STUNTSTRUCK! Ordinary people doing extraordinary things.

Sala  Baker is a Stuntman and Actor best known for playing Sauron in The Lord Of The Rings  movies. We discuss  his move to Hollywood twenty years ago during and while still in his early days in the Industry and the challenges he faced navigating a new life. We talk about values and habits that get us through the grind of finding success.

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1019674/?ref_=nm_mv_close

Steve grew up on a King Country sheep & beef farm using horses for  stock work.  Pony Club & Polo Cross.  Whilein Melbourne during the mid 90’s Steve helped a  friend organise a week long charity horse ride & decided this could  work in NZ.  Introduced the Great NZ Trail Ride 1996 with 483 riders  around Coromandel for a week raising $40,000 for Multiple Sclerosis. Set up as annual  event building Potable showers from a container. Offered to LOTR  producers for use for free at Hobbiton while building the sets.  Conversation with  UPM lead to the role as Horse Coordinator/HOD  for the LOTR trilogy.

Three years later Steve was the Horse Coordinator for The Last Samurai leading to more features overseas as a Coordinator & Performer. Enough said the rest is history.

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0646070/

Stuntman Carl Van Roon is an 11 x ITF World Champion and Sport Scientist (MSc) with a  passion for sharing the benefits of Martial Arts with people of all  backgrounds, experience levels and styles. Taekwon-Do Hall of Fame 2020, Best Overall Competitor of the ITF World Championships 2009 & 2011, ISKA Sport Karate World Champion 2010 & 2016, All Japan Seishinkan Karate Champion 2007, Former Captain of the NZ National WAKO Kickboxing team.

Stuntman and Horsemaster Rory McTavish has trained stunt horses for Film TV  and advertising to a very high standard and performed the  action himself in front of camera. A stuntman with a strong martial arts background and developing a love for horses in his twenties Rory is on the verge of becoming one of the industries action horse coordinators. Rory is one to watch.

A member of the Stunt Guild of New Zealand Rory  has worked with some of the worlds most experienced performers and  coordinators and is now putting his money and time where it needs to be, HORSES.

"Horses  have become my life, they have fed my family and put a roof over our  heads, they have taught me the value of perseverance and will forever  keep me humble."

Update from me on the Podcast.

Stuntman  Tony Marsh is a well respected and known performer, rigger and team player.. He has doubled for many actors including Ryan Gosling, Jason Statham.  He left School at sixteen to continue with a stunt career that paid more then his teachers. Other stunt roles/movies: Spartacus, The Lovely  Bones, The Hurt Locker (stunt double/performer –  Jeremy Renner, 2007), King Kong (stunt double- Adrian Brody, 2004-2005), The Lord of the Rings , The Hobbit, The Meg, The Mechanic, Wrecked, Avatar..

Stuntman Stuart Williamson was born in South Africa. Stuart did parkour and gymnastics with his friend Dyllon Davidson who is the owner of Concrete Foundation Parkour Academy when 15 years old. Stunts started when he was invited in 2012 by Brandon Livanos to do a physical casting in Cape Town, only to find out it was for Mad Max Fury Road. Stuart made it through the physical casting and became part of the Fury Road stunt team.

He went went to work in Namibia for 7 months, playing the part of a War-Boy as well as various other characters and after about 3 months was asked to be one of the stunt doubles for Tom Hardy. Stuart was mentored by stunt doubles Jacob Tomuri and Adrian Philip McGaw and learned enormously from their vast experience. After that everything "kind" of kicked off for Stuart  to fully focus on becoming the stunt performer he is today.

Actor, Writer, Stuntman,Trainer, Body builder, Barry Duffield was a young boy growing up in Australia's Northern Territory when he  fell in love with all things cinematic. His first job was the  projectionist in the Nhulunbuy cinema. It eventually led to a successful  career as an actor, screenwriter, and now the author of his first  graphic novels Deadman’s Land and Tandoori Apocalypse.

He  began his acting career in 1987, most recently playing Lugo on the  highly regarded and successful ‘Spartacus’ TV series.  Barry graduated  with a degree in  screenwriting and directing.  In 2009 he was selected for the New  Zealand Film Commission First Writers Initiative and served on the New  Zealand Writers Guild Board.

His  spec screenplay Deadman's Land was a 2013 Final Draft Big Break  Screenwriting Competition quarterfinalist and a 2014 Scriptapalooza  Screenwriting quarterfinalist. Hard Out was a 2015 Screencraft  Screenwriting quarterfinalist.

