The Hollywood Stunts Hall of Fame traces its roots to 1973, when veteran stunt performer and historian John “Johnny” Hagner established an organization dedicated to honoring the men and women whose courage, skill, and innovation helped build the motion picture industry. While actors often received public recognition for the action seen on screen, the stunt professionals who designed, coordinated, and performed those feats frequently remained behind the scenes. The Hall was created to ensure that their contributions would not be forgotten and that future generations would understand the vital role stunt performers played in shaping cinematic history.
From the silent era through the modern blockbuster age, stunt performers have been among the most remarkable craftsmen in the entertainment industry. They have ridden runaway horses, leaped from moving trains, survived high falls, crashed automobiles, piloted aircraft, and pioneered safety techniques that transformed filmmaking. Their work has thrilled audiences for more than a century while continually pushing the boundaries of what could be achieved on screen. The Hall recognizes not only individual achievement, but also the collective legacy of a profession built upon discipline, trust, teamwork, and extraordinary physical skill.
Throughout its history, the Hall has honored many of the industry’s most respected performers, coordinators, action innovators, and screen legends. Induction into the Hall serves as a recognition of excellence and a celebration of those whose careers advanced the art and science of stunt performance. The Hall’s archives, ceremonies, photographs, footprints, memorabilia, and historical records preserve a unique chapter of Hollywood history that might otherwise be lost with the passing of time.
As the entertainment industry evolved, so too did stunt work itself. New technologies, safety advancements, and filmmaking techniques expanded the possibilities for action storytelling while building upon the foundations established by earlier generations. The Hall embraces this continuing evolution by honoring pioneers of the past, innovators of the present, and the professionals who continue to elevate the craft for audiences around the world. Their achievements represent an unbroken tradition of excellence stretching from the earliest motion pictures to today’s global productions.
Today, the Hollywood Stunts Hall of Fame continues its mission as both a tribute and a historical archive. By preserving biographies, photographs, film credits, awards, personal stories, and rare historical materials, the Hall seeks to ensure that the legacy of stunt professionals remains accessible for generations to come. More than a collection of names, the Hall stands as a living record of the individuals whose bravery, creativity, and dedication helped create some of the most memorable moments in motion picture history.
Following the passing of founder John “Johnny” Hagner in 2017, stewardship of the Hollywood Stunts Hall of Fame was carried forward by Doricca Brewer, who dedicated herself to preserving the Hall’s archives, memorabilia, historical records, and museum collection. During this transitional period, Brewer safeguarded decades of Hall of Fame materials while continuing the mission established by Hagner. Artifacts and exhibits from the Hall were shared with the public through partnerships with institutions including the Moab Museum of Film and Western Heritage at Red Cliffs Lodge on the Colorado River, where they helped tell the story of Moab’s rich connection to Hollywood filmmaking and stunt work. Hall materials were also curated for exhibitions at the Valley Relics Museum near Van Nuys Airport, helping introduce new audiences to the contributions of stunt performers and the history of action filmmaking. Through these efforts, the Hall’s collection remained preserved and visible until a new generation of leadership began the work of restoring, expanding, and digitizing the Hall’s legacy for the future.
The new chapter in the Hall’s history began in 2026 when brothers Adam Montierth and Donovan Montierth joined the effort to help preserve and expand the legacy of the Hollywood Stunts Hall of Fame. Building upon the foundation established by John Hagner and preserved through the stewardship of Doricca Brewer, they launched a comprehensive restoration initiative centered on archival preservation, historical research, and public accessibility. Their work began with the creation of a new digital home for the Hall, designed to preserve biographies, photographs, film credits, awards, memorabilia, and rare historical records for future generations. Guided by a deep respect for the pioneers of the stunt profession, their vision is to transform the Hall into the leading archive of stunt history—honoring the past while ensuring that the stories, achievements, and contributions of stunt performers remain accessible, celebrated, and preserved for decades to come.
The Beginning…
In the year of 1960, a group of progressive stuntmen of the Motion Picture Industry realized that a fraternal organization should be formed to bring fellow stuntmen together and unify them professionally. By so doing was born a new and worthwhile order:
The Stuntmen’s Association of Motion Pictures and Television.”
By the standards of this fraternity, the professional stuntmen continuously strive to create new and spectacular thrills that will amplify the quality of production.
What are stuntmen? They are a breed of rugged individuals whose livelihood is maintained by performing hazardous stunts for motion pictures. They place their necks on the line every day in their unique occupation. The professional keeps himself in good physical condition and his mind alert. He must have a good sense of timing and know the full extent of his own ability, likewise that of his fellow workers.
When Did This Profession Begin?
To answer this question we must turn back the pages of time. Back to the days of the gladiators who fought everything in the shape of man or beast that the Roman Empire could furnish. Back to the lists where knights in armor met in thrilling jousts. Back to the tanbark of the Circus Maximus where charioteers displayed their driving skill in a go-for-broke race that separated the men from the boys.
Yes, all through history we find these creators of thrills working wherever crowds gathered for the purpose of being entertained. They might have had a different name for their profession, but at heart they were stuntmen. And many of their creations have been amplified by the stuntmen on the silver screen.
Indeed, the stuntman is not new to the motion picture profession. They have been an important part of the picture industry since the days of the first flickering pictures of Mack Sennett’s Keystone Cops—the blood and thunder of the silent westerns—and on into the talkies and super-productions of the present day.
What Is a Stuntman?
What is a stuntman?
He’s an insurance policy to the picture in production.
He’s an unsung actor who, by his sheer nerve and ability, is able to execute a hazardous stunt and walk away with his body and limbs intact.
He’s a man who can put a star’s wardrobe on and transpose the author’s wildest dream into reality.
He’s a man who can bring audiences to their feet and fill the theater with oohs and ahhs.
How long has the stuntman been with us?
Well, let’s just say he always was.
— Yakima Canutt
