Stuntmen

Daniel Brizuela                                                                                                                              11/25/11

Stuntmen.

            Since the invention of film, one thing that has been common in most films, but mostly action oriented films, are stuntmen. A stuntman, double, or performer, is someone who does the dangerous stunts seen in many films that are considered too dangerous for the actor to do. These include the parkour chase, where you move around objects very quickly, in 2006s Casino Royale, the helicopter in the freeway chase in 1991s Terminator 2, and Buster Keaton not moving when a part of a house falls on him and there’s an open window where he was standing in 1928s Steamboat Bill, Jr.

            Although these stunts are dangerous to do, there are a lot of safety mechanisms in place to make sure that the stuntman is safe. It is easier to do all this in movies, shows, and other media as opposed to doing it with a live audience since of the safety concerns and the clever editing to hide out the fact that the actor isn’t doing his own stunt.

            Some famous stuntmen in films include Jim Ford, who performed stunts in 2010’s Knight and Day and The Bounty Hunter, Kane Hodder, who played Jason Voorhees in the 8^th to 10^th Friday The 13^th films, and Bob Simmons, who performed the stunts in many of the early James Bond films and was the one who played Bond in the gun barrel opening sequence in the first three films. Even though it’s recommended to have a stuntman, many actors like to do their own stunts. Jackie Chan was given the Guinness World Record for performing the most stunts as an actor. Recently he’s done less because of his age and the injuries he incurred from doing these stunts. Steve McQueen performed many stunts in his films that involved vehicles. Other actors include silent film stars Harold Lloyd and Buster Keaton, and Angelina Jolie.

            Even though there are numerous precautions and attempts to make sure that stunts are safe and okay to do, there are times when stunts go wrong and certain people, whether the stuntman, actor, or anyone, can get hurt or even killed. Stunts gone wrong include a 1984 Pepsi commercial where Michael Jackson’s hair caught on fire and he suffered 2^nd degree burns on his scalp, A flood scene in 1928’s Noah’s Ark where three people died and others were injured, and recently a stuntman was killed in The Expendables 2.

            Even through all dangers that they have to face, and the risks involved in doing it, stuntmen keep doing what they do. To them being a stuntman is very exciting but at the same time can be a very dangerous career for anyone to do.