As part of their “So You Want My Job” series, The Art of Manliness recently interviewed stuntman Greg Tracy, who has worked on films such as The Bourne Ultimatum and GI Joe. Tracy talks about how he became a stuntman and different aspects of his job.
It’s your typical summertime blockbuster film. The thieves sprint from the bank to an awaiting getaway car which takes off with the police in hot pursuit. It’s a high-speed game of cat and mouse as the cars zoom through the city streets, dramatically weaving, turning, and leaving explosions in their wake. The camera shows a close-up of the movie’s star at the wheel, but when they zoom out we all know it’s not really him at the controls: it’s a stuntman.
Studios typically don’t like to risk their investment in their actors’ million-dollar smiles, so when it’s time to leap from burning buildings, have a slug-fest, jump from a window, or soar over a bridge on a motorcycle, they bring in the trained professionals. Stuntmen star in some of the coolest, most exciting, and most dangerous parts of movies. Which has always made this profession certifiably badass.
Greg Tracy has been doing this manly job for almost two decades now. He’s been a stunt driver in over 400 commercials as well as big films like the Bourne Ultimatum, GI Joe, the Fast and the Furious 3, Spiderman 3, and the Dukes of Hazzard. In his “downtime” he races for Ducati and is the five time Pikes Peak Champion. You can see him in action, winning the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in this short film on YouTube, 156 Turns.
So You Want My Job: Stuntman
In a Maxim article (May 2009) titled, Cool Stunt, Man!, stunt guru Darrin Prescott (photo is not of him), the man in charge of stunts for the Bourne trilogy and Spider-man 3, shows us the stuntman ropes.
How to take a punch
1. If a fist is flying toward your face, try to take the punch with your forehead, the body’s built-in battering ram. It beats getting popped in the mouth or nose, and if you’re lucky, it may even break his hand.
2. Gut punch? Don’t hold your breath. Instead, try to relax your whole body and exhale as the blow hits your beer belly. [...]
Parallel park… at 30 mph
1. Approach from the opposite direction, stomp the brakes, and pull the emergency brake making a quarter turn toward the space.
2.When you get to 90 degrees, release the emergency brake slightly and immediately reengage it. This will help you slide laterally into the space.
[...]
Fall from a roof
As soon as you begin to fall, spin around and pick your fall spot. Fall at a slightly forward-leaning angle so you can shoulder-roll as soon as the balls of your feet touch. If you’re a righty, roll right.
Light yourself on fire
1. Buy a CarbonX shirt ($85, stuntequipmentshop.com). The fire-resistant material will stop the hellish heat… sort of.
2. Over the CarbonX shirt, wear a natural-fiber shirt. “Fake fibers melt. Melting is bad on humans,” says Prescott. Good tip!
3. As it ignites on a candle, bolt to the shower. [...]
Stay awake at work when you’re hung over
1. Eat protein, drink Gatorade, and, yes, take short walks (revving the old metabolism will boost your energy levels).
2. Resist naps with typeracer.com, where you challenge fellow cubicle monkey to typing races. You boss will think you’re working. [...]
Bail out of a moving vehicle
1. [...] First, roll down the window to lessen wind resistance when you swing the door open.
2. Dive out the open door, staying parallel to the ground. Do a quarter rotation in the air with your arms close to your body as your land on your shoulder and roll. [...]
Here’s a bonus. In the same issue, this how-to was featured, with Mike Justus, the stunt double for Iron Man, showing you how to condition yourself to become a stuntman.
1. Prisoner Squat
With your hands behind your head, sit back at your hips and bend your knees until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Then press though your heels back to a standing position. Do 30 reps.
2. Dumbbell Swing
Stand with feet shoulder width apart. Grab a dumbbell with an overhand grip and swing between your legs as you bend at the knees. Swing it back up chest high, then back down. Pray your neighbors aren’t watching. Do 30 reps.
3. Swiss Ball Planks
Put your elbows on the ground and your shins on the top of a Swiss ball. Make your body rigid like you’re doing a push-up. Squeeze your abs. Hold this position for 60 seconds. Rest 60 seconds, weep quietly, and repeat!
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