Hollywood’s real superheroes always go unseen
- posted: 12 June 2007
- scrollarts@byui.edu
Trailers for this summer’s blockbusters, such as Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End and The Bourne Ultimatum, promise breathtaking stunts. However, neither Johnny Depp nor Matt Damon were harmed in the making of these films.
Many moviegoers are aware that behind the scenes of nearly every motion picture is a special assortment of actors called stunt doubles. These men and women usually take the place of main stars whenever a dangerous or incredible feat is performed. Doubles may also be used to do things that actors either don’t know how to do, or cannot do because of contractual agreements made with filmmakers.
Stunt performers, in the course of their work, might be asked to jump off a building, be blown off a cliff by a massive explosion or lose a bone-breaking battle to a super-villain.
The life of a stunt double, also known as a stuntman or stuntwoman, is extremely dangerous. Safety is the main issue when performing stunts, but injuries do occur. Johnny Depp’s double in At World’s End is now in a wheelchair and suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder after a fall on set.
Bruce Willis’ double for the upcoming Die Hard movie fractured his skull and broke numerous ribs due to an accident during filming.
What movie fans may be wondering, however, is why and how these people took the leap into such a dangerous and thankless career. For some stunt men, simply loving movies and the characters they are portraying is reason enough to put their lives on the line.
“I’m probably one of the biggest Spider-Man fans of all time,” said Holland Diaz, Tobey Maguire’s stunt double for Spider-Man 3, in a recent interview with New Orleans newspaper Times-Picayune. Because of this love for the web-slinging superhero, Diaz put his life at risk to help produce action shots for the movie.
“Anytime you have an inkling that it’s not Tobey and you can’t see his face, that will be me getting my butt whooped,” said Diaz.
For some performers, the rush of being a part of the movie business and portraying memorable characters in dangerous situations is well worth the risks inherent in the job.
The excitement of jumping from a moving car or leaping out of a fast-moving jumbo jet is often what these dare-devils seek.
“Once I got the training and I started working on film sets, I realized this is what I wanted to do. You get that adrenaline rush, and I just find the work—the physical challenge of stunts—really fulfilling,” said professional stuntwoman Joyce McNeal in a September 2000 issue of the Los Angeles-based Windspeaker.
For those looking to get into the stunt industry, McNeal says the most effective way is to make friends with those who are already in the business.
“The best way to get in is to meet a stunt performer. There are different people here that have the facilities in their backyards that can train people. They’re set up to do high falls and can show you how to do fight scenes,” McNeal said.
There are also a number of schools across the United States that offer professional stunt training. The United Stuntmen’s Association is holding multiple training sessions in Seattle this summer as part of their International Stunt School program. This program is revered as one of the best of its kind in the nation. More information can be found online at www.stuntschool.com. 
