by Breidi Caparatta

Created on: December 06, 2008

If you consider yourself the type of person that wants to make an income from living on the edge, the life of a stunt man may be just the thing for you! If jumping off a twenty story building or being set on fire just for fun sounds intriguing, then becoming a stunt man or woman might be right up your alley. Just because some actors perform their own stunts, there are many other actors that prefer having a stunt person fill in on the more dangerous stunts. This makes stunt people an indispensable part of the acting industry.

Desk jobs can often be boring. Pushing papers from one table to the next and sitting in front of a computer all day are just some of the disadvantages of having an office job. Becoming a stunt man is way more exciting and challenging. However, acting companies don't just go around hiring the average Joe to be stunt men. You have to have more than just the willingness to put your life in jeopardy to become a stunt man. You have to learn skills needed not to get hurt.

First, and most important of all, a stunt person must be in tip top shape. You must be in shape physically as well as mentally in order to deal with the timing and precision required to become a stunt man. Most stunt men also have martial art training in their portfolio. Knowing martial arts help stunt men with discipline as well as physical training.

Stunt men most always have extensive gymnastic training. Tumbling and flexibility are two areas required in most dangerous stunts. Many of the stunts you see on TV are just simple tumbling routines with a major twist.

It is necessary for anyone wanting to become a stunt man to join the Screen Actors Guild. The Screen Actors Guild, otherwise known as SAG is an American Labor Union. This union represents film and TV actors around the world.

Each stunt person needs to have a specialty. You may specialize in jumping off buildings or perhaps crashing vehicles. There are special classes and schools you can attend to receive the proper training in your area of expertise. A specialty will look really good on your resume.

Stunt men are sometimes referred to as jacks of all trades. Even though it is important to have a specialty, it is also important to be flexible in a variety of areas. Often movies require a variety of stunts and it is less likely that a producer will hire a bunch of different stunt people. You are more likely to get a job if you can do a variety of stunts.

A career doing stunts can be extremely rewarding. Imagine watching yourself on TV performing dangerous stunts for a box office hit! Not only can it be rewarding, it can also be fun. You can constantly learn new stunts throughout your career. Classes are constantly available. Scuba diving classes, trampoline classes and lessons on how to crash safely are all classes you may take to become a stunt man.

Another thing to keep in mind before deciding on a stunt man career is you need to have good health insurance. It is a fact that even the best stunt man could get injured while on the job so having excellent heath insurance is a MUST. You need to make sure you are covered in case of an injury.

Becoming a stunt person is not an easy career to enter into. Many stunt people are already established. It helps to have contacts and to make friends with other stunt people. That is a good way to get your name out there with the established workers. Stunt people often stick together.

If you have what it takes to be a stunt person and you are willing to put forth the required effort, you could be watching yourself on TV one day!

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