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Greg Anderson began his career as a stuntman on films like FLAP (starring Anthony Quinn - 1970), THE MECHANIC (starring Charles Bronson - 1973), THE SWARM (starring Michael Caine - 1978), and early Chuck Norris films A FORCE OF ONE (1979), and AN EYE FOR AN EYE. Over the years he has become respected as an all around stuntman and stunt coordinator who has since worked on dozens of feature film and television projects, including: Nash Bridges, Con Air, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Minority Report, Rush Hour 2, The Hangover and more. |
| I first met Greg while working on the film COLORADO COUSIN (1992). He flew in to Denver from Florida to assist with the show. When he first met me, I was setting up a gag in which he was supposed to enter a scene at the top of a very steep hill covered in rocks, broken limbs, and unfriendly foliage. He was then supposed to turn towards the forest and, BANG, a shotgun blast goes off that sends him flying backward down the hill. It had to be timed perfectly since the shotgun had to go off right as he hit is mark so he could throw himself into the stunt. And guess what?… I was the one firing the shotgun. |
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Since Greg did not know me at that point, he walked over to the Stunt Coordinator and said “How do I know this snot nose kid is gonna get it right?” He continued “I don't want to have to fall down that hill twice”. The Stunt Coordinator was confident in me and said, “Don't worry about it, he'll do great”. Since I had heard the conversation from a short distance away, I suddenly felt a huge amount of pressure. I didn't want to disappoint Greg. So when the director called action and Greg came running into the scene and hit his mark… BANG, I fired the shotgun. On cue, he flies down the hill in what I would call a blatant disregard for his body. He bounced off trees, rolled over cactus, and finally came to rest at the bottom. The shot went perfectly. We all ran down to check if he was okay. As he stood up, he looked at me with a straight face and said “Not bad, kid”. I was totally relieved. |
Later in the same shoot, Greg taught me how to set up a full body burn, which was amazing. He was playing a terrorist in a black pullover mask that had to enter a barn filled with ammunition and explosives. From a point of concealment, the hero tossed a grenade in and, BOOM, a big explosion. Greg comes running out of the room ablaze, bouncing off the walls a few times until he fell smoldering to the ground. I rushed in and put him out with a fire extinguisher. From this point forward Greg and I remained partners in the business and have worked on various projects together including THREE NINJAS (1998), DRAGON AND THE HAWK (2000), TEQUILA EXPRESS (2002), and more recently SERPENT RISING (2009).
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It is impossible to cram almost twenty years of friendship and film experiences into this brief account, but what I can say is that Greg Anderson served as a wonderful mentor in my early years and as my career flourished he has remained by my side to offer insights and support in all my endeavors.
Starting this Year, Greg Anderson is the official head of Asgard Entertainments Nevada Division and I am looking forward to many more years of amazing filmmaking adventures.
Mark Steven Grove
Asgard Entertainment |
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Copyright © 2011 Asgard Entertainment, LLC
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