They scale buildings, fly, crash and now stunt actors want better pay in Hollywood

Despite standing only 4-feet-8.5-inches tall, stunt actor Kelli Barksdale spends her work days jumping out of moving vehicles, doing gravity-defying parkour and creating high-stakes action scenes. Barksdale often puts herself in harm's way to produce realistic movies and TV shows and she's proud to be one of hundreds of Hollywood stunt people who are on strike with SAG-AFTRA.

"There's this huge risk factor (in stunts)," said Barksdale, who has performed in blockbuster movies like Ant-Man and the Wasp. "In this work, you really rely on residuals. I mean, even with the big movies and the hit shows, the residuals are so small."

Many striking stunt actors said they want Hollywood studios to increase residuals that actors earn from streaming services. The residuals are also a sticking point for the entirety of SAG-AFTRA, a 160,000-member performers union that includes stunt actors, which went on strike starting July 14, 2023.

More than 100 stunt people and their allies picketed in Burbank outside Warner Bros. Studios on Thursday, July 27, as part of "Stunts Strike Back" — and they did it in true stunt actor style. Some donned intricate "Star Wars" costumes, while others walked on towering stilts or controlled giant droid replicas.

Kelli Barksdale of Santa Monica, a stunt actor, has seen her work environment improve for women and moms. When she got started, getting pregnant was rare. But she says, "We won't be pushed out so our livelihoods can be stolen by a machine to feed corporate greed." (Photo courtesy Kelli Barksdale)

Kelli Barksdale of Santa Monica, just 4-feet-8.5-inches tall, is a mother of a 10-year-old daughter. When she got started, getting pregnant was rare. On the other side, she says stunt actors put their bodies through a lot. (Photo courtesy Kelli Barksdale)

Kelli Barksdale of Santa Monica, says, "We won't be pushed out so our livelihoods can be stolen by a machine to feed corporate greed." (Photo courtesy Kelli Barksdale)

Kelli Barksdale of Santa Monica, says the strike is about progress in an industry that has changed in her more than 15 years as a stunt actor. (Photo courtesy Kelli Barksdale)

As cars honked in support, a stunt actor held up a sign that said, "Boba says pay up!" — a nod to Boba Fett, the bounty hunter who sides with Darth Vader and then captures Han Solo.

"I get crashed into walls, hit by cars, lit on fire, thrown down 'anything' — and am asked to do it repeatedly in a skirt and heels without pads," said another stunt actor, Marie Fink. "Everyone in this industry works so hard at their jobs. We all love it." But she said the reality is that "stunt performers, we get concussions, we have trauma. It's important to us that we're taken care of and everyone else is taken care of, financially."

Stunt actor Hymnson Chan agreed, "We literally put our lives on the line every time we step on set. There's no other position, cast or crew, that does that. We deserve to be compensated better, but (the studios) are saying we only deserve pennies on the dollar, especially with streaming."

The Alliance of Motion Pictures and Television Producers, which represents Hollywood studios, issued a statement about the strike last week, saying, "we are deeply disappointed that SAG-AFTRA has decided to walk away from negotiations. This is the union's choice, not ours. In doing so, it has dismissed our offer of historic pay and residual increases, substantially higher caps on pension and health contributions, audition protections, shortened series option periods, a groundbreaking AI proposal that protects actors' digital likenesses and more."

But for Barksdale, the strike is about progress in an industry that she has watched continuously change in her more than 15 years as a stunt actor. On the upside, as a woman in stunts, she's seen her work environment evolve into a place more accepting of women and moms. "I have a 10-year-old daughter," Barksdale said. "When I started, it was very rare to get pregnant and have children. It used to be, 'never say you're pregnant or you'll never get hired.' Now things are changing, which is wonderful."

But today she has strong words for the studios, "Professional stunt performers train hard, putting our bodies through an awful lot to develop the wide range of skills we need for the job. The stunt community deserves to be recognized for that, and bought in for a fair share of the future. We won't be pushed out so our livelihoods can be stolen by a machine to feed corporate greed."

Stunt woman Luci Romberg said she loves the creativity and adrenaline rush involved in her job. Romberg has performed stunts ranging from building jumps to fight scenes, in movies like "Identity Thief" and the 2016 "Ghostbusters."

But she emphasized that stunt actors are a crucial part of the movie industry, and they need more stable pay and benefits. "Some performers, we risk our lives… and the producers are not willing to pay their fair share," Romberg said. "If we don't stand up now, if we don't put our foot down, we will never get what we deserve."