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Arts & Entertainment

Not a Typical Workday

Lilburn's Bob Fisher has survived zombies, vampires, explosions, fire, high falls and plenty of other adventures at work as a stuntman.

Bob Fisher is a stuntman currently working in the Atlanta area as the stunt coodinator on USA’s "," AMC’s zombie hit the "" and the CW’s "." His movie credits include the updated version of "Footloose," "A Walk to Remember," "Quarantine 2," "Final Destination 4," "Dumb and Dumberer," "Black Knight" and many others.

Lilburn Patch interviewed Fisher about his unusual line of work.

How did you get started in stunt work?
It is what I have always wanted to do. When I was old enough I started training with some stunt people who had open workouts. We learned basic falls and fights, and then on to high falls and some basic driving work. I got my SAG (Screen Actors Guild Union) card in 1994, and have been steadily working more and more each year since. It is a long and slow process, and it takes commitment and patience.

Being a stuntman for so long do you readily jump off building or get catapulted into cars without hesitation? Or is there a certain fear that you must consciously conquer?
A good friend of mine recently said, "If I lose that feeling (fear/butterflies) I need to quit doing stunts." He meant that having fear is a good thing in that it keeps us in check, or from just jumping without thinking. And I agree. I like to think that I have a healthy respect of fear. I try and use it to focus and concentrate on the stunt. I still get excited whenever I get to do any stunt work, big or small.

What has been your favorite stunt or most intimidating? I did an air ram stunt working on "The Vampire Diaries." The air ram is like a small catapult that throws you through the air when stepped on or when triggered. It threw me backwards 15 feet into the windshield of a parked car. It was intimidating due to the high risk factor and rehearsal time. Also fire and car hits can be intimidating as well.

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Has one of your stunts ever gone wrong?
Yes, I did a car hit on a TV show last summer that ended up with me getting five staples in my head.

Being a stuntman unavoidably comes with its risks. That other injuries have you sustained? 

The only injury that I have had is the cut to my head, and bumps and bruises.

How did you like the driving Batmobile?
One of the funnest things I have ever done! What kid wouldn’t want to drive The Batmobile? It definitely was up there on the cool-o-meter! 

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You are currently the series stunt coordinator for USA’s "Necessary Roughness." What is a normal day on set for you?
A typical day involves prepping the stunt(s), which requires breaking down the script to find the action, finding stunt people or bringing in pads or safety equipment, going over the action with production and the director, going through hair and makeup and getting on wardrobe if we are in front of the camera, rehearsing the stunts for camera, and then doing the stunt and making adjustments or changes as needed for the director. There is usually a lot of prep work or rehearsal time involved before any stunt. 

It seems like your work is very demanding on your body. Most people would assume you just come home exhausted and need to unwind. What do you like to do outside of work?

The work can be very demanding and I do come home tired from long hours or hard work sometimes. I hang out with my wife and kids, try and stay in shape by working out and training with other stunt people, look for more work, and think of new ways to do stunts that bring more excitement and creativity to the film process.  

What keeps you going after 16 plus years in the business?
I love what I do. It is challenging, no two days are the same, and there are several stunts I have yet to do in front of the camera.

Watch for Fisher performing his stunts on the upcoming season of "Necessary Roughness," "Vampire Diaries," and the "Walking Dead." Keep up-to-date on his current projects through his Facebook page here.

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