Wikipedia

Mic Rodgers

Michael G. “Mic” Rodgers (born 1954) is an American film and commercial director, second unit director, stunt coordinator, and stunt performer. As a stunt performer, he is known for serving as a stunt double for actors such as Mel Gibson.[1] He has also served as a second unit action director and/or stunt coordinator for films such as Braveheart,[1] Hacksaw Ridge,[2] The Fast and The Furious,[3] and Twister.[4] A member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, he won an Academy Award for Technical Achievement in 2002 for his invention of the “Mic Rig,” a stunt vehicle.[5][6] He has also won a Screen Actors Guild Award for his work on Hacksaw Ridge[7] and two Taurus World Stunt awards.[8][9]

Michael G. “Mic” Rodgers
Born1954 (age 69–70)
NationalityAmerican
Occupation(s)Film and commercial director, second unit director, stunt coordinator, stunt performer.

Career

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In the 1970s and 1980s, Rodgers worked as a stunt performer on television series such as Wonder Woman, The Incredible Hulk, and Airwolf.[10] He also played minor roles on productions such as the aforementioned Airwolf.[11]

In the 1980s, Rodgers also began doubling for Mel Gibson on projects such as Lethal Weapon.[10] Lethal Weapon was the first of his multiple collaborations with director Richard Donner.[12] He went on to double for Gibson for 25 years on projects including Braveheart and Maverick.[10] He also served as the main stunt coordinator on Maverick and Braveheart, and co-coordinator for Lethal Weapon 2 and Lethal Weapon 3.[10][12] While doubling for Gibson in Maverick, Rodgers performed a team-to-team stagecoach transfer, which was a stunt originated by Yakima Canutt in the film Stagecoach.[12] He also served as a second unit director for Braveheart.[1]

In 1999, Rodgers made his directorial debut with the film Universal Soldier: The Return.[13]

Rodgers was a second unit director and a stunt coordinator for the 2001 film The Fast and the Furious.[14] During the production of The Fast and the Furious, Rodgers developed a vehicle named the “Mic Rig” in collaboration with special effects coordinator Matt Sweeney and the rest of the film's special effects department.[14][15]

Rodgers received an Academy Award for Technical Achievement in 2002 for his efforts designing the vehicle.[6] Rodgers would return for other films in the series, including Fast & Furious (2009), for which he won the Taurus World Stunt award for Best Stunt Coordinator and/or 2nd Unit Director.[8]

In the 2000s, Rodgers went on to serve as a second unit director and/or stunt coordinator for films such as Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle,[16] Mr. and Mrs. Smith,[17] and Wanted.[18]

Rodgers served as the stunt coordinator for the 2012 film Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, training the film's star Benjamin Walker to perform the film's choreography.[19]

In the 2010s, he continued working as a second unit director and stunt coordinator for films such as the 2015 remake of Point Break,[20] Hacksaw Ridge,[7] and 12 Strong.[21] He would win a Screen Actors Guild award for Outstanding Performance By a Stunt Ensemble for his work on Hacksaw Ridge in 2017.[7][22] He also won another Taurus World Stunt Award for Best Stunt Coordinator and/or 2nd Unit Director for Hacksaw Ridge.[9]

Rodgers continued working as a stunt performer for productions such as Django Unchained[23] and Sons of Anarchy.[10] He has also directed commercials such as BMW’s “Epic Drift Mob.”[24]

He was a long time member of the stunt organization Stunts Unlimited, leaving it to become one of the original members of Brand X Stunts.[25]

Awards and nominations

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Year Award Show Award Category Work Status
2002 Taurus World Stunt Awards Best Stunt Coordination - Sequence The Last Castle Nominated[26]
2002 Taurus World Stunt Awards Best Stunt Coordination - Feature Film The Fast and the Furious Nominated[26]
2002 Academy Awards Technical Achievement Award The Fast and the Furious, “Mic Rig” Won[5]
2010 Taurus World Stunt Awards Best Stunt Coordinator and/or 2nd Unit Director Fast and Furious (2009) Won[8]
2016 Taurus World Stunt Awards Best Stunt Coordinator and/or 2nd Unit Director Point Break Nominated[27][28]
2017 Taurus World Stunt Awards Best Stunt Coordinator and/or 2nd Unit Director Hacksaw Ridge Won[9]
2017 Screen Actors Guild Awards Best Stunt Ensemble Hacksaw Ridge Won[7][29]
2017 Online Film & Television Association Awards Best Stunt Coordination Hacksaw Ridge Won[30]

Filmography

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Director / Producer

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Year Title Director Producer
1999 A Day in the Dirt No Yes
2002 Universal Soldier: The Return[13] Yes No

