Tell about yourself and life before stunts!
My name is Calvert David Miles born and raised in Chicago IL. Growing up my passions were and still are basketball and martial arts. I had posters of martial art and NBA greats on the walls of my bed room dreaming that one day I can be just like them.
When I was 4 years old I loved POWER RANGERS and wanted to be just like them, so I started martial arts with my mom Cherise and my sister Melissa under Sensi Keith Flournoy of Final Conflict Karate. I loved every second of it a never stopped. I rented every Bruce Lee, Jet Li, Jackie Chan and Wesley Snipes film I could find and emulated what I saw in my living room. Let’s just say there were a lot of broken lamps.
In school I was always the biggest kid in class and thought I was going to be 7 feet so I started taking basketball seriously in the 8th grade. From 8th grade and on my life has been basketball, martial arts, video games, and comic books. I was able to go to Oakton Community College then Roosevelt University on basketball scholarships. At Oakton I took an acting class as an elective and found the same passion that I did with martial arts and basketball. After college I made the decision to follow my passion in acting and film.
I went to Second City in Chicago along side taking karate at Pagoda Ryu Martial Arts Academy where I earned my second degree black belt. During this time I choreographed and filmed short fight scenes and also wrote a short film called ASSASSIN ORIGIN. I submitted that short film to Action On Film film festival and won best actor in an action short film. That award gave me the confidence to move to LA and make my passions my profession.
When arriving in LA I met Kim Do Nguyen, he taught a stunt fighting class and there I learned about fighting for the camera. He introduced me to Mike Chat where I learned how to perform stunts for an audition. He also introduced me to Larnell Stovall from 8711 where I am training under Chad Stahelski where I’m learning how to do and create fight choreography for film.
I never thought in a million years that I would be training with a world champion martial artist in Kim Do, a Power Ranger in Mike Chat, a legendary stunt coordinator in Larnell Stovall and the director of JOHN WICK in Chad Stahelski. If you believe in yourself and have faith during rough times you are able to achieve anything.
What inspired you to become a stunt person?
Watching POWER RANGERS as a kid was a huge inspiration for me to be a stunt performer. When I watched those fight scenes I always thought that would be a great job to have.
What is your greatest skill as a stunt performer, is there a story behind it?
My greatest skill as a stunt performer is my martial arts ability. The main reason for me starting in martial arts is from the show POWER RANGERS. I've been saving the world from Rita Repulsa since I was 4.
What is the best part about being a stunt performer?
You do all the fun parts in making a film. Fights, car chases, jumping off burning buildings. The fun stuff.
What advice would you give other stunt people?
Keep meeting new people, train for the job and have faith in yourself.
Anything else you would like to tell the community about?
I love being a stuntman.
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