Stunt Coordinator and Second Unit Director Brett Chan's recent work includes  Warrior, Snow Piercer, Marco Polo and Iron Fist. A leader and a visionary Fight Choreographer who is stepping into directing his first feature film. He has over thirty years experience in Martial arts, He has a 7th degree in Shotokan Karate and has trained in several other martial Arts. A personal trainer, a background in Kinesiology and sports rehab. Brett Chan is  is highly respected stunt coordinator and second unit director.  

Stuntman Rob grew up as a sporty and clever kid, an academic overachiever and representing his school and village in various sports. Had all the intentions of becoming a banker and making loads of money while he studied Maths and Economics at university and competed in gymnastics and snowboarding as well.

It wasn’t all easy as Rob’s dad died when he was 19 and he got meningitis and encephalitis during his third year at university. Rob was told he would need constant care and would never walk again. Nine months after that, Rob was able to walk without the aid of crutches though suffered from pretty severe ME or post-viral fatigue.

When Rob started working in banking he decided that he couldn’t sit behind a desk for the rest of his life and became a weekend warrior. Pushing through it to take up Muay Thai, a lot of running (doing ultra-marathons and a multi-day race in the arctic circle), as well as loads of random sports.

It wasn’t until Rob started training with a stunt man at gymnastics that he even considered the film industry as a career path. He worked as a special action extra on various tv shows and eventually on Edge of Tomorrow and Guardians of the Galaxy. He was hooked and decided to work in the film industry. He quit his job and travelled to pursue a career in stunts. The rest is NOW!

Jace started training martial arts (Karate) at age 7 with his mum as his instructor-( hard discipline) haha! He started training in kickboxing and later Muay Thai at 16 years. Received his first Black belt in Aikibujitsu in early 1997, after being a "Uchideshi" - live in student and where Jace accredit many of his skills with weapons etc. In 1991 Studied Sports & Exercise science at uni and moved to do fitness leader/ personal trainer.

Jace was introduces to stunts while working as a lifeguard at movie world and was graded into the Australian stunt register in 2007

Since his first Job, Jace has gone on to work The Hobbit, Hacksaw Ridge,Ghost in the Shell and Mortal Engines. Other Feature Film credits include Aquaman, Pacific Rim Uprising, Danger Close, King Kong v Godzilla, Australian TV series and local productions.

Currently Jiujitsu Instructor, Stunt Actor and upcoming Assistant Coord.

Jason is a Stuntman working succesfully around the world. He is 29 years old, born in the USA  raised in Hong Kong. Growing up Jason watched a lot  of TV, mainly HK action movies, Japanese animation, and Tokusatsu which sparked his interest in the  martial arts. Jason took up Tae Kwon Do and Wushu during this time and heading  into the teenage years he  discovered martial arts tricking, and hasn't stopped since. Jason initially thinking about being a  physiotherapist, but in the back of his mind, he  really wanted to be a  power ranger. Jason trained in tricking and martial arts at a gym called White  lotus and JAM (Joining all Movement), and that was where he started  thinking about doing stunts. Many people he  trained with were also   aspiring stunt performers. Jason witnessed many of those  people fulfill their goals and managed to get onto some really big jobs.  After a few small indie projects, Jason started to gear his training towards  stunts (trying new martial arts: Kali, BJJ, Boxing, MMA, Wing Chun. and  doing a lot of fall practice and filming fight scenes. Recently stepped up into an assisting coordinator role on the largest film in China The Fengshen Trilogy.

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8667354/

Stunt Coordinator - Stunt Performer - Rigger - Horse Master. Multi award winning (SAG & Artemis winner, Taurus nominee)

Dayna  is the ultimate all-round kiwi stunt woman. From her dancing &  fitness background starting a career as Xena: Warrior Princess double,  to gaining multiple lead stunt double roles over the last 20 years for  Charlize Theron, Tilda Swinton, Lynda Carter, Gwyneth Paltrow,  Bridget Regan, Ingrid Bolso Berdal, Lucy Lawless, plus staring lately  in Wonder Woman 1984 and much more. 

Stage combat coordinator Alexander grew up in the very multicultural Birmingham in the UK. His journey  started at college training as an actor. His acting teacher's best mate was a guy called Scott Adkins  (who also went to the same college) Scott would come in fairly regularly  and give talks on stunting and acting which inspired Alexander to become one.  Alexander was lucky enough to get into the  only drama school in the world where you can get a degree in acting and  stage combat. 

 Alexander worked with Scott briefly on Green Street 3 as soon as  he graduated and started straight into working at the East End for the Royal  Opera House  as a resident fighters and then fight directing  for a huge company called “secret cinema”

Later he decided to visit New Zealand to  "door knock" after falling in love with the Lord of the Rings films  and started hustling like he did in the UK messaging  everyone in the Stunt Guild of New Zealand.

