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yourself. hat���s the nature of the business. If you���re doing a ight scene, you���re ighting against somebody else. If you���re doing a ire gag, somebody has got to set you up. If you���re doing a wire fall, your riggers have to rig it for you. here���s got to be that camaraderie and that teamwork,��� Piemonte said. ���You���re depending on other people a lot in this business.��� And that teamwork goes on of-set. ���For us it doesn���t just stop as soon as they yell ���cut��� and we go home. We try to support all our stunt community in any way we can, whether it���s supporting the SAG Foundation, or [being there when] somebody���s mother or father has just passed away,��� said Piemonte���s wife Julie Michaels, who, along with him, runs JMP Productions Inc., a company that puts together complete coordinating packages for stunts, including casting. hat sense of family means that those who want to break into the business would be well advised to train with the industry���s most respected professionals. But that���s unlikely to happen unless prospective stunt performers prove themselves by taking the time to get to know who���s who, showing a willingness to learn, being honest about what they can and can���t do, and being reliable. Versatility is key ��� the more skills they bring, such as proiciency in martial arts or swimming, the better. Michaels also recommends taking acting and communications classes. Clear communication is vital when working under potentially dangerous conditions, and at times can mean the diference between life and death. Acting is important because if you���re doubling an actor, you have to be someone else. ���It���s like playing a character. If you���re going to play Margaret hatcher, you���d better study how she acts, how she moves, how she talks, how she uses her hands. We do the same thing,��� Michaels said. When doubling Pam Anderson, Michaels adopted her way of walking so accurately that it even fooled the actor���s family and husband at the time. ���Our job as a stunt double is for it to not be known we���re there,��� Michaels said. And maybe that���s something SAG-AFTRA stunt performers have been doing a bit too well. Fortunately, the SAG Awards on Sunday, Jan. 27 is the perfect occasion to remember that they are there, and that movies and television wouldn���t be the same without them. Portions of this story appeared previously in the fall 2012 issue of SAG-AFTRA magazine. CLICK HERE FOR MORE ABOUT STUNT PERFORMERS FROM THE FALL 2012 ISSUE OF SAG-AFTRA SAGAFTRA.org | Special Issue 2013 | SAG-AFTRA 34