly folded, Graf tackled a career change when he fatefully won a role as former Chicago Bears player Dick Butkus' stunt double in the 1976 Disney film "Gus", a comic opus about a field goal-kicking mule.
Following his debut, Graf worked as a stunt player for several years on a variety of projects, notably Walter Hill's "Southern Comfort", "The Driver" and "The Long Riders", John Carpenter's "They Live", Paul Verhoeven's "Total Recall", "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan", "Raising Arizona", "Action Jackson", "S.W.A.T.", "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl", "Independence Day" and, most recently, "Captain America: The First Avenger".
He has coordinated stunts on several other projects, including "Punch Drunk Love", "Domestic Disturbance", "Broken Arrow", "Wayne's World", "The Hangover Part II" (the highest-grossing, R-rated comedy of all time), and several of director Hill's actioners, including "Supernova", "Geronimo: An American Legend" and "Wild Bill", on which he also directed the films' 2nd unit. On Hill's 1990 sequel, "Another 48 Hrs.", Graf, as the film's 2nd unit director and stunt coordinator, was the very first stuntman to cannon roll a bus at 60 mph. He subsequently flipped a bus again on the Jean-Claude Van Damme actioner "Nowhere to Run", cannon rolling a 40-foot bus underneath a 60-foot-wide freeway overpass.
The former college football great is also one of Hollywood's best-known football coordinators and 2nd unit directors, designing and staging the gridiron action for such films as Oliver Stone's epic "Any Given Sunday", Howard Deutch's comedy "The Replacements", "The Program", "The Waterboy", "Necessary Roughness", "Man of the House", Gary Fleder's football biopic, "The Express", Cameron Crowe's Oscar®-winning "Jerry Maguire" and Peter Berg's acclaimed football classic "Friday Night Lights". His work on "Friday Night Lights" and "The Express" all earned ESPY Awards.
To further add to Graf's slate of talents, he has also logged several supporting acting roles, including that of Capt. Turner on HBO's "Deadwood" (again working with Walter Hill) along with many other projects such as "L.A. Confidential" (the abusive husband beaten down by Russell Crowe in the film's early moments), "The Replacements", "Magnolia", "Boogie Nights", "The Doors", "Red Heat", "Another 48 Hrs.", "Poltergeist" and "RoboCop", among dozens of others.
Graf penned an original screenplay entitled "Turning the Tide", a football drama which depicts the historic 1970 gridiron contest between McKay's USC Trojans and Bear Bryant's Crimson Tide of Alabama.
Graf most recently reteamed with filmmaker Brian Helgeland on "42" after having served as 2nd unit director on his 2001 adventure film "A Knight's Tale", for whom he designed and directed all the jousting sequences.- Stunts
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Actor
Conrad began his film career in 1970 as a stuntman. Since 1980, he has become one of the most sought after Second-Unit Directors, with scores of top films to his credit. Known to his friends and co-workers as Connie, he has endeavored to give back to the industry by serving as the President of the Stuntmen's Association of Motion Pictures for four terms, serving on the Board of Directors of the Screen Actors Guild. During his five-year term was instrumental in forming the National Stunt and Safety Committee, which he chaired for several years. He was also among the first stunt coordinators invited into the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science. Additionally, Conrad serves on the Blue Ribbon Committee of the World Stunt Awards.- Stunts
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Actress
Melissa R. Stubbs was born in 1970 in Canada. She is an assistant director and actress, known for Inception (2010), The Dark Knight Rises (2012) and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008).- Actor
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- Producer
Kane Hodder was born on April 8, 1955 in Auburn, California. He is best known for his role as horror icon Jason Voorhees in Friday the 13th: The New Blood (1988), Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989), Jason Goes to Hell (1993), and Jason X (2001). He is also known for his role as the deformed serial killer Victor Crowley in Hatchet (2006), Hatchet II (2010), and Hatchet III (2013).- Stunts
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- Director
Stuntman and actor Frank Harry Orsatti was born on February 26, 1942 in Los Angeles, California. The son of St. Louis Cardinals center fielder Ernie Orsatti and opera singer Inez Gorman, Frank was also drafted into the Cardinals, but an injury during training prevented him from playing. Orsatti subsequently joined the Merchant Marines and worked on freighters for ten years. Frank eventually returned to Los Angeles and began his career as a stuntman in the late 1960's. Among the notable actors that Frank doubled are Bill Bixby, Burt Reynolds, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Orsatti died of respiratory failure at age 62 on December 23, 2004 in Sherman Oaks, California. He was survived by his wife Julie Ann Steinberg Orsatti, daughters Gina Marie and Kimberly Ann, brothers Rex and Ernie F. Orsatti, and a granddaughter.- Stunts
- Additional Crew
- Actor
Tom Elliott has established himself as one of Hollywood's premier stunt men and stunt coordinators. Displaying his diversity and talent, Tom has worked on over 600 feature films and television shows in his 45-year career, with three Emmy nominations for stunt coordinator on "Criminal Minds," a Taurus Stunt Award nomination for best overall stunt and a S.A.G. Honor Award for "Sideways."
