Page 70 - OVATION Magazine (Issue 1)

WHO TO KNOW
nomination for her stunt coordination work in Cobra Kai. In December, she returns as Karen Gillan’s butt-kicking Ruby Roundhouse in Jumanji: The Next Level.
—lisa sweetingham
What’s the most dangerous stunt you’ve ever done? There are stunts that seem dangerous, like free-falling off a cliff. But more dangerous is when there are lots of moving parts and things that can go wrong. Once, I was on a line and went into the water when I wasn’t supposed to. If I’d been over concrete, it would have been deadly. Everybody was pretty shaken up.
How do you take a punch?
The trick is to move your head like it’s on a rubber band, so it yanks to one side and then bounces back.You have to time it to the person’s fist, so you’re turning your head right as that fist is coming across your cheekbone.You might have to delay or go early depending on where the camera is. I always make sure my camera guys know where the hits are and where I’m go- ing.You don’t want to hit the ground if the camera misses it!
What’s the best way to get hit by a car?
When you’re in the air, know where you are, where the ground is, and how fast you’re getting to it, so you can brace at the right time. I bite down before impact so I don’t chip a
tooth. Protect your head, num- ber one.Always tuck in your chin, so if you get cockeyed in the air, you at least have con- trol of your head and less of a chance of smacking it.
Any stunts you wouldn’t do?
A full fire burn. I’m severely claustrophobic, and those guys get completely covered, with only a couple of holes to breathe, and then they douse you with fire. No, thank you.
How do you get energized before a really big stunt? I’ll jump from foot to foot and do vocal breathing. If I’m doing a stunt with another person, we’ll chest-bump like you would with a team before a big game.You want to get that energy up, and you want it to fire every single time.
What do you do to keep balanced and healthy?
Muay Thai, yoga, SoulCycle, and I have a neuromuscular therapist named Cheryl Allison who always fixes me. She compares my job to the professional football players she treats.We just take a beating over and over again and then come back for more.
Your husband is a
stunt coordinator and performer. What do you guys do for fun?
Family time’s really import- ant to us.We travel so much for work that when we have time off, we go to our house in Montrose, Colorado, where
“We just take a beating over and over again
and then come back for more.”
70 |OVATION
FALL 2019
we have 10 acres, and we ride four-wheelers and go camp- ing and hiking. It’s the best ever. It’s like hitting the reset button.
You’re in a cage match
with Jumanji star Dwayne Johnson: What secret weapon would you use
to take him down?
I know exactly what I’d use:
a bottle of his favorite tequila. He’d be done.
MARC SEROTA