What is a Stuntman?
Stuntmen have been entertaining the world for centuries. Think about it. Medieval knights risked life and limb in jousting tournaments for gold, glory and the maiden princess’ hand. Professionally, tumblers, jugglers and other circus performers toured the World, entertaining and performing daredevil feats that left the crowd in awe. The invention of film has only been around for a short time (compared to the existence of the human race), but it wasn’t until The Stuntmen’s Association of Motion Picture was formed in 1961 that ‘Stunts’ became a real full time profession.
Over the past 120 years film has evolved, and the role of the stuntman has evolved with it. When Hollywood studios were new, potential employees would line up outside the studio in hopes of getting work. Literally, the Assistant Director would go outside, and pick out background performers, stunt performers and crew based on their specific needs for the day. “Can you fall off a horse?” was a common question asked back then. Hands would shoot up as unqualified, untrained hopefuls would be more interested in the $5 stunt adjustment than their own safety. A stuntman was anyone who was willing to do a stunt. There was no organization, training was on the job, safety was an afterthought, and union protection was still a long ways off.
Today, stunts have evolved into a sophisticated performing art, where the performers are playing characters faced with serious danger. Stuntmen must be solid actors in addition to being world class athletes. They must take on the character, tell the story and keep everyone safe. The fact of the matter is stunts are not what people think they are. So why are so many people misinformed about stunt performers and what will it take to get action movie fans caught up with the times?
The job of being a stuntman is physically and mentally demanding. The performer must roll with the punches (sometimes literally) as they risk life and limb to tell the story and come out alive and intact. While a simple stunt like a person tripping and falling may look simple, it can be more dangerous than jumping off a 100′ building if the people setting up and performing the stunt are not qualified. That “simple” foot fall could injure not just the performer, but the other actors in the scene, the camera guy or anyone on the crew if done incorrectly.
Stuntmen are a type of professional athlete. The stunt coordinator is like their ‘team coach’. Some stunt coordinators like Spiro Raxatos who stunt coordinated Fast & Furious 5, 6 and 7 brings back the same stunt team film after film.
To stay a valuable member of a stunt team, each performer is responsible for maintaining their own skills and physique. Stunt performers must maintain their physical form by working out, eating right and a fair amount of mental recharge time. It is important for stunt performers to take the necessary time to rest and heal from physical wear and tear, injury and exhaustion. Stunt people are responsible for more than their own safety, so showing up to set in an unfit condition creates a potential for harming others.
Stunt performers must be versatile and good at taking direction. Within a single project a stunt performer may need to be a stunt rigger one day, a stunt double next and then play a part over the weekend. They need to be able to listen to the wants and needs of the director and stunt coordinator who sometimes tell them to do 2 conflicting things. Stunt doubles need to study how their actors move when playing the part and they need to be able to mimic the characters idiosyncrasies and movement. The more versatile a stuntman becomes the more work there is for him/her and the more likely that performer is to get that call to work on a big movie out of town.
Stuntmen are also not immune to the egocentric pressures of Hollywood. If you are a stunt performer the first thing that matters in getting a job is your look. When a stunt coordinator has a job to fill, he will only consider performers that look right for the part first. He will then compare the skills of each performer that looks right, and pick his favorite for the part. Stunt doubles like stuntman are extremely concerned with the way they look. Brady realized early on that more talented performers were often passed up to the performer with the right look. Brady will often drop 10 or more pounds in several days to be the right size for doubling an actor., and the only way he can do that is by carefully maintaining a healthy diet and workout regiment. Working stunt performers constantly maintain the right look as a constant factor in the level of their success.
Like many other professional athletes, Stunt Performers have a narrow age window for their career. If they have not already started Stunt Coordinating by age 45, they may see their careers already winding down. Many stuntmen attempt to migrate to the stunt coordinator role as their careers progress, however Stunt Coordinating is even more competitive than performing and there are fewer jobs. Many people who give stunts a go do not ever reach they level they want. Many live life on the edge every day, and when the stunt work dries up they move on to greener pastures. Other stunt performers will work as much as they can as long as they can, and when its time,, they will buy a home far away from Los Angeles and retire.
A few years ago, I wrote an article about why stuntmen and women should have a category at the Academy Awards. After remembering an interview with Jack Gill, a stunt legend who has been pushing and advocating for recognition from the Academy, I decided to bring this issue to light. Months later, I became immersed in the world of stunts as I began working with Stuntman Brady Romberg on his various ventures. I thought I had a clear idea of what a stuntman does, but as time went on I was reminded of how much pure work all members of the stunt world do. Some of the work I was aware of, while others I was made aware as this went on. However it is way more involved than I could have even imagined.
Stuntmen are truly the unsung heroes of the entertainment world. Even in the days of CGI and other special effects, these professionals continue to play a crucial role in the overall entertainment process. It’s easy for one to be cynical and say “this looks easy” or “I could do that.” The fact is, a majority of us cannot. It takes a special set of skills, something that only a select group has truly achieved. So the next time you watch something with a lot of (or any) action in it, take a moment to appreciate the hard work and dedication that these men and women in the stunt world put into it. While a majority of stuntmen and women realize their role is behind-the-scenes, that does and should not diminish the hard work that they put into it. If anything, it makes them work that much harder and therefore their appreciation should be that much more deserved
Here is a link from our site called Action Academy if you or anyone you know wants to become a stuntman.
Originally posted on Action Academy.
