Stunt doubles are without a doubt the most overlooked and unsung aspect of the film industry, and why the Academy Awards have failed to listen to the calls to give them their own category at the biggest ceremony on the calendar is anybody’s guess, because these folks put their lives on the line for our entertainment and let the stars take the credit for it.
Looking at the sheer size of Dwayne Johnson, you’d have thought it’d be difficult to find somebody capable of replicating the former professional wrestler’s dimensions. As fortune and coincidence would have it, during shooting on The Rock’s first major leading role in The Scorpion King almost 20 years ago, he met his distantly-related cousin Tanoai Reed for the first time, and the rest his history.
Reed has been by Johnson’s side in almost every major project he’s done since, which includes recent Netflix smash hit Red Notice and next summer’s DCEU blockbuster Black Adam. The Hollywood Reporter recently named Reed as Stuntman of the Year, and his brother from another mother was quick to offer his congratulations.
Trawl through the replies and you’ll see how many people are shocked at the uncanny resemblance between the two, which has certainly come in handy for the last two decades. Reed is also an actor in his own right, but the Johnson gig keeps him plenty busy on the side.