Born in North Hollywood, California, Tom's athletic development and diversity began at an early age. He started boxing for the West Vally Police Department at age 9 and enrolled in Karate and Ju-jitsu by age 13. His tenacity and dedication to training enable Tom to earn the distinction of a martial arts instructor by age 17. In addition, in 1975 Tom qualified for League Finals as a gymnast in high school and went to the Junior Rodeo State Finals in 2nd place in the team roping and steer wrestling and 3rd in calf roping. Tom is not stranger to hard work and competition.
Doubling for some of the biggest industry names, Tom's credits include: Tom Cruise in "Far and Away" and "Days of Thunder;" Robert De Niro in "Heat", Martin Sheen in "Spawn,"; Matthew Broderick "War Games," "Ferris Bueller," "Cable Guy" and "Godzilla;" Al Pacino in "Scent of a Woman," "Scarface," "Heat" and "Looking for Richard;" Jean-Claude Van Damme in "Cyborg;" Michael Keaton in "Pacific Heights;" and the list goes on.
Tom qualified for a D.G.A. membership in 1988 while working as a stunt coordinator of Van Damme's "Cyborg." Director Albert Pyun was so confident in Tom's work he asked him to direct second unit.
With 45 years experience as a stuntman, Tom is currently focusing his energies in the area of Second Unit Directing and Stunt Coordination.
Tom served as President of Stunts Unlimited for 2010 and 2011 and as Vice-President for 2012.
Tom resides in Santa Rosa Valley, California with his wife Michelle and son T.J.- Stunts
- Actor
- Producer
Bobby Holland Hanton is known for Inception (2010), Avengers: Endgame (2019) and Wonder Woman (2017).- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Harrison Ford was born on July 13, 1942 in Chicago, Illinois, to Dorothy (Nidelman), a radio actress, and Christopher Ford (born John William Ford), an actor turned advertising executive. His father was of Irish and German ancestry, while his maternal grandparents were Jewish emigrants from Minsk, Belarus. Harrison was a lackluster student at Maine Township High School East in Park Ridge Illinois (no athletic star, never above a C average). After dropping out of Ripon College in Wisconsin, where he did some acting and later summer stock, he signed a Hollywood contract with Columbia and later Universal. His roles in movies and television (Ironside (1967), The Virginian (1962)) remained secondary and, discouraged, he turned to a career in professional carpentry. He came back big four years later, however, as Bob Falfa in American Graffiti (1973). Four years after that, he hit colossal with the role of Han Solo in Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977). Another four years and Ford was Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981).
Four years later and he received Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for his role as John Book in Witness (1985). All he managed four years after that was his third starring success as Indiana Jones; in fact, many of his earlier successful roles led to sequels as did his more recent portrayal of Jack Ryan in Patriot Games (1992). Another Golden Globe nomination came his way for the part of Dr. Richard Kimble in The Fugitive (1993). He is clearly a well-established Hollywood superstar. He also maintains an 800-acre ranch in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
Ford is a private pilot of both fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters, and owns an 800-acre (3.2 km2) ranch in Jackson, Wyoming, approximately half of which he has donated as a nature reserve. On several occasions, Ford has personally provided emergency helicopter services at the request of local authorities, in one instance rescuing a hiker overcome by dehydration. Ford began flight training in the 1960s at Wild Rose Idlewild Airport in Wild Rose, Wisconsin, flying in a Piper PA-22 Tri-Pacer, but at $15 an hour, he could not afford to continue the training. In the mid-1990s, he bought a used Gulfstream II and asked one of his pilots, Terry Bender, to give him flying lessons. They started flying a Cessna 182 out of Jackson, Wyoming, later switching to Teterboro, New Jersey, flying a Cessna 206, the aircraft he soloed in. Ford is an honorary board member of the humanitarian aviation organization Wings of Hope.
