Every stunt person starts somewhere, and that somewhere is usually the ground. I once tripped over a curb and turned it into a three-roll commando tumble. My friends thought I was dying; I was just practicing.
You’re essentially taking that awkward stumble you do in public and turning it into a marketable skill. That time you slipped on a wet floor and somehow landed on your feet? That’s your audition tape.
Start with parkour or gymnastics. Not because you want to be a ninja, but because you need to know where your limbs are at all times. It’s like learning to drive, but with your own body as the car.
Get Yourself a "Stunt Double" Kit
Your first purchase isn’t a leather jacket and a motorcycle; it’s a good pair of kneepads. I wore mine under my jeans for a week, and my mother thought I’d developed a weird obsession with floor cleaning.
You’ll also need a thickly padded jacket, a mouthguard (trust me, your dentist will thank you), and a serious sense of humility. You are spending most of your time falling onto foam mats, which is basically being a toddler with a paycheck.
Learn to punch yourself in the face safely. No, really. Film fights are choreographed chaos, and you need to slap your own thigh for sound effects while turning your head like you’ve been clocked. It’s a weird skill, like whistling while eating a sandwich.
