The Legacy Of A Stunt Man
Hi, I’m Christopher Stewart, and this is how it began.
When I was a boy I journied to Japan, where I studied the secret ancient art of Ninjitsu. I trained under 15 masters from over 5 schools all over Japan. I also studied kensei, the art of the sword, under sensei Steal Wind of the Toshiro Mifune school of kendo in Tokyo.
It was during my training that I met a wonderful sensei and a very good friend, Sho Kosugi. Sho was a friend of one of my sensei's and he was going to bring Ninjitsu to America. I had the good fortune to be picked for a red ninja strike force in “Enter The Ninja”
Enter the ninja was a lot of hard work, for our part we were still training and only a fraction of what we did actually got filmed. As most fans of the film will know, it actually was filmed twice. In the first film the role of the white ninja was played by Stephen K Hayes. Unfortunately there was an accident that took place during a stunt sequence inside a smoke screen, a flip was timed wrong and Stephen got injured.
They re-shot the film with his understudy Franko Nero. Some of the original film still exists in the hard to find British copy. For my part, I also got a short part as the victim in Sho’s promo film. From there I went back to the states, and I got the chance to try out for a part in the Master Ninja TV series.
The Master truly opened doors for me. In the beginning, I was merely a student for Lee and Sho, doing occasional scenes as Lee’s double. Lee was taller than Sho and I was shorter, so during the times when Lee needed to be short for the fight sequence I stepped in. Also for some scenes that he just didn’t want to do, like when Lee was thrown in a grave and buried, they put me in. The Master was truly a fun time for me, ever the student it also allowed me the chance to learn under several fantastic senseis.
When I started in the Master, the screen test was simply Sho and Lee fighting in a computer room, Now Sho and I just drew ninjato’s and had fun, for me it was just like another day of kendo, in the final screen shot you can’t truly tell where I leave and lee enters, it’s perfectly seamless. Then I got known as the Grey Ninja when I doubled for Kelly Harmon in episode Kunoichi, and later in the series I got the part of the Gargoyle ninja in the museum. The Gargoyle in the museum was almost a joke. I was talking with Tim and Lee about a episode of Scooby Do that I had just watched on TV and how it would be fun to do as an episode, Tim Laughed and said don’t think it’s impossible, his brother worked on Scobey Do so be brought it to the directors and it ended up being an episode near the end of the series. Did the master ever find his daughter? Not in the series as of yet, we got cut before we could bring the storie line to completion.
Now as I said The master opened doors for me, I got a stunt role for Force 5. For Force 5 I was very good at that time at blind fighting I had first been trained blindfolded so I did a few stunts and seamless double shots to make Joe Lewis look really good. Then got the chance to meet John Stuntmos form Ringling Brothers and he taught me how to ride a bike for a stunt sequence. I’m listed in the book of stunts as the last man to drive a bike through a plate glass window. I’m also the fastest spinning back fist clocked at less than .02 seconds and the first stunt man to shoot down a Cruise missile for the movie Undersiege.
After the Master, I spent sometime in England because of my love for medieval Europe and the knights of old. while there I had the chance to meet Prince Charles, Princess Diana and Queen Elizabeth, the queen knighted me for my medieval mannerisms.
From one episode of the Master I met George Lazenby and from that I got the chance to work with Raymond Chow in Hong Kong Hitman. It was very unexpected, I got a phone call about trying to see if I could help choreograph a scene for Angela Mao. Angela, as most people who know her know, is very night blind and the scene called for an intricate cat and mouse game in a dark room with Angela Mao and George Lazenby. So Angela and I worked through a kung fu sequence in the dark to teach her where the marks were. It was very enjoyable and very fast wing chun and dragon, Raymond was stunned saying, “where is my camera and why am I not filming this.” He then laughed at me saying, “Ok you can fight your in the film, but, only American in film is George.” So he put a motorcycle helmet on me and I fought George for one scene. Then Raymond looked at me saying, “Ok, you can fight but can you act? And since your voice would be dubbed I mean can you Act?” Raymond was always a joy to work for and truly funny, and I got the part of an American drug dealer and the rest is history.
I also got a small extra roll in the Park is mine as part of the moving backdrop in NYC.
