Richard Graydon (12 May 1922 – 22 December 2014) was a British stunt performer and stunt coordinator best known for his work in the James Bond film series.

Richard Graydon
Born(1922-05-12)12 May 1922
Died22 December 2014(2014-12-22) (aged 92)
Occupation(s)Stunt performer, stunt coordinator, stunt double,
actor
Years active1952 – 1998

Early life

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He was educated at Stowe School in Buckinghamshire and was an amateur jockey and a dancer. He was rejected for service in the RAF in World War II due to a childhood eye injury.

Career

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His acting, dancing and horse-riding skills were used to good effect in the 1952 film The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men, and he then developed a career as a stunt performer. His stunts for James Bond films included tobogganing down the Cresta Run in On Her Majesty's Secret Service, doubling for George Lazenby, and later for Roger Moore in a cable car fight scene 1,000 ft above ground on Sugarloaf Mountain, Brazil, in Moonraker. At 173 cm (5 ft 8 in) in height, Graydon was 13 cm (5 in) shorter than Moore, but it was necessary to maintain the height difference with the stuntman doubling for the 218 cm (7 ft 2 in) Richard Kiel, who played Jaws. In the scene, he had to fall and then hold on to the roof of the cable car with his hands and did not have his safety harness on. His left hand slipped off the roof but he held on one-handed until he could regain his grip. He became known for his ability to hang onto things high above the ground and was selected for stunts that required that skill.

He married in 1970 and died in December 2014, aged 92.[1]

Selective stunt filmography

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Year Title Role
1968 The Charge of the Light Brigade stunt coordinator
1973 Don't Look Now stunt coordinator
1976 The Man Who Fell to Earth stunt coordinator
1985 Ladyhawke stunt coordinator
1989 Batman stunts
1998 Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels stunts

Selective actor filmography

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Year Title Role Notes
1952 The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men Merrie Man #10
1953 Grand National Night Chandler
1965 Thunderball Largo henchman Uncredited
1967 You Only Live Twice Russian Cosmonaut #2
1968 The Charge of the Light Brigade Lord Bingham
1969 On Her Majesty's Secret Service Draco's Driver Uncredited
1971 The Last Valley Yuri Uncredited
1974 Dead Cert Jockey Uncredited
1977 The Duellists Cossack / Hussar
1979 Love and Bullets Antonio
1979 Moonraker Space Fighter Uncredited
1980 North Sea Hijack Rasmussen
1981 Eye of the Needle Home Guard Private
1983 Octopussy Francisco the Fearless
1985 Déjà Vu Captain Wilson
1990 Wings of Fame
1990 The Fool
1997 Shooting Fish Racehorse Trainer (final film role)

References

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  1. ^ "Richard Graydon - obituary". The Telegraph. 29 December 2014. Retrieved 30 December 2014.
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