"Years ago, auditioning, I could see my shirt moving with my heartbeat." Ahead of the Emmy Awards, a nominated stunt performer takes us behind the scenes on Hollywood's most daring job.
Paul Lacovara has been punched, thrown and body-slammed for you to experience big, cinematic moments—and he wouldn’t have it any other way. With more than 300 film and TV credits and an Emmy nomination this year for his work on the show The Rookie, Lacovara, 49, has doubled some of Hollywood’s top leading men, including Christian Bale, Theo James, Tom Hiddleston, Ryan Reynolds, Bradley Cooper, Jon Hamm, Eric Bana, and Liev Schreiber.
But he’s also endured a stunt resume that reads like an ER report: cracked sternum, crushed larynx, torn ligaments. One, he finished a scene on a broken foot because the camera missed the shot the first time.
And yet, for a guy who’s flown out of exploding cars, fought on skyscraper rooftops, and dangled from aircraft at 14,000 feet, his approach to fitness is surprisingly low-key. No hours-long Hollywood workouts here: Lacovara tells The Healthy by Reader’s Digest that he swears by a 30-minute workout. Also humbling? He’s scared of heights.
Here’s how he works.
The Healthy by Reader’s Digest: Paul, you’ve been a stunt double for some major stars. How do you prepare for a role?
Paul Lacovara: It all varies per show. When I’ve been doubling Theo James or Tom Hiddleston for a big film, a lot of that involves martial arts—fights, being very physical. You go to the gym as much as you can, keep fresh with martial arts training, and basically stay in top physical condition.
Funny enough, sometimes a working stuntman can be less in shape than an out-of-work stuntman. On Thor, when we were getting Loki’s character going, we were fighting eight hours a day in rehearsals—tip-top shape. Same on Star Trek: eight hours a day for a couple months before filming. Once you start filming, things slow down. You’re not fighting all day. There’ll be days of fighting, then downtime. When you’re not working, you train all day—driving, fighting, the gym.
The Healthy: Is there usually a gym on set you can use during downtime?
Paul Lacovara: Sometimes. A lot of times we’ll do push-ups in our trailer, or if there’s a bar around, we’ll do pull-ups. I know Dwayne Johnson has his own weight room—his stunt double can use it anytime—but it’s not for the general stunt team. Most shows I’ve been on don’t have a gym for us. When I was on Hawaii Five-O for about five years, I didn’t even know there was a gym until the third year. Then we’d work out when possible. I’d do this regimen: 300/200/100—300 jump squats, 200 push-ups, 100 pull-ups—as fast as you can, under 30 minutes. I just started doing it again; my time’s about 26 minutes. I want 23, but it’s tough.
The Healthy: Does Dwayne Johnson typically have a gym trailer on his sets?
Paul Lacovara: I was over on [the movie] Jungle Cruise and I’m pretty sure they had his trailer with the full gym. It’s kind of standard for guys who need to show off those muscles—you have to stay tuned up.
The Healthy: How has your approach evolved over time, and what’s your philosophy on longevity and health?
Paul Lacovara: My activity has changed a lot over the years. As a kid I did sports; in early college I trained for bodybuilding [and] that’s a whole other way of working out … Bodybuilding meant thousands of calories a day—five or six meals, even a thousand calories before bed to hold weight overnight. I got up to 225 pounds, lifting enormous weight. Then I got on We Were Soldiers as an extra—my first film—because my workout partner said, “Hey, I’m going to be on this movie as an extra. You want to be part of it?” I almost got fired for being too big—it’s set in the Vietnam era. They put me in as an assistant gunner carrying the big gun. Breaking into the business, everyone said, “You’re too big,” so I dropped from 225 to 205, started kickboxing, then to 185.
That’s when I started doubling the leads. I wanted to make a living as a stuntman. At 180 I doubled Hollywood’s elite and focused on martial arts, Taekwondo three hours a day. With my background I got my black belt in a few years. Then I got on Star Trek and doubled Eric Bana right after my black belt. I couldn’t train officially at the dojo, but I was fighting all day on set.
The Healthy: It’s part of your job to be in peak health, but you’re not paid specifically to work out. Realistically, a “full” routine can take hours with cardio, strength, mobility, and recovery. What does your training block look like now?
Paul Lacovara: If I’ve had creatine in the morning plus a couple espressos, I’ll work out an hour and a half. Then a protein shake, and I like to stretch about an hour…suddenly it’s noon. Then I’m on the computer looking for work. Kids come home—basketball practice, whatever.
A lot of stunt work is being ready for set; that’s training. When you’re getting into the business, you’re at the gymnastics gyms, martial arts gyms, or training with friends in a park or backyard, flipping off trampolines. Then driving—I have a drift car. We practice at tracks an hour and a half away, do stunt driving and drifting, then drive home. It’s a process, but you need to keep the skills up.