On March 5, 2015, Ford's plane, believed to be a Ryan PT-22 Recruit, made an emergency landing on the Penmar Golf Course in Venice, California. Ford had radioed in to report that the plane had suffered engine failure. He was taken to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, where he was reported to be in fair to moderate condition. Ford suffered a broken pelvis and broken ankle during the accident, as well as other injuries.- Stunts
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Actor
Gary Combs was born on 13 December 1935 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He is an assistant director and actor, known for Blade Runner (1982), RoboCop (1987) and They Live (1988).- Actress
- Writer
- Director
Though the circumstances of Helen Holmes' birth are somewhat hazy (sources place it in either Chicago or Louisville, KY, in mid-June or early July of 1893), what isn't hazy is that she was, with Pearl White, the queen of the railroad serials of the mid-teens and early '20s. Holmes always played a strong-willed, independent and resourceful heroine, just as capable of running after, jumping on and stopping a runaway train as she was batting her eyes at the male "hero". Although she was convent-educated, her parents were poor and could barely afford her education, so as she got older she became a photographer's model to help pay the family bills.
Her brother's ill health necessitated a family move from cold, damp Chicago to the hot, dry climate of California's Death Valley. It was there that her taste for adventure was given full rein. In that desolate, sparsely populated country she prospected for gold and for a short time lived among a local Indian tribe. Her brother soon died, though, and in 1910 Helen moved to New York and began appearing in local plays. She had become friends with film star Mabel Normand, and after a short correspondence Normand invited her to Hollywood, where she got her friend some modeling and movie work. Holmes soon achieved success, and by 1913 was starring in her own films. She met her husband, director J.P. McGowan, at Kalem Studios while she was acting in, and he was directing, The Hazards of Helen (1914) serial. The two soon formed their own production company, and their films, both serials and features, achieved great success. By 1919, though, Mutual Films, the company that distributed their movies, had gone under. Without Mutual's financial backing the budgets on their films shrank precipitously, and not being able to afford to make railroad serials anymore, Helen was now turned into a newspaperwoman, a switch that did not sit well with her fans. Although she continued to make films and serials, many of them weren't starring roles anymore, and the fact that a good percentage of them were for the cheap independent market meant that relatively few audiences actually saw them.
Her marriage to McGowan broke up in 1925. She subsequently married a movie stuntman, and basically retired from the screen in 1926, although she made a few appearances in small parts over the next 20 years.
She kept her hand in the business by becoming a trainer for animals used in the movies, but that lasted until her husband died in 1946. Her health had been deteriorating for several years by that time, and she died of a heart attack in 1950.- Stunts
- Actress
Mary Statler is known for Perry Mason (1957).- Stunts
- Actor
- Additional Crew
Dan Mast is an American stuntman and was born and bred in California . He is a member of 5150 Action as well as the world renowned Tempest Freerunning. Tempest is a team of potent and innovative American Freerunners. He has doubled for actors such as Mark Wahlberg, Jake Gyllenhaal, Josh Brolin and many more.- Stunts
- Actor
- Producer
I am a working actor and stuntman, who also specializes heavily in character and creature work.
Early on, I moved around regularly, being exposed to a multitude of cultures, thus making me a student of life and an expert in the subtleties of human communication from very early on. This skill has helped me tremendously in my current film and acting work, relating my vast life experiences to the roles I'm able to design.
I am a military Veteran, and held an above top secret security clearance while active duty. I have been trained in military tactics, hand-to-hand combat, knives, explosives and firearms, and am a specialist holding a marksman in various firearms. Additionally, I am very passionate about and skilled in stunt work specializing in fight choreography, parkour/freerunning, acrobatics and martial arts. After completing my time in the military I moved to Los Angeles where I began taking traditional acting classes such as Tony Barr's Film Actor's Workshop, improvisation at the Groundlings, courses at Ivana Chubbucks studio and intensive workshops with Margie Haber.
I have recently been working on multiple projects including Martian Scorsese's most recent works "The Irishman", where I play "Little Fitz". This will be released on Netflix with an amazing cast including Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci among many more, and looks to be a phenomenal project. Prior to that I worked with Seth MacFarlane on "The Orville" as a few of the Krill soldiers. I worked on Marvels Defenders, Nickelodeon's "The Thundermans", Disneys "Walk the Prank", "Alex Inc" with Zach Braff, Backseat with "Christain Bale, "Shut Eye" with Jeffrey Donovan, Gotham, Seal Team, American Assassin, Suburbicon, Dunkirk and many more. Another passion project in the works is the live action adaptation of "Dragon Ball Z" called "Light of Hope" in which I play the lead role, and fan favorite, Trunks.
