How James Gunn Really Feels About Actors Doing Their Own Stunts
As the mastermind behind huge hit films like "Guardians of the Galaxy" and the recent "The Suicide Squad," James Gunn is quickly gaining a reputation as one of the most iconic filmmakers of this generation. Since 2010, Gunn has excelled in the art of superhero films, which are complete with tons of action and death-defying stunts — so it's no wonder that fans are so excited to hear updates on "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3," which is due to premiere on May 5, 2023.
While some actors like Margot Robbie — who plays the wonderfully evil Harley Quinn — have managed to pull off incredible stunts in their films, many of the amazing feats we see on the big screen are thanks to the careful work of professional stunt performers. In fact, in a recent Twitter thread, Gunn revealed his personal thoughts on actors performing their own stunts in films, and his answer may surprise you.
James Gunn wants actors to be safe
After sharing a picture of Daniela Melchior and her stunt double Katie Eischen behind the scenes of "The Suicide Squad," Gunn answered some fans' questions about stunt doubles and how stunts are performed on movie sets. One fan with the Twitter handle @gooseandsloth asked, "What's your stance on actors doing their own stunts?" to which Gunn replied:
"I don't know of an American actor who does ALL their own stunts. Some actors are good at some stunts &, if it's not dangerous (meaning there's no chance they're going to break a leg & shut down production), & they really want to, then I'm ok with it."
Another fan named @amy2ree went on to ask if film studios or insurance companies object to actors performing stunts. Gunn noted that he's personally never had an insurance company stop an actor from doing a stunt, and added, "no good filmmaker is going to let an actor do a stunt if it means there's a reasonable risk of injury. Also, actors suck at real stunts, just like stunt people aren't usually great actors."
While fans continued asking questions about which actors actually perform their stunts and which don't, Gunn made his feelings toward professional stunt performers clear.
James Gunn shared his love for all performers
Some fans took the opportunity to ask Gunn if "The Suicide Squad" cast members John Cena and Dave Bautista performed their own stunts since they each have a history of professional wrestling, but Gunn quickly shut them down. "Both those guys are amazing athletes & great at fights but neither one is going to jump off a building," he replied. "I wouldn't let them even if they wanted to. Stunt work is a different set of skills than wrestling. People need to appreciate this."
After fielding more questions about specific actors and their stunts, Gunn shared some love for the professional stunt performers in the industry. He tweeted: "I'm uncomfortable with all of these questions about which actor did what stunts. NO actor can do stunts like a great stunt person. We should acknowledge all the great work our stunt community does. Too many actors try to steal that thunder from them to begin with."
So the next time you watch a film from Gunn or one of the other many talented action film directors, you may want to consider keeping the stunt doubles in mind — they're likely responsible for some of the most unbelievable — yet totally real — stunts.