Ryan Reynolds joins the chorus calling for a stunt work Oscar

Reynolds wrote that, "If you’d like to see The Academy recognize the amazing work of stunt teams across the industry, let them know!"

By William Hughes | August 29, 2024 | 11:04pm

Photo: Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Disney

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Ryan Reynolds joins the chorus calling for a stunt work Oscar

Ryan Reynolds has joined the chorus of action movie stars calling for the Academy to start recognizing the people who actually make all that action happen, i.e., stunt performers, whose lack of a dedicated Oscar has been an increasing sticking point for many film fans and creators over the last few years. Reynolds was writing on Instagram, where he paid tribute to all of the stunt performers who worked on his recent box office hit Deadpool & Wolverine, starting with his own double, and the film’s fight coordinator, Alex Kyshkovych, who Reynolds described as…okay, actually, we’re going to spare you the specific twists and convolutions of how Reynolds writes when he’s still kind of in mental Deadpool mode—references to “Heidi Stationery” and rotting crab salad are made—but suffice it to say he’s a big fan of Kyshkovych’s work.

Also name-checked: Supervising stunt coordinator George Cottle, as well as Hugh Jackman’s long-time stunt guy Daniel Stevens, and assistant stunt coordinator Andy Lister. (Reynolds also lists all the other members of the film’s core stunt team, as well as giving a shout-out to Deadpool 2 director David Leitch, whose own love letter to the stunt performer’s craft, The Fall Guy, made a skosh less money than Reynolds’ movie, but is still a pretty effective testimonial.) Reynolds ends the post with a call to action, writing, “If you’d like to see @theacademy recognize the amazing work of stunt teams across the industry, let them know!”

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It’s clear that there’s increased pressure, from both stars and directors, to get the Academy to add a new category recognizing this dangerous, creative, highly skilled work. (You can read about how the process for adding a new award might go right here.) The rise of stunt performers-turned-directors like John Wick‘s Chad Stahelski has given the movement increased visibility, but it’s a long, slow process, especially for an organization that can be as hidebound and moribund as the Academy Of Motion Pictures Arts And Sciences. Still, Reynolds is riding high at the moment, so throwing his support behind the push is only likely to accelerate those efforts.