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If you are a fan of Hollywood and have been keeping notes on the recent arrivals of the Who’s-Who list of celebrities coming to Belize, then you will know that in this week alone, the Jewel has seen the likes of a top US music industry executive, and one of the top selling Reggaeton artists of the US and Latin America. Rounding out this week’s arrivals of the list is a lesser known figure, a leading Hollywood Stuntman for over 20 years, Eddie Watkins. And while his name may not ring any Bells, if you’ve been watching movies, you’ve definitely seen his work. I found out more.

Jim McFadzean Reporting,
Watkins has worked with some of the industry’s leading Directors and actors, including the likes of Will Smith, Eddie Murphy, The Wayan Brothers, Kevin Costner and Al Pacino. He is the founder of Whirlwind Stunts, a group organized to provide professional, safe and effective stunts to motion picture, film and television throughout the world, and that’s why he’s been chosen by the Belize Film Commission to provide training for the creation of a local pool of professional stuntmen.

Eddie Watkins, Hollywood Stuntman
“Where it benefits here in Belize is that it helps outside film makers to have some pool to pull from so they won’t have to bring as many people from the outside to here and it also helps the people to be able to have a skill, a job, and so on in terms of taxes but it definitely helps out the industry on a whole in Belize.”

Jim McFadzean,
“Would you say there is a reasonable and worthwhile demand for professional stuntmen in the industry?”

Eddie Watkins,
“Oh there is a huge demand. From visual effects you still need stunts, people may blow a building up but you still need to do those stunts in front of a blue screen or a green screen. It is harder to do any movie, no matter what type of move without stunts. If it is a comedy, if it is a thriller or action, stunts play a part of that. If it is a comedy you want to make that joke funny in a physical manner because if the joke is someone going through and it looks like the person got hurt then its not funny.”

Jim McFadzean,
“At are some of the risks involved taking a job as a stuntman?”

Eddie Watkins,
“It is a business, a job that you are going banged up, you are going to get hurt, and what we are trying to do is eliminate those.”

Watkins says they are looking for persons preferably with some experience and/or interest in acting, stunts, tumbling or gymnastics. There is no age limit, but you must be in relative good physical condition and willing to take a fall or give a punch…..of course, this will be all under the supervision of a professional Hollywood stuntman. Interested persons can contact Suzette at 600-8283 if you would like to sign up for the workshop which starts tomorrow, Saturday at the Bliss Centre for the Performing Arts at 9 in the morning.