Explosions, crashes and danger: Inside the life of stuntwoman Jackie Murray
STUNTWOMAN Jackie Murray has thrown herself off buildings, set herself on fire and crashed and flipped cars all in the name of her art.
Macarthur
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STUNTWOMAN Jackie Murray has thrown herself off buildings, set herself on fire and crashed and flipped cars all in the name of her art.
Ms Murray, who runs MDG Studios in Narellan with her partner Mike Duncan, is passionate about her work which has allowed her to travel around Australia and the globe.
“It’s a never ending thrill but you have got to be careful. It’s an amazing job,’’ she said.
The mother-of-three said she loved the adrenaline rush of being a stuntwoman and she trained six hours a day to remain in top shape, both physically and mentally, for the roles.
Earlier this month, Ms Murray was hand-picked to work as a stuntwoman on the set of American soapie The Bold and the Beautiful, which was filmed on Sydney’s Northern Beaches.
“I train every single day because I can get called to a (film) set at any time,’’ she said.
“I train for fitness, strength, agility and martial arts. For The Bold and The Beautiful, I got contacted two days prior. I had to jump off the wharf and land in the water.’'
Ms Murray was a stunt double for American actress Courtney Hope who plays Sally Spectra on the show.
Sally and bride Steffy Forestor, played by Jacqueline MacInnes Wood, get into a fight on the wharf.
Ms Murray stepped in as Sally and was filmed dramatically falling into the water.
She also regularly works on the Australian TV series Home and Away where she acted as a stunt double as well as a martial arts adviser and tai chi teacher.
Ms Murray has also worked as a stunt double on A Place to Call Home, which is filmed in the Macarthur area, and on the feature films Tracks, Kingsman: The Secret Service, Gods of Egypt and Killing Ground.
She has also worked on the Wolverine franchise in fight choreography.
Although she says she does not get “star crazy” when she meets her idols, Ms Murray laughs when she says she was a little awe-struck when she met Australia actor Hugh Jackman on the set of Wolverine.
“It’s always lovely to meet new people in the same industry,’’ she said.
Next week, Ms Murray will head to Melbourne to work as a stunt double and lead actress in a new Australian movie.
Further details about the movie are top secret at this stage.
The trained martial artist said she also enjoyed being on the other side of the camera as a fight choreographer, assistant director and production manager.
“I started off as a child actress and have always been a martial artist and gymnast,’’ she said.
She has trained and lived in America and worked on films in Hong Kong and Indonesia.
BOLD AND BEAUTIFUL’S DRAMATIC SPLASH IN MANLY
Despite injuries including breaking her foot during a car crash stunt and also dislocating her shoulder in another stunt, Ms Murray said her fitness, control and preparation meant she has had few injuries.
“Some people think that only people who live near the city can do this type of work but if people out here want to get involved they can make it work,’’ she said.
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