At 17 I ran away to the circus, which
sounds like a cliché but it’s true. I worked on a travelling stunts
show as a human cannon, and with monster trucks. Then I got qualified on
the British Stunt Register and started working in film and television.
My big break (no pun intended) was on Casino Royale as Daniel Craig’s stunt double – I did the famous crane jumping scene, and the Aston Martin crash.
I’ve
had 16 years’ experience doing stunts such as this, and have had to use
my skills in real-life situations. I was once riding my mountain bike
pretty fast down a hill and a car pulled out. I put my brakes on, slid
on my front wheel and hit the back of the vehicle. I managed to jump off
the bike and land on my feet on his roof. My bike ended up smashing
through his back window.
Obviously the best way to survive these
situations is to avoid them completely, but you might one day find
yourself in a car that experiences a brake failure. Or be in the back of
a dodgy cab where you think, Sweet Jesus, I may never see my loved ones again. A quick calculation reveals that an unconventional exit is your best option. How to do it?
