Risky Business

Stunt performers are essentially real-life superheroes, leaping tall buildings in a single bound. But given the power of CGI, do we need to continue to put lives at risk?

- Joey Nolfi

HOLLYWOOD STUNT PROFESSIONALS ARE the SEAL Team Six of the industry: fearless warriors with a specific set of skills who toil humbly in obscurity as they deliver mind-blowing movie heroics. But recently, these daredevils have shed their anonymity—and their illusion of invulnerability—following the tragic deaths of two stunt people. John Bernecker died of head injuries suffered on the set of The Walking Dead in July, and on Aug. 14, Joi “SJ” Harris died of injuries after filming a motorcycle stunt for Deadpool 2. With recent advancements in digital filmmaking technology, the deadly accidents—combined with on-set injuries to Tom Cruise (Mission: Impossible 6) and Dylan O’Brien (Maze Runner: The Death Cure)—raise the ques tion: Is it worth putting lives in jeopardy to capture that perfect shot?