Chris Brewster: I’m good. Thanks for having me.
ESW: How long have you been doing martial arts?
CB: I began studying martial arts at 4 years old. Inspired by the Ninja Turtles, I started taking classes at a local dojo taught by Dave DeGuzman.
ESW: What a small world. I also started studying martial arts because of TMNT and Power Rangers and because I grew up in a bad area. I notice you do a lot of parkour in your films. When did you start doing parkour?
CB: From the first time I came to California. I was hooked on open gyms. I spent every open minute at LA Valley College, Gymnastics Olympica and White Lotus which is now called JAM Gym. They all had such great group atmospheres. You’d gather around all of your friends, and a whole bunch of new friends and share your talents. We’d do some tricking, some parkour, proper gymnastics and full on stunt training.
ESW: Again, something else we have in common! When I first moved here I started training at the same places. You talked about doing tricking. Do you consider yourself a martial artist, a tricker or both?
CB: I’m a martial artist first. Tricking was always a fun hobby, but it was martial arts that inspired the tricking, and martial arts that have made who I am today. There are thousands of trickers in the stunt world who can flip and twist 3 times in the air, but being able to properly place a devastating kick and throw a decent punch makes you stand out.
ESW: Fantastic answer. Along the same lines of martial art and tricking, you were or are part of the performance team ‘Sideswipe’. How was that team formed?
CB: The team was formed by my great friend, Matt Mullins. Matt was the first one of us to move out to California to pursue the entertainment world. He started booking jobs for us to travel the world, doing what we do best. With him and Craig Henningsen, we got to travel around, doing half time shows, corporate events, TV shows and commercials. It was a great time.
ESW: That sounds like a great time. I am extremely jealous of your life, but in a good way. Let’s talk about some of the TV shows you were on with ‘Side Swipe’ one of which was America’s Got Talent. Was that something you were excited to do or was it more like the team has to do and you’re part of the team so…?
CB: [laughs] We loved it at the time. In hindsight, it was a typical reality show. The contestants on it spend 6 months of their lives, getting absolutely nothing, while the show is making millions of dollars. It definitely doesn’t seem fair, but we enjoyed our time together.
ESW: NOTHING? These shows kill me. That’s not fair at all, especially since they are making money off your talent. Do people recognize you from that show? Like, do you get strangers that roll up on you on the street and say “you’re that dude with abs for days that was on ‘America’s Got Talent’”?
CB: No, I don’t get recognized much. My look changes on a daily basis, depending on whatever job I’m on. If I’m doubling somebody, my hair is cut and colored to match them. I think I’ve had more style changes than the main character in Alias.
ESW: Let’s talk about another show real fast, shall we… ‘Final Fu’. For the record, I watched that show and liked it. With that being said, what was that experience like for you?
CB: Final Fu was another typical reality show. We didn’t get paid anything, and it was a martial arts show produced by a bunch of people who had no idea what martial arts were about. They tried to get everyone to talk trash behind each other’s’ back. Unfortunately for them, martial arts teaches life skills that make us very “non Jersey Shore.”
ESW: Good for you man. It’s good to hear that you and hopefully others on the show stood your ground. These shows only care about their ratings and they don’t care that people will see you on the street and think that’s who you are as a person. So your name on the show was “Golden Boy”. Was that you’re doing or the show producers?
CB: I don’t know where that name originated. No one even called me “Golden Boy” until the show aired. [laughs]
ESW: That makes sense – producers trying to give you a gimmick. I would expect nothing less from that network. Have you worked with any of the people from that show since it aired so many years ago?
CB: No, most of the people that I worked with on Final Fu wanted to get into acting. As far as I know, they are pursuing that. However, Ilram Choi and Matt Mullins have been killing it in the stunt world; Ilram is the stunt double for Spiderman and has done more in stunts than almost anybody. He has been a big brother and an idol to me in my stunt career. Matt has had lots of success both acting and stunting. He was the lead in a bunch of TV shows and movies, and now he’s the fight coordinator on Marvel’s Agents of Shield. I work with them every chance that I get.
ESW: I’ve met Matt (pictured) a few times and he has always been a nice guy. He’s the type of guy that will ask how you are doing and mean it. Ilram and I talk to from time to time and is also a very nice guy like Matt. I wrote Ilram years ago when people were using MySpace and asked him where should I go to train stunts. He wrote me back the same day and gave me some good advice. I will always be thankful to him because of that. So switching gears a little bit, let’s talk about stunts since you brought it up. What made you make the decision to become a stuntman?
CB: I’ve been a stuntman my entire life, I just didn’t realize you can get paid for it until I moved to California. [laughs] It was a very smooth transition. While performing with Sideswipe, I had some wonderful opportunities, and met some incredible coordinators, and that opened my eyes to what stunts were all about, and I knew instantly that I wanted to be a stuntman. When I was in high school, I remember asking my Dad how to decide on a career that you would spend most of your life doing. He told me to take money out of the equation…If you were to win the lottery and get more money than you can ever spend, how would you spend your time? He told me to find a way to make that my career, and I have. Now, I get paid to play with my best friends, do martial arts and acrobatics, spin cars, and do the most adrenaline spiking activities ever.
