Jason Wingham: Stunt Performer & Actor

Jason Wingham has been behind the impact of The Last of Us, Arrow, Fire Country, Superman and Lois, and hundreds of moments people never realize he built. Thirty years in stunt work means most of what he does is invisible. He’s the one turning danger into design. We talked about the work that stays off screen, how it gets engineered, and what it takes to make the visible action possible.

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When you’re doubling someone else, your work disappears by design. What’s the part of stunt performance most people never see but everything depends on?

The stunt doubling of actors can present significant issues depending on the situation. First and foremost is casting a stunt performer who can safely accomplish the required stunts. This must be combined with matching the actor’s physical appearance. Often actors will have multiple stunt doubles, each covering a different skill set. One for driving work, another for fight work, and so on. Everything depends on casting the right person for the job.

What the audience never sees are the weeks, days, and hours of prep and rehearsal. The bigger the stunt, the more time it takes to make it look right and keep it safe.

You’ve spent thirty years stepping into danger so the audience never thinks about the mechanics. What’s a moment where the invisible prep mattered more than the visible action?

The invisible prep is what makes the visible action possible. It starts with each performer. Stunt performers train across multiple disciplines and hone a variety of skills. The more well rounded you are, the more opportunities come your way.

Stunt coordinators are tasked with designing the action and providing the talent needed to pull it off. Their work is often the most crucial.

When you’re building a stunt sequence, what tiny decision has the biggest impact on whether it feels real?

Building any stunt sequence requires input from every department. Ultimately the editors will have the final say in how the sequence plays out in the finished product. Modern stunt teams shoot multiple rehearsals and rough edit sequences so that directors can make decisions about how to shoot it and provide the editing team with what they need. Multiple tiny decisions are made during this process. They all add up to success.

You’ve worked on huge shows with massive machinery behind every shot. Where does the craft still come down to something quiet and almost invisible that only a veteran catches?

Whether it’s a blockbuster or a low budget TV movie, the success of a stunt comes down to having the right stunt coordinator. They’re responsible for bringing the script to life. If they’re not fully invested and meticulous, the look of the action can fall short and a veteran will notice.

After all these years on both sides of the camera, what’s one misconception about stunt work you wish people would finally retire?

The biggest misconception is that stunt performers are risk taking daredevils and adrenaline junkies. In fact it’s quite the opposite. Stunts are designed and engineered to eliminate risk. Safety is always the number one priority. Injuries are inevitable due to the nature of the job, but we never take unnecessary risks.

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When Jason talks about stunts, he isn’t talking about spectacle. He’s talking about the decisions no one sees. The rehearsals that shape the moment before the camera ever rolls. For him, the invisible work is the real job. The hit the audience notices only lands because of everything they don’t.

Learn more about Jason at:

• IMDb