If you were the kind of little girl who loved jumping out of trees, having play sword fights, and wearing costumes, then envy Jessica Harbeck, a professional stuntwoman. Not only does she get paid to be (fake) punched in the face and kicked around, she has a blast doing it. AfterEllen.com talked to Jessica about her work, being a woman in one of Hollywood’s oldest boys’ clubs, and her Best. Day. Ever. Hint: It involves lingerie and a football.
Jessica Harbeck: Stuntwoman AfterEllen.com: The first thing a lot of people will probably wonder is how do you become a stuntwoman? It’s not like you can major in it in college. Jessica Harbeck: Getting into stunts is different for each person in the business. I got really lucky. I moved out here with the intention of getting into stunts, after finishing school in Boulder, Colorado.AE: What does a stunt person major in, in college? JH: [laughs] I was an English Lit major.
AE: Perfect. JH: Exactly.
AE: What happened after you arrived in LA with your English Lit degree? JH: The first movie set I got on, I was doing extras work. After saying I wanted to do stunts, someone said, “Oh, you should meet my friend, Bonsai.” I knew nothing, I was so green. And so, I was like, “OK, I’ll meet Bonsai.” Then, I met a guy named, Charlie Brewer, who truly mentored me and gave me the biggest help. I was lucky, because the way you get in, is to be mentored. He took me under his wing and taught me the ins and outs of the business.
AE: Have you ever been seriously hurt? JH: Nothing on set. Most of my injuries come from training. I’ve been cut in a sword fight. Nothing serious — a two-stitch deal.
AE: Do you specialize in any particular kind of stunt? Like, some people do hand-to-hand fighting, or wire work, or pyrotechnics or jumps? Listen, I don’t know what I’m talking about. JH: No, you do! I’m like, “Hey wait. She knows what she’s saying!” [laughs] You know, I’m more of an all-around athlete kind of stuntwoman. I am not a specialist, like some people in our business.
[There are] incredible ex-Cirque du Soleil people, martial artists who were national or world champions, and people who are exceptionally good at specific things. I’m more of an all-around athlete girl who’s pretty good at a lot of stunts, but not awesome at that one thing.AE: What’s the coolest stunt you’ve ever done? JH: Hmm. What about my favorite day at work? How about that?
AE: OK. Either way, I’m already jealous. JH: I got to work on an episode of CSI: NY and double for the actress who was playing lingerie football. That was an excellent day. I was the quarterback, in full lingerie with 30 other girls, playing full-contact football. That was a dream come true.
AE: I hate you. JH: It was so fun! AE: You used to play rugby. That must have prepared you for it. JH: Nobody hits like a rugby girl. They’re wild and crazy and tough and passionate.
AE: Stuntwomen need to look like the actress they’re doubling for. Who do you most resemble? JH: I’ve probably doubled Bridget Moynahan most convincingly. She’s an athlete , so that was an easy job. I doubled for Jane Lynch on the VH1 “Do Something” awards show, which was sweet. In the beginning of the show, they had seven stuntwomen coming out of the ceiling, live. We had wigs and track suits on. It was sweet.
AE: Many actresses are tiny.They’re short and weigh next to nothing. How do you remotely resemble them and still maintain a body that has the strength you need to do your job? JH: I’m 5′ 8″ and weigh 120 pounds. I work pretty hard to stay lean and fit, and stay ready for this job. I do a lot of yoga and take martial arts. I also surf and stand-up paddle board. My week revolves around work things, staying in shape and staying ready.
AE: What was your most recent film? JH: I worked on a movie called Shark Night 3D down in Louisiana, with Katharine McPhee.
AE: Do you work mostly on movies? JH: No. After Shark Night, I had a couple of days on TV shows, and a game show. That was weird.
AE: A game show? JH: Yeah, that was the first time I worked for a game show. We tested [the set] to make sure it was safe for contestants.
AE: I never thought much about that. Although, I thought that’s what interns were for. But I guess a trained professional is better. JH: We get the funniest jobs! We’re the blue-collar side of the industry.
