How ex-gymnast Bobby Holland Hanton became a stuntman for Chris Hemsworth
Thought your day job was interesting? Bobby Holland Hanton works as a stuntman for Hollywood star Chris Hemsworth — but the intensive, and often dangerous career, is not always as it seems.
When Bobby Holland Hanton says he’s Hollywood movie star Chris Hemsworth’s stunt double, the questions begin.
‘Are you his body double?’, ‘Does Chris do his own stunts?’,‘Do you have to look like him?’
The London-based ex-gymnast first met the Aussie actor after doing stunts for Daniel Craig in the James Bond movies.
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The duo worked together on Snow White and the Huntsman and after seven films Bobby is one of Chris’ main stuntmen.
“I’ve been very fortunate and worked with some amazing people,” he says.
“Chris and I have a similar sense of humour and we’re the same age. We enjoy ourselves on set.”
Bobby says he doesn’t necessarily need to look like Chris to be his stunt double, but he has to have a similar physique.
“It certainly helps if you do (look like him) … hair and makeup do a great job.
“Everyone would love to look like Chris but they make me look as close as possible to him,” he says.
“I’m 6’1 and he’s 6’4 so when I’m doubling him I have to wear two inch lifts in my shoes … it’s like doing stunts in high heels on ice.”
There’s a big difference between being a stunt and a body double, Bobby says.
“I’ve never been a body double. They’ll shoot the body double’s hands, feet, body or knees,”
“But sometimes if it’s a long or wide shot, they’ll prefer it to be me anyway because I can mimic what (Chris) does and the way he moves.”
Bobby says Chris is built to do his own stunts, but there’s one factor preventing that from happening.
“The risk of injuring himself for insurance purposes? It’s not an option to have him off a film for three to four months,” he says.
Being a stunt double pays a hefty price, especially when the chances of injury are high and, on some films, stunts are performed without a harness.
While filming Quantum of Solace in the Bond films, Bobby had to master jumping across rooftops during a chase sequence, three-storeys above the ground, without cable wiring.
“There’s no chance I’d be able to do it without building up the skills and rehearsing, very much in a safe way,” he says.
“When I was confident and we were ready to film in a safe way, I’ve never looked back.”
At the moment Bobby is taking five months off to recover from back surgery — an injury he suffered while filming his latest movie.
In Thor Ragnarok he snapped his groin clean off the bone, leaving him off work for 12 weeks.
“Unfortunately that’s the nature of the game,” he says.
When Bobby isn’t working as Chris’ stunt double, he’s apart of the movie star’s new fitness app Centr, which launched in February.
He joins Chris’ wife Elsa Pataky, personal trainer Luke Zocchi, Joseph Sakoda AKA ‘Da Rulk and Melbourne trainer Tiff Hall to teach people how to lead a healthy lifestyle through training, diet, yoga and mindfulness.
The app is something Bobby is proud to be part of
“At the touch of the button, it can show you an expert and give you any type of training, any kind of diet — vegetarian, vegan, it counts calories, measures food,” he says.
kara.irving@news.com.au
@kara_irving
Originally published as How ex-gymnast Bobby Holland Hanton became a stuntman for Chris Hemsworth
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