I found my love for character/creature acting through 5 seasons of SyFy's "FaceOff", working with prosthetics and movie makeup. Since then I have had opportunities embodying multi faceted characters from imaginations far and wide. On The Orville I played a race of alien bent on universal domination based on their right to it. On The Thundermans, I was able to bring to life a training bot called the Crime Buddy and Meanie Crime Buddy as well as Destructo, a robot with the simple dream of ruling the world. For a Skin Saver ad I had the opportunity to be the legendary Sun Wukong or if more familiar, "The Monkey King" from Chinese mythology. For Walk the Prank I was a crazy Jack in the Box and The Man in the Shadows, both horror based characters with a goal of scaring their victims. There has been many more but these highlights were some of my favorite thus far.
Admiring such actors as Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Donnie Yen and Cecep Arif Rahman for their revolutionary fight scenes and films, I have adapted that into my own practice, while always continuing to learn. Artists such as Jim Carrey and Robin Williams inspire me to explore comedic timing, and the intricacies of layering emotions into a scene. Jack Nicholson, Daniel Day-Lewis and Morgan Freeman have undeniable range and can play characters with such determined, precise choices, offering me the inspiration and insight to apply similar skills through similar thought process in my own work.
Pulp Fiction, Seven, Braveheart, Last of the Mohicans, Fight Club, IP Man, Enter the Dragon, Goodfellas, American Beauty, The Shining, Gladiator, Requium for a Dream, Pan's Labyrinth, Heat, Good Will Hunting, Warrior, Fargo, and A Beautiful Mind are just a handful of my favorite films due their artistic merit and aesthetic beauty. Directors like Tarantino, Kubrick, Coppola and Scorsese are some of the greats that I admire as their entire body of work consistently push the boundaries of film as an art form and as a method of telling a story.- Stunts
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Norman Blankenship was born on 20 March 1941 in Oklahoma, USA. He was an actor, known for Thief (1981), The Stunt Man (1980) and Deadly Force (1983). He died on 25 February 1997 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- Actor
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- Additional Crew
Sailor Vincent was born on 24 October 1901 in Dracut, Massachusetts, USA. He was an actor, known for The Man I Love (1929), Woman Trap (1929) and The Twilight Zone (1959). He died on 12 July 1966 in Toluca Lake, California, USA.- Stunts
- Actor
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
J.J. Perry started his martial arts training in 1975 and began with stunt-work in the late 1980s when he got out of the army. He has had over 24 years of martial arts training and has a 5th-degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do, a 2nd-degree on Hapkido and has experience with all kinds of weapons. He got his black belt for Tae Kwon Do at the age of 12 and competed from the age of 7 till 24. Besides martial arts, J.J. is also skilled in riding bikes, rodeo and does weight lifting.- Stunts
- Actor
- Additional Crew
Award winning Stunt Coordinator and 2nd Unit Director Greg Powell has over 40 years experience in the film industry.
Greg has a vast knowledge in all aspects of stunts as a performer and a coordinator including Fighting, Cars, Motorcycles, Boats, HGV, Horses, Battle Sequences, Fire, Explosions, Wirework and many more. This allows him to guarantee all stunts are covered professionally and safely.
Greg has a 2014 Taurus Stunt Award for Best Coordinator for his work on Fast & Furious 6.