The Healthy: Supplement trends change constantly. Creatine is suddenly being marketed to women; collagen is everywhere. Which trends feel like fads, and which are actually useful for health?
Paul Lacovara: I’m against fads. What it really takes is hard training and a consistent diet that’s right for your body. Protein’s good for building muscle. Back in the day I did 1.5 grams per pound of body weight. Now I just make sure I have two shakes a day, plus a regular diet. Morning creatine, post-gym protein, then a meal. Afternoon protein … keeps me at 180 and feeling good.
The Healthy: Many readers might assume action pros live in the gym. What can someone at home learn from your approach?
Paul Lacovara: I don’t think you need two or three hours. Maybe it’s my body type, but I can bang out a half-hour if I’m working hard and getting my heart rate up. If I don’t do the 300/200/100, I’ll do 50 pull-ups a day at least, then other body parts, and six to 10 minutes of abs—no breaks. I’m dripping sweat in 30 minutes.
The Healthy: When you’re preparing for a dangerous stunt, how do you stay mentally calm? What would you tell others about facing fear?
Paul Lacovara: Believe in your training and experience. We won’t take a job if we’re not ready—that’s how you get injured or killed. Trust your history and your work.
There’s also propranolol. Years ago, auditioning, I could see my shirt moving with my heartbeat. My doctor suggested it. It’s a blood pressure med that keeps your heart rate from spiking. On Hawaii Five-O, if I had a day ripping a truck around town, sliding with close calls—or flipping a car—I’d take a 60-milligram extended-release in the morning. It’s not habit-forming. Combined with training and prep, it lets me perform. [Editor’s note: Always speak with a licensed doctor before taking medication.]
Before big stunt-driving days when I was younger, I’d look in the mirror: “You’ve trained for this. You’ve done the courses. You have a drift car. You’ve got this.” Block out the noise and rely on what you know you can do.
The Healthy: Do you ever feel your life is in danger? Especially now that you have kids?
Paul Lacovara: When I was starting out, I doubled a lot of superheroes—high-altitude stunts. On one show we fought on the open tail end of a [military aircraft] C-130 at 14,000 feet. I wasn’t too worried because we were tied off. On Star Trek we were a hundred-plus feet in the air, dropping at various speeds. Another show had me jumping off a 200-foot building. I hate heights, but I do it. As I’ve gotten older and perform less, I can’t stand heights even more. Heart races, and I have to tell myself, “You’ll be fine.”
Having kids changes you. I don’t need to get hit by a car anymore. I’ll still do small car hits or throw myself down some stairs, but I can pick and choose now. No ego—bring in the young guy. That’s why I’m moving into stunt coordinating and directing: I love creating the action.
The Healthy: What recovery or rehab practices have helped after intense days—or specific injuries?
Paul Lacovara: I’ve had some crazy injuries. On one movie, a world-champ Taekwondo stunt double didn’t pull a kick and cracked my sternum. I saw a flash of light, took a knee, couldn’t sleep that night. X-ray showed splinters; I couldn’t do certain moves for a year. Friends covered some movements until I healed. When we finally shot it, his leg went up and hit my larynx—collapsed my throat a bit. To this day I can’t press on it much. There’s not much you can do for a bunch of little fractures. Earlier in my career I had a nagging lower-back issue. A doctor told me, “You can’t be a stuntman.” I said, “Sorry, doc, this is my passion.”
On Five-O I had a gag jumping [about] 40 feet onto boxes … onto a moving truck. Boxes were covered with one big piece of green screen, which was our mistake. I had to land on my feet and fold into the boxes; the green screen kept me from sinking. Instead of five or six feet, I sank two [and] smashed forward, broke my nose, tore a neck ligament, broke my foot. Worse, the camera missed the shot—we had to go again. I laced into sturdier boots and did it.
That’s the job: you go again until the director gets the shot. After, hospital. Next day, more running and jumping. We’re the pro athletes of the business, but … what pro athlete works into their sixties? No one.
The Healthy: Is there an actor you’ve worked with or doubled who impressed you with their preparation?
Paul Lacovara: Ryan Reynolds is very physical; Theo James and Tom [Hiddleston] are always running, always working out. They do a lot of their own action. We rehearse fights and make them safe—that’s our job—but they often do it for camera; over-the-shoulder shots are us.
Big-movie action stars often say they do their own stunts—sometimes they do, but if you don’t see their face, it’s the double. We also rehearse to make things safe so they can do it. Tom Cruise is a badass and does legit stunts, but people rehearse for him first and make sure everything’s safe.
The Healthy: What are you looking forward to next?
Paul Lacovara: I’m pushing the directing side. I love being behind the camera creating action and hope to do more.
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This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
