Stunt performers who serve as body doubles for actors are sometimes undervalued, despite their significant contribution to the filming process. In recent years, an increasing number of performers and others in the entertainment business have advocated for acknowledgment by including ‘stunts’ as an Oscar category. Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt’s recent film, ‘The Fall Guy’, makes a similar argument by emphasising the role of stunt performers in Hollywood. ‘The Fall Guy’, an action comedy, made its Los Angeles debut at the premiere earlier today and it will hit theatres on May 3.
At the film’s premiere, Ryan Gosling was all praise for the work of stunt performers. He said, “They are the hardest working people in show business. This movie is just a giant campaign to get stunts an Oscar category. We are the face of these films, but the crews really make the movies, and this is a love letter to them.”
For the unversed, ‘The Fall Guy’ is partially based on the 1980s television series of the same name, which revolved on stunt performers. David Leitch directed it, and Drew Pearce wrote it. The narrative revolves around a stuntman who tries to save his ex-girlfriend’s directorial debut action movie but becomes embroiled in a conspiracy involving the film’s star actor, who suddenly disappears.
‘The Fall Guy’ is full of extravagant stunts, many of which pay tribute to classic action films such as ‘Sharky’s Machine’ and ‘Casino Royale’. One of the film’s stunt sequences set a Guinness World Record for “the most cannon rolls in a car”. Logan Holladay, a stunt driver, completed eight and a half rolls, breaking the previous record of seven cannon rolls set by stuntman Adam Kirley in the James Bond film ‘Casino Royale’.
Ryan Gosling has previously lobbied for increased respect for stunt performers, and he said the same at the LA film premiere. In a BBC interview earlier, he had said, “They play our characters as well, they’re actors too, in the same union. But they hide their face and disappear into the shadows and everyone pretends they weren’t there. The better they are at their job, the more they disappear in a way. It ends now.”
Adding onto the same, Emily Blunt also had said, “They’ve trained for this, they have courage beyond words and I think because there is an innate humility with stunt performers, they don’t feel the need to broadcast what they do. But I think it’s time that we do.”
Here are a few glimpses from the grand movie premiere in Los Angeles:
1. Ryan Gosling
Ryan Gosling, left, and Emily Blunt arrive at the premiere of ‘The Fall Guy’ in Los Angeles.
2. Blake Shelton & Gwen Stefani
Blake Shelton, left, and Gwen Stefani arrive at the premiere of ‘The Fall Guy’ in Los Angeles.
3. Ryan Gosling & Mikey Day
Ryan Gosling, left, and Mikey Day arrive at the premiere of ‘The Fall Guy’ in Los Angeles.
4. Ryan Gosling
Ryan Gosling arrives at the premiere of ‘The Fall Guy’ in Los Angeles.
5. Emily Blunt
Emily Blunt arrives at the premiere of ‘The Fall Guy’ in Los Angeles.
6. Hannah Waddingham
Hannah Waddingham arrives at the premiere of ‘The Fall Guy’ in Los Angeles.