British Stuntman.com
Image above Forest Whitaker
Image above - Deep Roy - Little Kiran
Story 2. How I met my first stuntman and put my foot in it!
I was teaching a kids Trampolining class near Heathrow Airport in the 90s, having been told by the kids a Stuntman was coming to class this week.
I playfully shouted to the group of kids surounding the Trampoline, "Right you lot, you said we had someone famous coming, wheres this Stuntman then?"
He was standing right next to me. He was the same height as the kids.
After stumbling over my words brielfy I swiftly recovered it and met Little Kiran - Deep Roy - Who was the umpluma in Charlie & the Chocolate Factory.
He was training for the British Stunt Register, which i had never heard of.
The coming weeks, whilst teaching him trampolining, I found out about this Stunt Register and embarked on an apic journey over 4 years to obtain the 6 qualifications in various sports to become a proud member of the British Stunt Register. www.littlekiran.com
Funny Stories from set
Story 1. How Forest Whitaker nearly broke my neck.
When I got to meet and work with one of my favourite actors, I didnt know we would be working so closley.
I was the assistant to the Stunt Coordintor on a film called the Fourth Angel, whilst also being Jerremy Irons Stunt Double.
We were doing a hostile train attack scene led by one the most famous Stunt Coordinator in the world Vic Armstrong.
As a grenade was thrown, Forest Whitaker has to dive out of the way, onto some train seats. He kept getting injured as the seats were to hard to land on.
With limited resources on the train, the Director - running out of time shouted "What can we use to cushion his fall? A blank sea of faces doning machine guns looked back at the Director said nothing.
Suddenly everones eyes were looking straight at me. Smart Simon Emanue the 2AD said "what about Matt?" and boom that's how I became "Forest Whitaker's Stunt Cushion"
Now, the slight issue was, Forest was the heaviest I had ever seen him, meaning he would be running full tilt then leaping into the air to make it look more dramatic and I was the landing pad.
Action! Small arms fire was echoing all around the train and then began Forest's swan dive towards me. I was sitting quiet comfortably on a first class seat watching this airborn torpedo of pain in slow motion heading towards me.
Click click click...you know.....the clicks, like when you goto a chiropractor...My whole kneck clicked with the impact and the air was rudly taken out of my lungs by the forces of physics.
Cut! A round of applause from the crew for Forest and I quietly sat myself down for 5 mins on another 1st class seat to restore the oxygen to my lungs and check my neck could still move.
So Stuntwork is not always what it appears to be.
Legally & HSE Qualified Stunt Professional