AE: Have you ever been punched in the face? JH: In almost every fight scene I’ve been a part of, someone gets punched in the face. In most fights for film TV, multiple punches to the face are common. Getting punched in the face, or taking any kind of punch or kick, otherwise known as a “reaction,”[is] something people actually practice when they all get together.
AE: … and drink. What’s the life expectancy of a stuntwoman? Career-wise, I mean. JH: Well, I’m in a group called the Stuntwomen’s Association of Motion Pictures, and we have members who have been around 30, 40 years. There are women in their 60’s still in the business.
There’s a very famous stuntwoman named Jeannie Epper [Lynda Carter‘s stunt double on Wonder Woman] and they did a documentary about her [and Zoe Bell, Lucy Lawless‘ stuntdouble on Xena] called Double Dare. Jeannie is still working. My goal would be to work as long as I physically can, and segue into a career as a stunt coordinator. Very few women out there do that. It would be an honor to be one of them. AE: Although stuntwomen get work doubling for actresses, I’m guessing by in large, it’s a male-dominated field. Do you find the stunt business sexist? JH: It’s definitely an industry that’s male-dominated and everybody knows that. But, let me give you some perspective. Let’s say there’s a male stunt coordinator. And he has a certain number of spots that he has to fill, for what are called “non-descript” stunts.
Let’s say a bank robber comes into a bank and starts shooting people and blowing them up. You don’t see the faces of the people getting killed. Those are “ND” stunt people. And so, a lot those of times, coordinators will hire their five buddies. But no complaints there, because when you are one of the buddies, you’re stoked!
Women are getting those spots. In my generation, I’ve seen coordinators hiring women and putting them in those spots with a purpose. I’ve heard it used to be different, but I have not seen that. I’ve been lucky to work with very progressive, awesome, cool people.
AE: Nice. And when it’s time for you to move from stuntwoman to stunt coordinator, female coordinators won’t even be a rare thing. JH: The ones that are out there are really passionate about helping other women. It’s only changing for the better.
AE: While we’ve been talking, I’ve been looking at headshots on your Stuntwomen’s Association website. You guys are all hot! JH: Yeah, we like to think so! [laughs] No. It’s different for all of us. Some girls like to wake up in the morning and put on the makeup and get cute. For me, it’s like, “Shoot me.” It’s a chore. I’d rather die. The only time I put on makeup is when I go to work. I consider it being in drag. You even have to mimic the way the actress carries herself.
AE: What does that entail? JH: They all walk differently, they all run differently, maybe stand with their hand on their hip in a certain way. We have to make it look like it’s them.
AE: Are there an inordinate number of lesbians in the stunt business? JH: The few that are, we all know each other. But there really aren’t many.
AE: I find that surprising. This is a job tailor-made for lesbians. I could just be talking about myself, mind you. JH: I wish I had an answer for that. It is really tough. I mean, you have to be in top shape to do it. AE: OK, forget what I said about me. Do you get to do high falls? JH: I do height falls, but I’m not a high fall expert. There are women in my group who do that. They do falls from over 90 feet.
AE: As computer-generated special effects become more sophisticated, will they eventually take the place of traditional stunt work? JH: We work hand-in-hand with special effects. They complement each other. You know, Avatar was a huge stunt movie. Stunts are here, and you will always need stunt people. Nothing can replace a human body hitting the ground.
AE: I’ve always said that! What should the would-be stuntwoman know? JH: I would say the first thing is do not take no for an answer. Move to LA and promise yourself that you will truly do whatever it takes because it’s not going to happen overnight. It’s not going to be easy, people aren’t always going to be nice. But if you have that drive inside of you, you will start to meet the right people and things will start to go your way.
AE: I said advice for stuntwomen, not writers. JH: Well, show business can be heartbreak.
AE: Do you have a girlfriend right now? JH: No, I’m single.
AE: You have a nice headshot. Let’s see what happens. Maybe we can get you a date. JH: [laughs] I’d love it.