Second-unit director / Stunt coordinator

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Year Title Stunts Second unit director Director Notes
1980 Resurrection No Yes Daniel Petrie
1984 Cannonball Run II Yes No Hal Needham
Beverly Hills Cop Yes No Martin Brest
2010: The Year We Make Contact Yes No Peter Hyams
1987 Lethal Weapon Yes No Richard Donner
1988 World Gone Wild Yes No Lee H. Katzin
Rambo 3 Yes No Peter MacDonald
Dead Bang Yes No John Frankenheimer
Scrooged No Yes Richard Donner
Tequila Sunrise Yes No Robert Towne
1989 Lethal Weapon 2 Yes No Richard Donner
Tales from the Crypt Yes Yes Various TV series
1990 Shannon's Deal Yes Yes Various TV series
1991 Dollman Yes No Albert Pyun Video
Bird on a Wire No Yes John Badham
For the Boys Yes No Mark Rydell
1992 Year of the Comet No Yes Peter Yates
Radio Flyer Yes No Richard Donner
1993 Arcade Yes No Albert Pyun Video
Lethal Weapon 3 Yes No Richard Donner [12]
Point of No Return Yes No John Badham
1994 Intersection Yes No Mark Rydell
Maverick Yes Yes Richard Donner [12]
1995 Braveheart Yes Yes Mel Gibson [12]
Virtuosity Yes Yes Brett Leonard
Under Siege 2: Dark Territory Yes No Geoff Murphy
1996 Fled Yes Yes Kevin Hooks
The Rock Yes No Michael Bay
Ransom Yes No Ron Howard
Twister Yes No Jan De Bont
1997 Nothing to Lose Yes Yes Steve Oedekerk
Mouse Hunt Yes No Adam Rifkin
Batman & Robin Yes No Joel Schumacher
Volcano Yes Yes Mick Jackson
1998 Lethal Weapon 4 Yes Yes Richard Donner
Species II No Yes Peter Medak
Godzilla Yes No Roland Emmerich
1999 Payback Yes Yes Brian Helgeland
2000 The Patriot Yes No Roland Emmerich
2001 The Fast and the Furious Yes Yes Rob Cohen [14]
Texas Rangers No Yes Steve Miner
James Dean No Yes Mark Rydell TV movie
The Last Castle Yes Yes Rod Lurie
2003 Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle Yes Yes McG
2004 Catch That Kid No Yes Bart Freundlich
Taking Lives No Yes D.J. Caruso
National Treasure No Yes Jon Turteltaub
2005 Sin City Yes No Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller
XXX: State of the Union Yes No Lee Tamahori
Mr. and Mrs. Smith Yes Yes Doug Liman
Zathura: A Space Adventure Yes No Jon Favreau
2006 Apocalypto Yes Yes Mel Gibson
Southland Tales Yes No Richard Kelly
Payback: Straight Up Yes Yes Brian Helgeland
Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny Yes No Liam Lynch
2007 Superbad Yes No Greg Mottola
2008 The Eye Yes Yes David Moreau and Xavier Palud New Mexico
Wanted Yes Yes Timur Bekmambetov
Iron Man Yes No Jon Favreau
2009 Fast & Furious No Yes Justin Lin
Fighting Yes Yes Dito Montiel
The Final Destination Yes No David R. Ellis
2010 Iron Man 2 Yes No Jon Favreau
2011 Straw Dogs Yes Yes Rod Lurie
2012 Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter Yes Yes Timur Bekmambetov Civil War Unit
Django Unchained Yes No Quentin Tarantino
2013 A Good Day to Die Hard Yes No John Moore
Snitch Yes No Ric Roman Waugh
The Lone Ranger Yes No Gore Verbinski
Thor: The Dark World Yes No Alan Taylor
2014 Captain America: The Winter Soldier Yes No Anthony and Joe Russo
Transformers: Age of Extinction Yes No Michael Bay
2015 The Boy Next Door Yes Yes Rob Cohen
Point Break Yes Yes Ericson Core
2016 Hacksaw Ridge Yes Yes Mel Gibson [7]
The Magnificent Seven Yes No Antoine Fuqua
Blood Father Yes Yes Jean-François Richet For additional photography
2018 12 Strong Yes Yes Nicolai Fuglsig
2023 Surrounded Yes No Anthony Mandler
2024 Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F Yes No Mark Molloy