For more info on Greg's experience in the industry please visit stuntsworldwide or see his full credit listing on IMDB.- Stunts
- Actor
- Additional Crew
He made his first appearance before the camera at the age of 14 in Douglas Fairbanks's Robin Hood (1922) Young Dave became the National A.A.U. tumbling champion in 1925 and 1926. Still in his teens, he began taking bit parts in films. His big break came in Masked Emotions (1929). It led him to a series of Hal Roach comedies. In 1933 Ajax Pictures signed him as one of the leads in its "Young Friends" series. In the 1930s he played a variety of roles in many B westerns. He was one of the three leads, with with Charles Quigley and Bruce Bennett, in the Republic Pictures serial Daredevils of the Red Circle (1939). While at Republic he met stuntman Yakima Canutt and began doing stunt work. Dave doubled for almost every western lead at Republic and also some of the ladies. In 1942 Monogram Pictures signed him as one of the leads in its Range Busters western series. Dave appeared in three of them: Texas to Bataan (1942), Trail Riders (1942) and Haunted Ranch (1943). Dave joined the US Army Air Corps and and rose to the rank of captain. After his discharge he returned to Hollywood and confined his career mainly to stunt work and second-unit directing. He doubled Douglas Fairbanks Jr. and Tony Curtis in all of their action films. He didn't restrict his stunt work to just films, though; he also doubled the leads in such TV series as The F.B.I. (1965), Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok (1951) and many others. He was also seen as the old lady in the wheelchair on The Red Skelton Hour (1951). Dave was inducted into the Stuntman's Hall of Fame in 1970, and in 1978 contracted ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease.- Stunts
- Actor
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Paul Darnell is known for Jurassic World (2015), The Matrix Resurrections (2021) and Baby Driver (2017).- Stunts
- Actor
- Editor
Omar Zaki is an Actor and action performer in Los Angeles known for combining his physical abilities with his versatility on screen to make Hollywood rethink curly hair...
Omar was born in Dubai but grew up in Northern Virginia and has always had a passion for performing. Whether it was racing around the Track as a kid, placing first in public speaking contests, doing live parkour shows, or winning small skit competitions in High School, Omar loved it all. In 2013, he began writing and performing in action short films with his friends and these would become Omar's crash course into on-screen acting. Omar studied classical guitar at George Mason University but after becoming a sponsored parkour athlete as well as several of his videos going viral on YouTube, Omar decided to move to Los Angeles in 2016 to pursue his passion.
After arriving in Los Angeles, Omar almost immediately booked the role of Aramis the Musketeer in a Live Stunt Show, "All For One" and after finishing that, toured the country for 13 months with another Live Stunt Show, Marvel Universe LIVE! Age of Heroes as the Superhero, Iron Fist. Omar officially moved back to Los Angeles in June of 2018 with a commitment to transition completely into on-screen performing and signed up for Acting classes at Berg Studios. Throughout his career, Omar has acted and performed action in numerous short films as well as commercials/promos for brands like LG, X2 games, Survivor, and Million Dollar Mile with his most notable achievement as the Lead in Disturbed's music video, "Are You Ready".
Omar regularly trains in action/stunt skills such as parkour, freerunning, screen-fighting, boxing, and stunt falls with the goal of combining his acting and physical abilities at the highest possible level on-screen.
Omar is represented by Clear Talent Group for commercial and print work.- Stunts
- Actor
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Stunts
- Actor
Ben Bates was born on 4 September 1933 in Texas, USA. He was an actor, known for Ruckus (1980), Swamp Thing (1982) and Gemini Man (1976). He died on 4 October 2017 in Sun City, California, USA.- Greg Townley is known for Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014), I Am Number Four (2011) and Morbius (2022).
- Actor
- Stunts
Francis Walker was born on 1 April 1910 in Fruitvale, Idaho, USA. He was an actor, known for West of Abilene (1940), The Law of the Plains (1929) and Thundering Frontier (1940). He died on 8 March 1971 in Redding, California, USA.- Stunts
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Actor
Well-respected and sought after Action Director Darrin Prescott, known for his stylized and visceral action in films such as Ford v Ferrari, Baby Driver, Black Panther, the John Wick series, Drive, and his Screen Actors Guild award-winning car chase work in The Bourne Ultimatum, got his start in the film business in 1994.
A stunt double for actors such as Arnold Schwarzenegger (Batman & Robin), Hugo Weaving (The Matrix Reloaded & Revolutions), Darrin made a name for himself as a talented and hard-working stuntman and stunt coordinator. With an impressive resume of more than 100 films, including The Bourne Supremacy, Spiderman 2, The Hangover, Independence Day, Darrin has seamlessly transitioned to creating and directing the action on some of Hollywood's most exciting films.
A 2001 X-Games competitor, Darrin has spent his life training in martial arts, snowboarding, surfing, driving, motorcycles and more.
