Episodes

Eric Sun is Steven Yeun’s stunt double on Netflix’s The Rip. Eric, Steve, and Paul have a long history together in the stunt business, starting 10 years back when all were rookies in the industry and training together in NYC. In this season’s finale episode, we sit down with Eric and chew the fat about his work on The Rip and the decade-long journey that has brought him from a potential life as an accountant to where he is today in Hollywood. MENTIONS: Feeding America Drive: https://teamfeed.f...

As Paul and Steve conclude their second season, they review their episode rankings, comparing episodes favorites between their audio listeners and YouTube viewers. What killer episodes are these different audiences missing out on? MENTIONS: Feeding America Drive: https://teamfeed.feedingamerica.org/participants/NYCombatSambo FILM FIGHTS WITH FRIENDS Do you listen to our show as an audio podcast? Give video a try. Subscribe to our YouTube for the video version with awesome behind the scenes pics...

As Paul and Steve come to the conclusion of their first feature screenplay’s 3rd draft, share their nearly four year writing experience, how it evolved from short film to feature, their goals, and how they overcame the challenges of putting ego aside and story to paper. MENTIONS: Feeding America Drive: https://teamfeed.feedingamerica.org/participants/NYCombatSambo Those Who Face Death: https://www.markgrdovic.com/ Austin Film Festival Interview with Rian Johnson: https://youtu.be/0EKO38_kuqQ FI...

Garrett Schulte is known for his role as Wilmot Dow in the western drama about a young Teddy Roosevelt, ELKHORN (2024-2025). Garrett also appears in THE SKY’S FOREST (2025), which he also wrote, directed and edited. THE SKY’S FOREST is now available on-demand on Amazon and Apple. Schulte has a background in engineering and is a graduate of the University of California, San Diego. He has been involved in various projects, including volunteering with Fresh-Go to donate food during events. MENTION...

Robert Radler is the director of the cult classic Best of the Best (1989) starring Eric Roberts, Phillip Rhee and James Earl Jones. Numerous guests have cited this film as a pivotal moment in their martial art and film careers, not the least of which are our two co-hosts! This film, Radler’s debut feature, was also a launching pad for the likes of debut stunt coordinator Simon Rhee and performer James Lew. Rhee went on to receive SAG Award nominations for Heroes in 2008 and Transformers: Dark of...

As a stunt coordinator on student films from nearly every film school in NYC and guest lecturer at the School of Visual Arts Masters in Directing program, our co-host Stephen Koepfer has noticed that up-and-coming filmmakers seem to be more attracted to practical action than ever before. This seems contrary to what one might assume to be the case in today’s film industry. There is a weird paradox in the action filmmaking community. Practical action has never been more popular. It is actively us...

As a stunt coordinator on student films from nearly every film school in NYC and a guest lecturer at the School of Visual Arts' Master's in Directing program, our co-host Stephen Koepfer has noticed that up-and-coming filmmakers seem to be more attracted to practical action than ever before. This seems contrary to what one might assume to be the case in today’s film industry. There is a weird paradox in the action filmmaking community. Practical action has never been more popular. It is activel...

Laiko Foroughi has been stunt-doubling Christina Chong (La'an Noonien-Singh) on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds for the run of the show. She joins us on Film Fights with Friends to break down the epic dance-fight scene with Spock in S3 Ep8 (a throwback to the Spock vs Khan fight in Star Trek Into Darkness). Laiko is a career martial artist, stunt performer, and actor who has also appeared in What We Do in the Shadows, Gen V, The Handmaid's Tale, Murderbot, The Boys, Scream VI and many other produc...

Walker Hare is an actor and filmmaker who has appeared in Taylor Sheridan’s 1923 (2023), Artist Unknown (2024), The Sinner (2020) and most recently HBO Max’s Task and Netflix’s Black Rabbit. In episode 7 of Black Rabbit, Walker performs in a brutal fight scene, which is the starting point of our interview. We break down that scene from script to screen, how his Black Rabbit role related to his Artist Unknown role, his overall experience on the show, and his acting career. Our co-host Paul is als...

Evelyn Vaccaro is an actor and stunt performer known for her work in John Wick 3 (2019), Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022), The Naked Gun (2025), and countless television programs including Endgame (2022), Outer Banks (2021) and her 2025 Emmy Award nominated fire burn on FBI: Most Wanted. Dancing, horseback riding, snowboarding are just a few of her skills. However, she is known for her expertise in water stunts and safety. An avid lover of extreme sports, she thrives on physically exhilara...

“How do I get into stunts?” The eternal question anyone working in the stunt business will be faced with repeatedly. The question often leaves us in a predicament. After all, we don’t want to crush anyone’s dreams. Everyone should be able to try making a living how they want. Having said that, there is no one path, quick fix or cheat code for getting into this business. What is very clear, however, is what NOT to do if you want to become a stunt performer. The simple fact is that people who ask ...

Creating a television show is no easy task. The vast majority of television pilots, even the great ones, do not result in a series being produced. It is a labor of love and dedication to the craft of storytelling. Jamie Kilstein is an actor, comedian, podcaster, jiu-jitsu black belt, creator, and star of Blue Belts, his first scripted television project. In this interview, we dig into Blue Belts, what it took to get the pilot made, where it is going, its autobiographical influences, and the peop...

