A career as a stunt performer is one of the most thrilling out there. We get the lowdown on how to become a stunt performer from the British Action Academy.

What is a stunt performer?

A stunt performer is someone who is employed by a television or film production company to perform stunts that may be considered dangerous, in a safe and controlled way. Stunt performers double for actors when specific actions are required. This can include anything from performing a high fall from a building to being involved in a car accident, or even being set on fire.

What’s the job of stunt performer like?

You’ll have the opportunity to travel the world to some incredible locations, not to mention meet and work with brilliantly talented and interesting people within the TV and film industry. No one day will be the same - from shooting guns as a foot soldier one week, to flying through the air on wires as a superhero or pursuing villains in a car chase the next.

Due to the high-risk nature of the work and the specialist skills required, a career as a stunt performer can be financially rewarding. The average daily rate is between £400 to £550, so a successful stunt performer could earn up to around £100,000 a year.

The work of a stunt performer is physically and mentally demanding and requires total dedication. You’ll often be put in high-risk situations, working hours can be long and you can spend long periods of time away from your family and friends. You’ll also have to maintain a healthy lifestyle - eating well and exercising regularly.

In most cases, stunt performers are self-employed, which means that work is not always guaranteed. You’ll need to be pro-active in contacting stunt coordinators to let them know that you are available for work and you’ll need to learn business and administration skills.

How to become a stunt performer

To become a stunt performer in the UK, you are typically required to train for and join the British Stunt Register and you must be over the age of 18 to apply.

Training for the British Stunt Register can be a long and difficult process and it can take many years to get to the standard required.

To join the British Stunt Register you must be trained in a minimum of six sporting disciplines. You must also complete a minimum of 60 days’ work as a performer or supporting artist on professional screen productions, these are known as ‘set days’.

To achieve the 60 set days, it is recommended that you join a supporting artist or actors’ agency. The British Action Academy has its own screen action agency where action performers are trained and represented. Many of these trainees have gone on to work on huge television and film productions such as Star Wars, Spooks, The Avenger and Poldark.

The six sporting groups

1. Fighting (martial art)
2. Falling (trampolining, high diving)
3. Riding and driving (horses, cars, motorcycles)
4. Agility and strength (gymnastics, rock climbing, mountaineering)
5. Water (swimming and sub aqua)
6. Miscellaneous

Each group includes a selection of different sports or skills that you can choose from. You must obtain at least six skills in a minimum of four groups. Martial art /fighting is a compulsory skill; other that this you can choose any sport within each group, but no more than two in any group.

Whilst the six-skill sporting entry system demonstrates that you possess good sporting ability, the entry system itself does not teach you the essential action techniques needed to become a competent and safe stunt performer. This is something that can be gained through professional screen action training.