Stunt People Need More Credit

February 11, 2019

I was reading an article about how the stuntmen (and women) looked very much the same as the leading actors in the movie. Their pay is only a fraction of what the actors received. Do you think that they should have more credit for their stunts than the actors they represent?

jack25 · February 11, 2019

I think that they deserve more credit and a larger share of the cake for the roles they play in completing the bigger picture for the lead actors. Either way, who will push this agenda? Probably the industry expects them to use the opportunity and chart their own paths. Are there any famous actors who started out as stunt doubles?

February 22, 2019

Are there any famous actors who started out as stunt doubles?

I know one, Jackie Chan. He started as a stuntman and then worked his way to become a lead actor. Even to this day, he does his own stunts in his movies.

Zack T · February 22, 2019

Yes and no. I do think they deserve more credit, but not all movies make heavy use of stunt actors. But those that do should make them a bit more known. However, their role is only part of the movie - The badass part. While that definitely takes the skill and expertise they have as a stunt actor, the lead actor is the one who actually gets the audience to connect to the character to make the audience even care about the stunt happening in the first place.

So I don't think they should get equal billing/pay/hype, but they definitely deserve more than they get now.

headrush · February 22, 2019

I know one, Jackie Chan. He started as a stuntman and then worked his way to become a lead actor. Even to this day, he does his own stunts in his movies.

Chan's life story is interesting. Really humble beginnings. It's a miracle he still gets around, considering that he's broken just about every bone in his body and had so many close calls on film sets.

jack25 · February 23, 2019

Yes and no. I do think they deserve more credit, but not all movies make heavy use of stunt actors. But those that do should make them a bit more known. However, their role is only part of the movie - The badass part. While that definitely takes the skill and expertise they have as a stunt actor, the lead actor is the one who actually gets the audience to connect to the character to make the audience even care about the stunt happening in the first place.

So I don't think they should get equal billing/pay/hype, but they definitely deserve more than they get now.

I couldn't agree more @Zack T and it is easy to think that the stunt actors play a bigger role than they actually do. Nonetheless, their minor roles in some movies, need to be celebrated more! @Incredible Iron, I never knew that Jackie Chan started out as a stunt actor. He has definitely achieved a lot in the course of his career.

February 25, 2019

Zack has a point. I just pity those stunt people who sacrificed their lives for a TV show or a film. If they won't have the same salary as the leading actors, then at least they should have more exposure or awards like having an Oscar award for them.

February 25, 2019

Being a stunt double is no easy task and many have been seriously injured and even killed on the job. Even though their parts in the film are (usually) small, the risk involved is large. I think you'd really have to have a love for your work to pull off being a stunt double.

March 5, 2019

Now that I think about it, stunt people rarely ever get interviewed in the build-up to the movie or afterwards. It seems quite unfair for actors/actresses to get all the credit for amazing performances, despite using stunt people. As for the payments, however, I believe it is fair for the actors/actresses to earn more because they attract more fans, earning big bucks for the movie.

March 6, 2019

I can't say much about this since I don't know what they actually earn, of course it will just be a fraction of what the actors earn, but I guess that's show business. I do think that they deserve more credit, especially the ones really making a movie what it is, like action movies. I think it would be cool to see more interviews with these people talking about the movie and the stunts they do.

March 7, 2019

Interviews and post-credit scenes of the dangerous stunts are good ways to get these stunt people the exposure that they needed. I always wonder how these stunt people endure the heat when they film a scene of getting burned alive.