Stunt community toils quietly behind the scenes, until tragedy strikes

It was around 10:15am when the texts and emails started coming in: Did you hear about the stunt performer who died on the set of Deadpool 2? Is it someone from Vancouver? How did it happen? Why?

The name of the stuntwoman who died this morning will undoubtedly emerge in the coming days, as will the details surrounding her tragic death. I’m not here to speculate on the hows and whys. But we don’t need to know her name and personal details in order to feel the loss, and also to pause and reflect on the role that stunt performers play in our local film and television industry.

I’ve had the good fortune to count many stunt performers among my friends (including one of the original reel people in my life, the late stunt artist and actor Darren Shahlavi), and also to observe them in action on set. The stunt artists I know share a few things in common: they’re hard-working; they’re daring; they love to train and learn new things; their enjoyment of their work is unparalleled; they’re professional; they’re somehow both proud of what they’re able to do and also humble, because they’re not doing it for name recognition or glory. They’re crashing through rings of fire and fighting hand to hand combat and pushing their bodies to the max so that they can create something special for the screen, and – particularly in the case of stunt doubles – so that they can keep the non-stunt actors safe.

The stunt coordinators I know make safety a priority. It’s an essential part of the job, and in Vancouver especially, they do it so damn well. There’s a reason that we haven’t had a stunt-related death in British Columbia since 1996: safety comes first.

And sometimes, accidents happen, despite careful planning. And that is terrible, and heartbreaking, and sends shockwaves through the community.

I honour the stuntwoman who died today. I honour the stunt performers in our community who bring it every single day without glory. It’s a small community, and I know they’re feeling the loss acutely. Everyone I know in the stunt world either worked on the first Deadpool film (itself an incredible tribute to our local stunt community), or knows someone who worked on it. Next time you’re watching a film, pay special attention to the stunts section of the end credits. They literally put their bodies on the line to entertain us all.