From my work with the Master someone referred me to Jalal Merhi, who was then just starting out in film. he and I did a film shot in south America With a Tiger Shark called Black Pearls. Later the film had some problems and no one would back it. Jalal got new people and worked on what was to be a sequel, the storie about his training which got titled Black Pearls.
Then I got My starring role Pentangle. They put together a small cast for Pentangle, anyone familiar with the movie would recognize the same script in Rutger Hauer’s Surviving the Game. Now Pentangle had more problems especially production problems than it had solutions.
The basic storie of Pentangle is men hunting men. "Here We are Gentlemen, The Pentangle, five men five arenas of death, who would have thought that one man would run the gauntlet let us raise a glass to our Bangle Tiger!" Now for added spice they put in romance and it became the storie of a man who’s girlfriend was captured.
I worked with Alan Long and a few others from the back lot of the Master and some one found a red head model from Ca, Julie Holmes, and we started to shoot. The film was truly a mess, put together by someone knows someone so lets see what happens. For example, a friend of Alan’s had a daughter who was I think only 12 at the time, so we put her in a scene in and army duce and a half to lengthen the film, her name was Kelly Hue. A very low budget film, my friend John, who played the main villain, kept laughing through the scenes because something fell off the wall, and of course the famous joke of the movie, we had to make a trophy room for the villain, so We cut the head off of a huge stuffed animal Tiger and mounted it on a plaque for a trophy. Now For one thing from a distance and in film it looked good but up close right next to it, it looked so funny that is was hard to stand by it, especially when it kept falling either to one side or off the wall because it was too heavy for the nail. Then the problems really started. The producer wanted to cut Julie from the film and put his girlfriend in in place of her. His girlfriend was the famous penthouse pet Julie Strain, and he wanted to play off the fame of a penthouse pet saying that it was the only way he either could or would produce the movie. Then Julie Strain pulled out of the film and dumped the producer, and the producer left, the director who had backed me the whole time threw his hands in the air and the master reel landed in my hands. So we sat and said now what? Well a director from HBO signed with us to release it for a two month cable TV spot. We went with it. We started to film a short fight scene for a possible sequel with Sho Kosugi. Then the film finished it’s run on HBO the fight scene got integrated into Sho’s up coming movie Prey for Death, and again the Master reel came to me. Eventually it got added to the master of the first Black Pearls as a double feature and we sold both movies to Artmic/Toshiba EMI for release in Japan.
Then Sho and I got together one weekend and trained and we put together a series of shorts called Action Ninja Theater to be added to some martial arts movies for release on video.
Then, Pentangle behind me, Sho invited me to work on a film called Rage of Honor. Now in the beginning the script called for me to play a bad guy ninja who worked for the main villain for added spice and fun for Sho’s character. Then the widely publicized incident took place on the set of And God Created Woman, now Rebecca was a dear friend ever since I was in a play with her at NYU. To pick her up a bit I took her to the set of Rage of Honor, and the actor that played the villain got jealous of my friendship with Rebecca and I wound up with bruised ribs and in a cast for two weeks, and they reworked the script. In the new script I was an Indian with a group of Indians that tracked Sho, how I first met Keith Cooke. They brought Keith straight from China O'Brien and Keith was overjoyed for the chance to work with Sho. Later Keith and I hooked up for a few scenes that I think were cut from king of kickboxers and heatseeker.
I got a small break in books when a friend of a sensei found me and asked if I would help in modeling and adding thought to the books Secret Guide To Making Ninja Weapons and Improvised Ninja Smoke Devices.
Then came Desert Storm and I joined the US Marine Cour, As part of basic Training they threw me in a few extra rolls in movies like Firebirds, Tactical Assault, By Dawns Early Light, Shadow warriors, Undersiege, and Preditor.
As A US Marine I hold the United Nations Congressional Medal Of Honor for service above and beyond the call of duty in protecting a UN Diplomat, Special Forces Silver Star, and a purple Heart with Cluster.