Married to his wife Suzanne since 1996, they have 2 children together, Tanner Prescott and actress Kalia Prescott.- Stunts
- Actor
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Stuntman, stunt coordinator, and occasional actor Bud Davis was born George H. Davis on December 23, 1936. Davis raced cars and rode motorcycles in his youth. Moreover, Bud worked for six months at a finance company before getting a job as a bartender at a bar located across the street from the Warner Brothers back lot in California that a lot of stunt guys frequently patronized. The stunt guys one fateful day asked Davis if he wanted to watch a fight scene that was being staged on the Warners back lot. Bud's subsequent career as a stuntman was born on that day after he was offered the opportunity to participate in said fight scene. Davis joined the Extras Union and did some work as an extra before going on to embark on a long and impressive career as a stuntman and stunt coordinator in both films and television alike that encompasses several decades. Outside of his extensive stunt work, Bud also acted in a handful of movies and TV shows; he's especially memorable as the creepy hooded phantom killer in the drive-in horror cult favorite The Town That Dreaded Sundown (1976). Davis settled in Durango, Colorado in the wake of retiring from the stunt profession.- Stunts
- Actor
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Dana Farwell Smith is an American stuntman and actor. He graduated from Coldwater High School in Coldwater, Michigan. He later attended a Saturday morning stunts program which would change his life and shape his career.
With a background in motocross and karate he headed to Los Angeles to try his luck at a career in film and television. He changed his name to Dane Farwell as there was already an actor with a similar name. After some background work in television and films, he landed his first big break on The Flash (1990) as a stunt double.- Actor
- Stunts
Don Happy was born on 14 August 1916 in Lewiston, Idaho, USA. He was an actor, known for Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985), Gunsmoke (1955) and Rawhide (1959). He was married to Edith Happy. He died on 27 April 2006 in Canyon Country, California, USA.- Stunts
- Actor
Clifford Happy was born on 26 August 1952 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He is an actor, known for Innerspace (1987), Men in Black (1997) and Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle (2003).- Stunts
- Actress
Marguerite Happy is known for WarGames (1983), The Mask of Zorro (1998) and Blade (1998). She has been married to Clifford Happy since 1977.- Ryan Happy was born on 2 February 1985. He is an actor, known for Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017), Django Unchained (2012) and The Hateful Eight (2015).
- Stunts
- Actor
- Producer
Some would say, Sean "Speedy" Christopher, was born into the industry. His maternal grandmother was a great jazz singer and drummer, his aunt a great gospel and R&B singer. Sean got his first taste of the spotlight when he was just two years old. His mother took him to a local Sears for a portrait. He was such a natural in front of the camera and the photographer was so taken with him he convinced her to sign a release for Sean to be a model in their photography studios' sales brochures. As Sean, grew older his interest in the industry grew. "The idea of being in the spotlight has always appealed to me, so if there was a chance to perform, I was there," Sean recalls. Sean has gone on to have a career in film and television. Not only is he a stuntman, but also he has had starring roles in several independent films as well as shorts, and numerous television appearances. Never the less he states that his Drive, Hunger, and Burning Sensation to entertain are still growing. "I have been blessed to work in a field I LOVE, and I'm not done," says Sean. Another of Sean's passions is writing. He wrote a couple of Christian plays, one of which had quite a successful run in the local church venue for approximately two years.
Also at a very young age Sean, was introduced to "The Cowboy Way of Life" by his father and maternal grandfather. "They had me on horses early in life." Sean credits his being "A Thrill Seeker, Risk Taker, and an Adrenaline Junkie" to this exposure. One might think riding horses would be enough right? Not for Sean, he soon moved on to Bull Riding, and has actually competed in this event in a number of rodeos nationwide. Sean has taken his "Cowboy Way of Life" and started sharing it with others. He often takes friends and family to a nearby ranch and teaches them how to ride. His biggest source of pride is in participating in a youth camp, "Camp Gid-D-Up," run by JoAnn and Glynn Turman where he is a head counselor, teaches underprivileged youth how to ride horses, maintain a working ranch, and everything else that goes along with "The Cowboy Way of Life".- Actor
- Stunts
Jack Montgomery was born on 14 November 1891 in Omaha, Nebraska, USA. He was an actor, known for The New Frontier (1935), Pursued (1947) and The Outlaw Deputy (1935). He was married to Marian Baxter. He died on 21 January 1962 in Hollywood, California, USA.- Christopher 'Critter' Antonucci is known for Avengers: Endgame (2019), Black Panther (2018) and Planet of the Apes (2001).
- Actor
- Stunts
George Sowards was born on 27 November 1888 in Denver, Missouri, USA. He was an actor, known for Outlawed (1921), Back Fire (1922) and Borrowed Trouble (1948). He was married to Edna E. Zilke. He died on 20 December 1975 in Los Angeles, California, USA.