Currently in theaters, will “Fall Guy” beat “Barbie”’s box office record this summer with more than a billion dollars in revenue? Bets are on in Hollywood. Inspired by the cult series from the 1980s, “The Man Who Falls Right”, this new version follows the adventures of Ryan Gosling in the shoes of an injured stuntman who doubles the biggest star of the moment and finds himself in the middle of ‘an incredible case of disappearance and murder.
What was your original involvement in this film?
For 100 years, stuntmen have transformed actors into stars by replacing them in the most dangerous scenes in cinema. It is one of the most important professions in the 7th art and yet they all work in the shadows. It is high time to pay tribute to them. Our director, David Leitch, was himself a great stuntman before getting into directing (editor’s note: “John Wick”, “Bullet Train”, “300”, “Deadpool 2”) so it seemed to me completely natural to trust him and collaborate with him on this project.
Why is “Fall Guy” so important to you?
I have been working with stuntmen since the start of my career. My first series in a leading role was “Young Hercules”, 25 years ago. I worked every day with several stuntmen. I had guys around me who practiced kickboxing, jujitsu or wrestling while my specialty was more comedy with some notions of dancing and singing (laughing), far from the qualities necessary to be a real stuntman. They were the ones doing all the work in the fight scenes and I would come in when their perilous job was done and I just had to pretend I had done those stunts myself. I quickly understood that I would be nothing without these physically gifted people if I wanted to have a chance to continue in my profession.
Did you perform any of the stunts yourself?
I wanted to do the stunt myself where my character throws himself from the top of several floors into the interior courtyard of a building. It was important for the credibility of the role that I was seen performing this jump even though I was very well secured with harnesses. Let’s say that it’s also my way of honoring all the stuntmen I met but I can tell you that I was so scared that I wore dark glasses to shoot this sequence in order to hide my eyes which had to certainly come out of their sockets in fear.
What can your fans expect from the film?
It’s the most fun movie of the year. If “Barbie” was the party where everyone wanted to attend, well “Fall Guy” is the after-party where everyone wants to be invited. The stunts are spectacular and our team even broke several records during this shoot. There is also the romance with Emily Blunt who brought all her charm and strength to the story.
Rather than a “Barbie 2”, a rumor is circulating in Hollywood about a possible film around your character Ken. Ready?
Forget Ken, let’s move on. I think everyone is sick of Ken now!