Within  a year Alexander was Teaching/ choreographing for most of the training  institutions for actors and theaters in New Zealand. 

http://thenewzealandstagecombatschool.com/

Jason Day started combat sport in 2000. He took to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu very quickly but his stand up game didn't come around until he learned to box.  In 2008 Jason was signed to the UFC where he had three fights, the first against Alan Belcher at the first UFC ever held in Canada.

In 2011 he was hit by a range rover while riding his bike and the resulting injuries ended his fight career.  Jason has been a full time stunt man since about 2013 and loves his job. His credits includes Warrior, Sniper - Assasins End, Altered Carbon, Batwoman, Van Helsing and Skyscrapper and more.

He is the man behind webby: https://webbyagility.com/?fbclid=IwAR33z0pMXNBW6czF5zzf8WzbkXQx1M0djODGhn2tdV1jZRMDc8O40tjMlh0

Peter spent a year as a trainee public relations executive, after university degree. He later returned to Uni for a post grad diploma in education. He worked as High School teacher,teaching German & Geography. He Studied Chinese martial arts (Hood Khar Shaolin 1987 - 1990 / Nan Shaolin Wuzu Quan 1990 - present. Current grade 5th degree black belt equivalent) This was the door to his greatest adventures in learning.  He soon began traveling to Asia to train in 1988, quickly became his second home.  He became scuba dive master in Malaysia and then scuba instructor in Thailand in 1998 to support longer periods of travel and training. Peter arrived NZ 1999 work on his first job 2001 on The Lord of the Rings.  Part time teaching / part time stunts  Peter went on to work on some of the biggest projects in the past twenty years including, Avatar, The Hobbit, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Waterhorse, Vikings and many more. He has stepped back from stunts in 2019 to return to his roots. He lives in West Cork and built training hall where he lives, now teaching Wuzu Quan & Qigong.

Stuntman, Actor, Dancer, Fitness freak, mentor, 4 foot 9 and all of it.

Fiji born Ravi Narayan's career highlights include performing as a  scale/stunt double for Aidan Turner in The Hobbit Trilogy: An Unexpected  Journey (2012), The Desolation of Smaug (2013) and Battle of the Five  Armies (2014), directed by Sir Peter Jackson. During the shooting of  "The Unexpected Journey" Ravi was chosen by Peter Jackson and his Team to play a  Stunt Goblin who fought Gollum in his cave. Kiwi Christmas(2017) -  Played the character Stufur. I played a Hero Dark Elf in Krampus (2015)  directed by Michael Dougherty.    Some of Ravis's other works includes Yogi Bear, Shortland Street, Power  Rangers and Sir Edmund Hillary. He has featured on TV commercials for Moola, Georgie Pie, SRS Clinic and  Hyundai.  He has  appeared on live TV as a contestant for ‘New Zealand’s Got Talent’

Stunt Woman Vanessa Cater's Father was in the Entertainment industry (stand up comedian and Stage Hypnotist). Vanessa was on stage by 5yrs -14yrs old as a magician. Started acting at 14, which was all she ever wanted to do. Got into stunts 11yrs ago when she worked with all the amazing Stunties on Narnia The Lion, the witch and the wardrobe.  Vanessa met Dayna Grant who suggested to her that she should consider stunts, but it took about 3 more yearrs to finally make it on The Legend of the seeker. Later Vanesse worked on Spartacus, Ash vs Evil and soon  decided to risk it all and "TRY" the LA thing. Better to try and fail than not, and always wonder!!! 6yrs and a GREENCARD later, Vanessa is finally making headway over in Hollywood. 

 Ron Smoorenburg (46) holds the world record record highest kick (11 feet) is mainly known for the end fight in Jackie Chan's 'Who am I?' (1998) which got a Hong Kong Oscar for the best action scene of the year.  Over the last 20 plus years Ron worked with a lot of well known martial art action stars like; Jackie Chan, Tony Jaa, Jean Claude van Damme, Donnie Yen, Iko Uwais, Michael Jay White, Gary Daniels, Marko Zaror, Steven Seagal, Kane Kosugi and Scott Adkins and developed himself in the last 20 years as an actor which with a versatile and experienced action background. 

Not long after Ron was discovered by the world in the award winning Jackie Chan movie Who am I? He was quickly undiscovered in the Jackie Chan My Stunts documentary. In our first meet, Ron talks openly about his love for the movies and martial arts and how quickly things can change  and the steps he took to become and still one of the most wanted bad guys in Martial Arts films.

Augie Davis, who is well-known for his work on The Lord of the Rings, and The Hobbit (2012) is a Stunt coordinator and Action Director. Born in  Fiji and raised in New Zealand and working everywhere.