Vic Armstrong facts for kids

Vic Armstrong (born October 5, 1946) is a famous British film director and stunt expert. He is known for making movies exciting and safe. The Guinness Book of Records says he's the world's most active stunt double! This means he has performed more stunts than anyone else.

What is a Stunt Expert?

A stunt expert, or stunt performer, is someone who does dangerous actions in movies. They make sure actors stay safe while filming exciting scenes. Vic Armstrong has many roles in the film world:

• Stunt Double: He looks like an actor and performs dangerous scenes in their place.
• Stunt Coordinator: He plans and organizes all the stunts in a movie. He makes sure they are safe and look amazing.
• Second Unit Director: He directs scenes that don't involve the main actors, often action sequences.
• Film Director: He takes charge of the whole movie, guiding the actors and crew.

Amazing Stunts and Famous Films

Vic Armstrong has worked on many of your favorite movies! He often doubled for famous actors, meaning he performed their stunts.

He was the stunt double for Harrison Ford in the first three Indiana Jones films. He also doubled for Christopher Reeve in Superman and Superman II. He even looked so much like Harrison Ford that people on set sometimes thought he was Ford! This was helpful when Ford hurt his back during Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, and Vic stepped in to film important action scenes.

One of his most famous stunts was in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. He jumped from a horse onto a moving German tank! Experts and viewers in the UK voted this one of the top ten film stunts ever. Harrison Ford once wrote to Vic, "If you learn to talk I'm in deep trouble!" This shows how much they looked alike and how good Vic was at his job.

Vic is also a top stunt coordinator and second unit director. He helped create the action in several James Bond movies, War of the Worlds, and I Am Legend. He even directed the exciting opening scene of Terminator 2: Judgment Day.

In 1993, Vic directed his first movie, Joshua Tree. Later, he directed Left Behind in 2014 and A Sunday Horse. He also worked as a second unit director and action director on The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power for Amazon Prime Video in 2022.

Vic is a long-time member of the British Stunt Register. This is a group that lists qualified and experienced stunt performers in Britain.

Awards and Achievements

Vic Armstrong has won important awards for his work:

• In 2001, he received a special Oscar for inventing the "Fan Descender." This is a clever device that helps stunt people land safely when they fall from very high places.
• In 2002, he won the BAFTA Michael Balcon Award. BAFTA awards are like the British Oscars, celebrating excellence in film and television.

Family Life

Vic Armstrong's family also has a connection to the world of stunts! His wife, Wendy Leech, is also a stunt performer. She doubled for Margot Kidder in Superman II, which is where she met Vic. Wendy's father, George Leech, was also a famous stunt performer who worked on James Bond films. Vic and Wendy have children together, making stunts a real family tradition!

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See also

In Spanish: Vic Armstrong para niños