The Director of The Fall Guy Was a Stuntman First

By The Backlot

@backlotfriends

A man in a blue jumpsuit adjusts the hat strap of a woman in a pink outfit on a sandy beach set, with a wrecked aircraft and crew members visible in the background.

David Leitch spent more than two decades as a stunt performer before directing movies. He doubled for Brad Pitt five times, including on Fight Club and Mr. & Mrs. Smith.

Then he made The Fall Guy, a film about a stuntman. And to do it right, his crew broke a world record.

Stunt driver Logan Holladay performed eight and a half cannon rolls in a single take on the beaches of Sydney. The previous record was seven rolls, set during Casino Royale in 2006. Holladay did it in a modified Jeep fitted with a cannon beneath the chassis.

Ryan Gosling presented Holladay with his Guinness World Records certificate at a screening in March 2024. Leitch stood next to him. He knew what that kind of recognition meant.

Quick Facts

The Director of The Fall Guy Was a Stuntman First

DirectorDavid Leitch

CastRyan Gosling, Emily Blunt, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Hannah Waddingham, Winston Duke

GenreAction, Comedy

Release2024-05-03

Runtime127 min

Rated7.0/10

Instagram caption

David Leitch spent 20 years as a stunt double before directing. He made The Fall Guy, and his crew broke the world record: eight and a half cannon rolls in one take. Casino Royale held the previous record at seven. #TheFallGuy #Backlot

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David Leitch was Brad Pitt's stunt double for years. Then he directed The Fall Guy. His crew broke the Guinness World Record with eight and a half cannon rolls. #TheFallGuy #Backlot

David Leitch spent more than two decades as a stunt performer before directing movies. He doubled for Brad Pitt five times, including on Fight Club and Mr. & Mrs. Smith.

Then he made The Fall Guy, a film about a stuntman. And to do it right, his crew broke a world record.

Ryan Gosling presented Holladay with his Guinness World Records certificate at a screening in March 2024. Leitch stood next to him. He knew what that kind of recognition meant.