Stunt Performer

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Year Title Notes
1978 The Return of Captain Nemo TV series
1979 Survival Run
1979 1941 Uncredited
1980 Resurrection Double for Sam Shepard
1980 In God We Trust Alternately known as Gimme That Old Time Religion
1980 Gridlock
1981 Fall Guy TV series
1981 Simon & Simon TV series
1981 Dynasty TV series
1981 Riker TV series pilot
1981 The Archer TV movie
1981 The Devil & Max Devlin
1981 The Incredible Hulk
1981 Underground Aces
1982 A Time to Die
1982 Megaforce
1982 Yes, Giorgio
1983 The Sting II
1983 Stroker Ace
1983 D.C. Cab
1984 Raw Courage
1984 Reckless
1984 Cannonball Run 2
1984 The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension
1984 The Woman in Red As Mic Rogers
1984 Dreamscape Double for Dennis Quaid
1984 Cover Up
1984 Beverly Hills Cop
1984 City Heat Double for Burt Reynolds
1984 2010: The Year We Make Contact
1984 Birdy
1985 Into the Night
1986 Iron Eagle
1986 Legal Eagles As Mic Rogers
1986 Out of Bounds
1986 When the Bough Breaks
1986 Let's Get Harry
1987 Lethal Weapon Double for Mel Gibson
1987 Down Twisted As Mic Rodger
1987 Kidnapped
1987 NightForce Video
1987 Bulletproof
1987 World Gone Wild Also Stunt Coordinator
1988 Off Limits
1988 Rambo III
1988 Scrooged
1988 Tequila Sunrise Double for Mel Gibson
1989 Dead Bang
1989 K-9
1989 Road House
1989 Lethal Weapon 2 Double for Mel Gibson
1990 Phantom of the Mall: Eric's Revenge
1990 Bird on a Wire Double for Mel Gibson
1991 Tales from the Crypt TV series - Ep: Carrion Death
1991 Run
1991 For the Boys
1992 Radio Flyer
1992 Lethal Weapon 3 Double for Mel Gibson
1992 Forever Young Double for Mel Gibson
1993 Marked for Murder
1993 Point of No Return
1993 Heart & Souls
1993 Gettysburg
1994 Intersection Double for Richard Gere
1994 Ring of Steel
1994 Village of the Damned
1994 Chasers
1994 The Road Killers
1994 Maverick Double for Mel Gibson
1994 The Puppet Masters
1994 Drop Zone
1995 Braveheart Double for Mel Gibson
1995 Under Siege: Dark Territory
1995 Virtuosity
1996 The Rock As Mic Rogers
1996 Ransom Double for Mel Gibson
1997 Inventing the Abbots
1997 Volcano
1997 Batman & Robin
1997 Conspiracy Theory
1997 Titanic
1997 Mousehunt
1998 Palmetto As Mac Rodgers
1998 Deep Impact
1998 Godzilla
1998 The Negotiator
1998 The Adventures of Ragtime
1999 Payback Double for Mel Gibson
1999 Universal Soldier: The Return
2000 The Scorpion King
2000 Van Helsing
2000 The Patriot Stunt advisor to Mel Gibson
2001 The Fast and the Furious
2001 Double Take
2001 3000 Miles to Graceland
2001 Evolution
2003 Old School
2005 Sin City
2005 xXx: State of the Union
2005 Zathura: A Space Adventure
2006 Southland Tales
2006 Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny
2007 The Invasion
2007 Superbad
2007 Ben 10: Race Against Time
2008 Iron Man
2009-2011 Sons of Anarchy TV series; Double for Ron Perlman
2009 The Final Destination
2010 Iron Man 2
2010 Faster
2012 Bless Me, Ultima
2012 Django Unchained
2013 21
2013 A Good Day to Die Hard
2013 Snitch
2013 The Lone Ranger
2013 True Blood TV series as Michael Rodgers
2013 Thor: The Dark World
2013 The List
2014 The Night Shift TV series
2014 Captain America: The Winter Soldier
2014 Transformers: Age of Extinction
2016 Blood Father Double for Mel Gibson
2016 The Magnificent Seven
2016 Westworld TV series
2018 Bird Box
2019 Lucy in the Sky

Actor

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Year Title Role Notes
1978 M*A*S*H Private
1978 The Lord of the Rings Character actor Voice role
1982 Mae West TV movie
1984 Courage West
1985 Misfits of Science Policeman
1985 Airwolf Haver TV series
1987 Lethal Weapon Bus Driver Uncredited
1987 Santa Barbara Bounty Hunter TV series
1989 Dead Bang Sergeant Kimble
1990 Perfect Strangers Video Vendor TV series
1991 Terminator 2: Judgment Day Policeman in Garage Uncredited
1992 Lethal Weapon 3 Bomb Scene Cop Uncredited
1992 Star Trek: The Next Generation Glinn Corak TV series
1993 Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Bajoran Security Deputy TV series
1993 Point of No Return Cop
1998 Deep Impact Secret Service Agent Uncredited
1999 Universal Soldier Big Biker Uncredited
2003 CSI: Miami Jeff Macher TV series
2006 The Shaggy Dog Bus Driver
2012 Maniac Old Man
2019 Lucy in the Sky San Diego Cop
2022 Boo, Bitch 1 episode, TV MiniSeries

