Tell about yourself and your background! *
I'm an old soul, always have been. I got into the business as an actor. Throughout my 20's and early 30's the martial arts were a big part of my life, which means I got the living crap beat out of me all the time, but it also made me confident that I at least had a pretty good pain tolerance, which is ultimately what gave me the courage to try a career in stunts. Most people that know me know that I'm a performing strongman, not to be confused with the modern sport of strongman like you would see on ESPN. What I do are very old school, traditional feats of strength like bending various steel bars, horseshoes, tearing phonebooks, and things of that nature. I usually have at least a few items with me on set, so if we're ever working together and you want to see me bend something, ask and you shall receive!
What inspired you to become a stunt performer?
That's an easy one. It was a book called "The Strongman" by Joe Bonomo. Bonomo was a pioneer stuntman from the silent era who got his start doubling the great Lon Chaney in the original "Hunchback Of Notre Dame. "It's my favorite book of all time. If you are interested in the history of our business I highly recommend it, loaded with stunt stories from a bygone era.
What is your greatest skill as a stunt performer, is there a stunt behind it?
I'd have to say probably my acting. I would never claim to be the most elite level stuntperson in the business, nor am I the most elite level actor in the world. A stuntman that can really act though? Yeah, I'd say that's probably the ace up my sleeve. As a matter of fact, there is a stunt behind it. Peewee Piemonte was coordinating an episode of The Newsroom with Jeff Daniels in NY. Peewee's wife Julie Michaels put out a casting call for a juicy part that came up on the show that required a stuntman that had the acting chops to hang with Jeff Daniels. I sent Julie my stuff, she got me an audition, and I got the part. Not only did I work with Daniels, but Terry Crews as well. The stunt that day wasn't all that complicated, but I did get slammed into the concrete many, many times. I can still remember those bruises! I had done a few notable jobs before that, but that was the job that really got things rolling and introduced me to the NY community.
What is the best part about being a stunt performer?
I'd have to say it's kind of like we are low key movie stars. We're paid well, we're treated with a certain level of respect on set, and we get to keep our anonymity and still go to the grocery store or wherever and not be hounded by people. It's like the best of both worlds!
Tell your all-time favorite stunt story!
I actually have one in mind but the reason it's my favorite is very personal to me so I'm going to have to keep that one to myself! I'll give you this one though, that time I got to do a full burn on The Blacklist! It's really not much of a story, just the fact that I got to a full burn on a major show was amazing because I had kind of accepted that I might not ever get the chance to do that. I will say this though, according to some of the crew that lit me up that night, even amongst full burns, it was a pretty gnarly one! Also, I would LOVE to get more full burns under my belt. Hint hint coordinators!
What advice would you give other stunt performers?
When you start buying pads, always buy at least two pairs whenever you can! I wasn't told that when you are doubling somebody, they are unofficially your responsibility, I had to find that one out for myself. Be the kind of person that a coordinator doesn't mind having around for 14 hours straight. Finally, don't be a jerk to the newbies, or even the background peeps who express an interest in getting into stunts. It really is a small community, and we all pretty much know each other. If a person is serious and sticks with it, there's a good chance that you might find yourself sharing a trailer with them down the line!
Anything else you'd like to tell the community about?
Just looking forward to the day when I can create something that all my friends and colleagues can work on. If all goes as planned, that day is coming!
Please share your social media handles and how we can follow you!
Please include any links to stunt reels or videos you'd like to share!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQXSL4kX5xA&t=16s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWd3gDxD3Vg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsnd6EuX3Cg&t=22s
