Tell about yourself, Courtland!
I was born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky.
I knew in school, to my guidance counselor’s dismay, that I wanted to be a stunt performer and absorbed as much knowledge and informal training as I could in pursuit of my dream.
Luckily, I had supportive parents that never tried to discourage me from following my dreams.
I moved to Atlanta to pursue stunts full-time around 2015 and fortunately with the guidance from others, the fruits of my labor began materializing over time.
What inspired you to become a stunt person?
Seeing the movies Terminator 1 and 2 when I was a kid was what inspired me. Seeing the fights, shoot outs, crashing cars, motorcycle chases, people on fire, etc. I would sit there in amazement and watch the movies over and over.
What is cool is that I got to work for the talented Marian Green on Florida Girls. Marian Green worked on Terminator 1 in the club scene. I remember talking to her about it in between takes of Florida Girls. Talk about a geek out moment - hahaha.
What is your greatest skill as a stunt performer, is there a story behind it?
I have done a lot of falls, so I’m really great at that but I think most importantly is my adaptability and confidence.
This has served me in gaining new experiences and pulling off things I wasn’t sure how to execute.
What is the best part about being a stunt performer?
The best part is every day is different. One day you could be fighting someone then the next day hanging from a crane.
What advice would you give other stunt people?
I would have to say keep growing, learning, reading, and keep moving forward. Get comfortable with being uncomfortable.
Tell your all-time personal favorite stunt story!
That is a hard question because I have gotten to work with so many people I look up to in this business and do so many different stunts.
One of my favorite stunts was on the set of MacGuyver, doubling Dr. Peter Weller. It was a scene where Mason (Dr. Peter Weller’s character) is having a shootout with some guys while hiding in a cabin. In the scene it also calls for a canister to be shot and exploded, sending Mason blown through the air.
I remember standing in the kitchen dressed as Dr. Peter Weller/Mason, I had a line attached to my back and on the other end of the line was Daniel Hargrave (Stunt Coordinator) and Taylor McDonald. I then remember hearing action, 3 2 1 and me just flying across the cabin.
Daniel and Taylor pulled the hell out of me. I then remember hearing cut and Dr. Peter Weller immediately started clapping and then the whole crew started clapping. Hearing everyone clap for me blew me away.