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Mel Gibson stunt double Mic Rodgers sells house in Agoura Hills". Los Angeles Times. 2013-09-09. Retrieved 2023-06-15.
  2. ^ Longwell, Todd (2017-02-16). "Stunts Went Old School in Oscar-Nominated Films". Variety. Retrieved 2023-06-15.
  3. ^ "The Evolution of Fast and the Furious Car Chases". IGN. 2023-05-15. Retrieved 2023-06-15.
  4. ^ Shanahan, Don (2021-05-19). "Twister Goes Elemental With Its Blockbuster Coolness". Film Obsessive. Retrieved 2023-06-15.
  5. ^ a b "2002 | Oscars.org | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences". www.oscars.org. Retrieved 2023-06-15.
  6. ^ a b "CNN.com - Tech wizards find screen magic means Oscar - March 22, 2002". www.cnn.com. Retrieved 2023-06-15.
  7. ^ a b c d e "Hacksaw Ridge Stunts | Mic Rodgers". Fasthouse. 2017-02-15.
  8. ^ a b c "Winners and Nominees 2010 - Taurus World Stunt Awards". 2010-01-31. Retrieved 2023-06-15.
  9. ^ a b c "Winners and Nominees 2017 - Taurus World Stunt Awards". 2017-01-31. Retrieved 2023-06-15.
  10. ^ a b c d e Hinz, Tom (2022-07-31). "THE HOLLYWOOD STUNTMEN OF MOTOCROSS". Motocross Action Magazine. Retrieved 2023-06-15.
  11. ^ "Airwolf - Donald P. Bellisario (1984) - Episode guide from season 3". Scifi-Movies. Retrieved 2023-06-15.
  12. ^ a b c d e f "Stunts a blast for cast & crew". Variety. 1997-07-31. Retrieved 2023-06-15.
  13. ^ a b "'SOLDIER' RETURNS IN A RECYCLED MISHMASH - Chicago Tribune". Chicago Tribune. 2020-09-27. Archived from the original on 2020-09-27. Retrieved 2023-06-15.
  14. ^ a b c "Fast and the Furious, The : Production Notes". cinema.com. Retrieved 2023-06-30.
  15. ^ "Bad Dialogue, Silliness come Fast & Furious in Race car thriller". Daily Herald. 2001-06-22. Retrieved 2023-06-30.
  16. ^ "Charlie's Angels - Feature Review - Dirt Rider Magazine". Dirt Rider. Retrieved 2023-07-01.
  17. ^ Click, Carrie (2004-03-09). "True stars of film shoot are crew". www.postindependent.com. Retrieved 2023-07-01.
  18. ^ Hart, Hugh. "Wanted DVD Package Spills Action Secrets". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Retrieved 2023-07-01.
  19. ^ Corliss, Richard (2012-06-21). "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter: Four-score and Seven Corpses". Time. ISSN 0040-781X. Retrieved 2023-07-01.
  20. ^ "Point Break | Behind The Scenes". Fasthouse. 2015-12-08.
  21. ^ "12 Strong Trailer: Chris Hemsworth Goes to War in a Post-9/11 World". MovieWeb. 2017-10-19. Retrieved 2023-07-01.
  22. ^ Murray, Rebecca (2017-01-29). "SAG Awards 2017: 'Game of Thrones,' 'Hacksaw Ridge' Stunt Winners". ShowbizJunkies. Retrieved 2023-07-01.
  23. ^ "Stunt coordinator Mic Rogers lists Agoura Hills home". Chicago Tribune. 2013-07-11. Retrieved 2023-07-01.
  24. ^ "The Epic Driftmob And The BMW M235i in Cape Town". Zero2Turbo. 2014-07-30. Retrieved 2023-07-01.
  25. ^ "Mic Rodgers". Dirt Rider. Retrieved 2023-07-01.
  26. ^ a b "Winners and Nominees 2002 - Taurus World Stunt Awards". 2002-01-31. Retrieved 2023-06-15.
  27. ^ "Winners and Nominees 2016 - Taurus World Stunt Awards". 2016-01-31. Retrieved 2023-06-15.
  28. ^ "Taurus World Stunt Awards 2016 Winners - Martial Arts & Action Entertainment". martialartsentertainment.com. 2016-07-20. Archived from the original on 2016-07-20. Retrieved 2023-06-15.
  29. ^ Murray, Rebecca (2017-01-29). "SAG Awards 2017: 'Game of Thrones,' 'Hacksaw Ridge' Stunt Winners". ShowbizJunkies. Retrieved 2023-06-15.
  30. ^ "21st Annual Film Awards (2016) – Online Film & Television Association". Retrieved 2023-06-15.
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