Dated My First Love Ragan Stewart O’Mally Daughter of NY Philharmonic Celloist Susan O’Mally, Died of cancer. Her mother, father and brother died in a car crash. Dated Rebecca DeMornay, “Platnium” Serina Priscilla Fernachely, Wendi, Dallas, “8-ball” Wendy, Kelly Macy, “Terandont” Jennifer Snow, Doro Pesch, Kelly Blednick, Karen Slesinski, Sue McGrath, Marry Holden, Julie V. Holmes, Lita Ford, Tracy “Silver Mask”, Honey, Jennifer Runyon, Marjorie Mongahan, Imogen Boorman, Jenna Jameson, Ashley Lauren, Dyanna Lauren, P J Sparxx, Sydnee St. Croix, Victoria Paris, Kylie Ireland, Cory Blue, Pamela Anderson, Lucy Dickey, Kathy Long, Shae Marks, Shauna Sand, Nikki Schieler, Sondra Theodore, Anna Marie Goddard, Donna D’Errico, Stacy Sanches, Jaime Bergman, Carmon Berg, Karen McDougal, Julie McCullough, Kimberly McArthur, Kimberley Conrad, Shannon Tweed, Jenny McCarthy, Victoria Silvstedt, Brittany York, Roberta Vasquez, Julie Cialini, Priscilla Taylor, Angel Boris and three girls from south beach, , Sung Hi Lee, Lisa Marie Scott, Angela Alanis, Diana Lee, Kelly Monaco, Lisa Boyle, Brandy Ledford, Holly, Susie, Sherrie Richley, Lene’ Hefner, Lene Hefner, Janine, Jenteal, Jrr Carrington, Lois Ayres, Nikki Wild, Patricia Kennedy, Tiffany Mynx, Niki Mynx, KC Willams Kelly Blue, Christy Canyon, Wendy Woppers, Candy Samples, Jill Kelly, Mimi Miyagi, Lauryl Canyon, Serenity, Kai, Kiesha, Angela Summers, Misty Rain, Tami Monroe, Kitty Young, Sandra Screem, Katie Ashley, Terry Doss, Lynne Austin, Carmen Electra, Kerri Hoskins, Echo Johnson, Kimberly Donley, Nicole Wood, Jennifer LeRoy, Tiffany Slown, Layla Roberts, Barbara Moore, Mandy Moore, Ashley Allen, Bethany, Katalina, Cory “Skull” , Erin “Cross” , Kim “Falcon”, “ Peppermint”, Kimber West, Tylyn, Avalon, Morena Corwin, Sharry Konopski, Eloise Broady, Julia Schultz, Daphnee Duplaix, Kymberly Paige, Susie Scott, Wendy Hamilton, Linda Hamilton, Tawnni Cable, Peg McIntaggart, Jennifer Allen, Samantha, Joy Berhman, Dawn Weber, Keri Kendal, Yvonne Crieg, Tanya Roberts, Valentina Vargas, Paula Marshall, Erika Eleniak, Jami Ferrell, Tanya Swallow, Susie Pollick, Holly Raymond, Jennifer Kelly, Kelly Ripa, Julie Amick, Janet Jackson, Susie Owens, Lisa Mathews, Cori Herrason, Jennifer Stewart, Kelly O’Dell, Monique St Pierre, Mandy Bently, Sandy Bently, Hudson Lieck, Bobbie Philps, Michie Tomizawa, Aco, Maiko Hashimoto Kinuko Oomori, , Lynn Thomas, Cristy Thom Christina Applegate, Pat Bennatar, Chrissy Hide, Married Princess of Dance Party.
I was born in Fortgreen Brooklyn NY, in January of 1970.
So What’s next? Well only the writers, directors, and producers truly know.
I would like to take a moment and thank Sho Kosugi, without whom I would never have been in film, and my life long friends, Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, and Rebecca DeMornay, who gave me the drive to be an actor and chase my dreams. And I’d like to thank my Kendo Class, Aco, Yuri, Ayu, Chissa, Aci, Hikaru, Yuki, Kurumi, Maiko, Fumika, Kaori, Tien, Chie, Juri, Mihoko, Yukari Oshmia, and Michiko Nishiwaki.
May all fear Kodo and Rodo, the dragons of the North and South, the Master’s pet Komodo Dragons may the out live me! Christopher Stewart