HOW THE FALL GUY HAS SHONE A SPOTLIGHT ON TWO VETERAN STUNT-GUYS
AT THE LATE-April Los Angeles premiere of The Fall Guy, David Leitch’s paean to the stunt community, Ryan Gosling and the film’s stunt doubles, Ben Jenkin and Logan Holladay, took to the red carpet in matching suits. Seconds later, Jenkin and Holladay were dramatically yanked through a wall, via wires, while cameras flashed and onlookers gasped.
It was just another example —albeit a particularly dramatic one —of how the film has trained a focus on stunt performers’ deathdefying work. Beyond the plot of the film, which follows the adventures of stuntman Colt Seavers (Gosling), it boasts the first-ever stunt-designer credit (for Chris O’Hara), and has worked a string of impressive action antics into its press tour. It’s all helped keep the on-going campaign for a stunts category at the Oscars, kick-started decades ago by veteran coordinator Jack Gill, a conversation in Hollywood and beyond.
“We don’t do this for the recognition,” parkour specialist Jenkin tells Empire, “but making this film has brought a lot of light to our business that I think has been needed.” It’s attention that Jenkin, who considers the eight full body fire-burns he performed on set “good fun”, took some time adjusting to. “The first interview I did was me and Logan sat on a couch with David, Ryan and Emily [Blunt]. I remember looking around and thinking ‘What the hell am I doing here?’” Jenkin recalls
