A.J. Bakunas | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Albert John Bakunas (1950-10-23)October 23, 1950 |
| Died | September 22, 1978(1978-09-22) (aged 27) |
| Cause of death | Falling |
| Occupation | Stunt performer |
Albert John Bakunas, Jr, a.k.a.A.J. Bakunas (October 23, 1950 – September 22, 1978) was astunt performer who died doubling forGeorge Kennedy in a fall from theKincaid Towers inLexington, Kentucky, for the filmSteel (1979).
Born inFort Lee, New Jersey, Bakunas quit his job as a gym teacher atTenafly (N.J.) High School in 1974 and set out to break into the film industry.[citation needed] He did his first stuntwork for the 1975 filmDog Day Afternoon. Bakunas became known for expertly performingfalls from great heights. He was also an uncredited stuntman inElliot Silverstein's 1977 movieThe Car falling from a bridge.[1]
In 1978, Bakunas set a world record with a 70.1 metres (230 ft) fall from ahelicopter for the filmHooper,[2] which was broken that same year byDar Robinson's 87.2 metres (286 ft) fall for a non-movie-relatedpublicity stunt.[3]
Bakunas, determined to retake the record, returned to Lexington to perform a 96 metres (315 ft) jump from the 22nd floor of a construction site, where he had previously successfully fallen nine stories. On September 21, 1978, as his father and a crowd of about 1,000 watched, Bakunas performed the fall, reaching an estimated speed of 115 miles per hour (185 km/h). However, theairbag split on impact, and Bakunas died of his injuries the next day.[4]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | The Warriors | Punk #2 | |
| 1979 | The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again | Henchman #1 | |
| 1979 | Steel | 2nd Goon | |
| 1980 | The Stunt Man | Eli's Script Clerk | (final film role) |
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