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MOVIE FEATURE

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Just some of the movies David Leitch has been a stuntman in.

Just like Australia’s own Nash Edgerton, there comes a time when every stuntman must call it a day for the sake of self-preservation. Words Gill Pringle W hile Nash was taking the punches for his brother Joel - as well as doing stunts on such iconic films as The

But instead of Majors’ superhuman take on the role, Gosling portrays him as a battle scarred stuntman who, having left the business a year earlier to focus on both his physical and mental health, is drafted back into service when the star of a mega-budget studio movie being directed by his ex-girlfriend (Blunt), goes missing. Gosling eagerly embraced the role. “The opportunity to work with David Leitch was so exciting to me because I’m a fan, but also the fact that he’s a stunt performer who’s making a film about the stunt community just felt like the perfect fit,” says the Barbie and La La Land star. “Setting an action movie within the world of the people who make action movies felt so authentic, because they’re the only people who really know how to achieve those things. "One of my first acting jobs was on a kids’ action show called Young Hercules , so

Matrix , Wolverine , and Star Wars - he was planning a future career as a filmmaker. Ditto Brad Pitt’s former stuntman, David Leitch, who ten years ago also segued into a safer career behind the camera, directing box office hits Bullet Train, Deadpool 2, and Atomic Blonde . But once a stuntman always a stuntman, and he long dreamed of making a movie that would honour his profession. “ The Fall Guy , to me, is truly a love letter to stunt performers and the unsung heroes of the film industry - the highly skilled and talented artisans who contribute their passion and dedication to the art of moviemaking,” says Leitch. “It’s a tribute to the production designers, cinematographers, grips, electricians, PAs, ADs, and everyone in between who pour their hearts and souls into crafting the magic of storytelling on screen. This project holds a special place in my heart, because it weaves in real-life anecdotes from my journey as a stunt performer and a part of the crew.” The term ‘fall guy’ has a rich history in the stunt world, originally

Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt

Ryan Gosling with David Leitch

given this term a broader meaning. It’s evolved into a metaphor where our fall guy is not just a stuntman taking falls for the camera; he’s someone unfairly taking the blame for something he didn’t do. He’s also a man who’s fallen deeply in love, willing to risk it all to reclaim the love of his life,” says Leitch, who cast his dream couple of Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt to tell this story, which is equal parts rom-com and action adventure. Inspired by the hit 1980s TV series, The Fall Guy stars Gosling as

I’ve almost always had a stunt double. In my experience with stunt doubles, they’ll come in, do all the cool stuff, risk everything, then disappear into the shadows, and the actors take credit for what they’ve done. So, it’s exciting to be part of

something that shines a spotlight back onto them, and highlights all of the incredible things that they do and the risks they take to do it,” he says.

David Leitch co-directed the first John Wick movie, but was not credited due to the rules of the American Director’s Guild. DYK?

referring to the performers who take physical hits for the sake of creating cinematic magic. “They’re the ones falling off horses, bikes, or down a set of stairs. But in our film, we’ve

Colt Seavers, whom Lee Majors memorably played on the small screen.

• The Fall Guy is out Aug 7

10 AUGUST 2024

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