Hank Bedford is the co-writer and director of Eugene the Marine, a genre-bending horror giallo film starring Scott Glenn, Jim Gaffigan, Shioli Kutsuna and Annette O’Toole. The film premiered at the 2025 Oldenburg International Film Festival to standing ovations and high praise for Scott Glenn’s performance, a performance Glenn has called the best of his career. This is Bedford’s second feature film, his first being the critically acclaimed Dixieland (2015). In this interview we dive deep into th...

Clay found his way into unit photography when Zack Snyder gave him a chance to shoot Watchmen. That lucky break has led to nearly 20 years of work, including Sucker Punch (2011), Man of Steel (2013), 300: Rise of an Empire (2014), Suicide Squad (2016), Justice League (2017), A Star is Born (2018), I am the Night (2019), and Rebel Moon Parts One and Two (2023/24). His enthusiasm has never waned. While his credits include big-budget superhero films, he treats every project as a unique opportunity ...

With a background in AMA motocross racing and competitive gymnastics, Kevin Rogers has been pursuing a career in the stunt industry since 2005. Soon after, in 2006, he started working at Drivers East. With countless hours of practice and an intensely competitive spirit, he has earned the reputation as a car and motorcycle specialist. His professionalism and experience have helped him achieve an ever-growing list of over 200 film, television and commercial credits in his 20-year career. Kevin is ...

Returning guests Becca GT (S1 Ep1) and Hugh Fitzgerald (S1 Ep4) return to join Paul and Steve and rip into what some of our favorite and worst remakes are! What constitutes a remake? Can a television show truly be a remake of a film? Can a film accurately remake a TV show? Is a reboot a remake? Is a spin-off off a remake? What films should never be remade? Join us and find out what these industry insiders really think about some of the movies you love (or hate)! MENTIONS: Becca on Film Fights ...

Lauro David Chartrand-Del Valle has a remarkable film and television career spanning over 35 years. Having journeyed from an internationally recognized Stuntman, Coordinator, and Fight Coordinator on epic films like The Last Samurai and War for the Planet of the Apes, to directing, writing, and producing, Lauro is deeply involved in all facets of filmmaking. His work has been recognized with multiple Leo Awards, a UBCP/ACTRA Award, and a SAG Award for Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt En...

With nearly 20 years of experience as a performer, Tara Macken has worked as a stunt performer, fight coordinator, stunt coordinator and action director. Tara is a 5 time SAG Award nominee for Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture (The Batman, Avengers: Endgame, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Avengers: Infinity War and Furious 7), a 2 time nominee for Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Comedy or Drama Series (Westworld) and an Emmy nominee fo...

UFC standout turned Director, Keith Jardine, and Tait Fletcher (The Mandalorian) sit in on Film Fights with Friends to talk time loops, horror, and Jardine’s directorial debut, Kill Me Again. Written and directed by Jardine, Kill Me Again tells the story of Charlie (Brendan Fehr - Roswell, Final Destination), a notorious serial killer known as the Midnight Mangler, who finds himself trapped, reliving the same violent night over and over. Initially embracing his grisly urges, Charlie soon becomes...

Michelle Waterson-Gomez is an American former mixed martial artist, actress and stuntwoman who has competed across various organizations including Strikeforce and the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). She is the former Invicta FC Atomweight Champion. Between 2013 and 2014, she was ranked the No. 1 women's atomweight fighter in the world. Waterson-Gomez holds a black belt in American freestyle karate and has also trained in wushu, Muay Thai, Kickboxing, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, boxing and wrestli...

In this episode of Film Fights with Friends Steve and Paul share some of the crazier stories from their stunt careers including getting trolled after an appearance on a notorious Saturday Night Live sketch, improv gone wrong on The Punisher, calling out the leaker of Ray Donovan fight footage, a cautionary tale about working on friends’ passion projects and more! MENTIONS: SNL Safelite Sketch: https://vimeo.com/247846876 TAMMFF Film Freeway: https://filmfreeway.com/TAMMFF FILM FIGHTS WITH FRI...

Joining Film Fights with Friends is Dr. Paul Heinzelmann, a physician, former clinical instructor at Harvard Medical School and Producer/Director of Safe Sets: Dying to Work in the Film Industry - a feature length exploration of systemic issues impacting the health and wellbeing of film workers. This critically important documentary weaves together candid interviews with technicians, union representatives, public health experts, and notable performers (Jon Hamm and John Malkovich) with the stor...

Mark Stanton-Kelly is a London based fight coordinator, stunt performer and lead stunt double with all round onset experience and skills. Mark is experienced and known for his ability to shoot and edit previz for feature films and television. He has a varied background in martial arts, is experienced in actor training and teaching fight choreography. Among the numerous productions Mark has coordinated fights for are Black Mirror, The Agency, Meg 2: The Trench, Ant Man and the Wasp: Quantumania a...

Avaah Blackwell is a multilingual actor and versatile stunt performer. Classically trained in Europe, Blackwell began her career as a performer after graduating from Prague Film School's "Acting for Film" program at the top of her class. She has appeared in such productions as The Handmaid’s Tale, What We Do in the Shadows, 12 Monkeys and The Umbrella Academy. Avaah is most noted for her continued presence in the Star Trek universe including 28 episodes of Star Trek Discovery in such roles as Lt...