ESW: Your dad gave you some great advice. You followed your bliss and it paid off big time. What are some films and TV shows growing up that influenced you in doing what you do now? I just want to say before you answer that for me, it was WMAC Masters. By the way I would love to create a new version of that show or as they say in Hollywood “reboot it” and if I ever do, I want you on it as a main character. Just throwing that out there.
CB: [laughs] I loved WMAC Masters!!! Those guys were legends! I would love to remake that show! I have always been a big fan of anything Jackie Chan or Jet Li did. I think I’ve watched Rumble in the Bronx about a hundred times now.
ESW: Rumble in the Bronx was awesome. And you’re right, the WMAC Masters were legends. Some of them are still working in stunts. I see Erik Betts from time to time who played “Panther” and he has a fantastic career in both acting and stunts. Well, maybe after people read this article they will bring the show back with some new blood. So now that we have talked about some shows and movies that influenced you, what was your experienced like being a new comer to stunts back in the day? I am sure many stunt people trying to break in would like to know.
CB: I was very lucky. I had some great friends and big brothers who showed me the way. There were a lot of things to learn that I knew nothing about (set etiquette, hustling, presentation, etc). That helped me learn what to do, and what not to do, very early on. Since there are no agents or managers in the stunt world, it is very hard to get positive direction.
ESW: Did you ever have days or moments in your life where you thought your career would never take off or were you always confident that people would recognize your skills in time?
CB: That’s a tough one. I’m a very confident person, but there are thousands of extremely talented stuntmen out here. Talent only goes so far. Success definitely requires talent, a lot of work and a little bit of luck.
ESW: Indeed it does. Well I guess when you have talent, luck and a strong work ethic…you end up having a career like yours. See this kids? Drink your milk and one day you can grow up to be a Chris Brewster. [laughs] I know you have been doing stunts for years now and at this point you ARE a pro. With that being said, do you get nervous when you are on set? I’m not talking about being scared, but getting butterflies or are you the 3 C’s? Cool, Calm and Collected?
CB: Everyone who does stunts get nervous. But like many stuntmen, I have learned to channel the nervous energy to excitement. That endorphin and adrenalin rush is the best feeling in the world. It’s one of my favorite things about stunt work.
ESW: Thank God. I was hoping I wasn’t the only one still getting nervous. Thanks for making me feel better. [laughs] So let’s take a step back in time. With all the big projects you’ve worked on, what would you consider to be your “breakout” role? The gig that “put you on the radar” and made coordinators start reaching out to you?
CB: Well, there were a few huge opportunities early in my career. Don’t get me wrong, every single job has been a great thing and I’m very gracious every time I get hired, but the jobs that I feel really pushed me in the beginning were Spy Next Door, and The Last Airbender. On Spy Next Door, I got to fight with Jackie Chan. Being able to jump in and handle his choreography and timing on day one was a big accomplishment. Jackie and his team really liked me. Plus, I was able to meet and work for Bob Brown. Bob is absolutely a legend. Learning from him was priceless. I was one of the first stuntmen hired on The Last Airbender, by Jeff Habberstad. I was able to work closely with him, and the core team (Markos Rountwaite, Ben Cooke, and David Morizot). Then, as the show went on, the stunt team grew, and I was able to work with some of the most talented stuntmen in the industry. It was a great experience for sure.
ESW: Wow. That’s all I can really say to that is wow. First off, I remember your fight in Spy Next Door and thought it was great. That must have been a fan boy moment for you to meet and fight with Jackie Chan. That’s something many people will never get a chance to do and you did it. Talking about fan boy moments, have you ever had one? Have you ever been “starstruck” and if so, who?
CB: When I met Jackie Chan on Spy Next Door, he came over and shook my hand. He said “Hi, I’m Jackie”, and I sat there with a silly grin on my face. I couldn’t respond. I just stared at him. He’s been my idol since I was a child, so it was a very shocking experience. A few minutes later, when I was finally able to speak, I introduced myself, and we had a good laugh.
ESW: Very cool. I don’t think anyone could fault you for standing there with a silly grin on your face. I dare anyone to say they would not have done the same exact thing. Let’s change gears again – throughout your career you have worked on a lot of comic book based films and TV shows like X-Men: First Class, Iron Man 3, Thor 2 and so on, and there’s more where those came from yet, you were the man behind the man behind the mask, including on Captain American: The Winter Soldiedr, our nation’s oldest protector. Was it surreal to be doing the action for Captain America?
CB: Wearing the Captain America suit is pretty awesome. That was a very fun job. Working for Tom Harper is always amazing. Tom will push you to do some amazing stuff, but makes sure that you have fun every step of the way. My favorite part of CA:WS was the elevator fight. I was able to fight ten of my really close friends in a crowded elevator. Working out the choreography in a tight space was a challenge, but I love the way it came out.
ESW: I love that fight also. You mentioned that elevator fight being challenging – what are some other challenges you faced in regards to stunts on other projects? What was the hardest stunt you had to pull off to-date?
CB: The end fight of Fright Night. Mark Wagner and I were doubling Colin Farrell and Anton Yelchin. Anton lights himself on fire, then tackles Colin and ties the two of them together. The entire fight is on fire. We did like 36 full body fire burns, while we were getting ratcheted all around the room. It was awesome.
ESW: We have a different sense of the word “awesome” as for me it sounds a little painful [laughs]. Your hard work in that feature paid off because you won the 2012 Taurus World Stunt award for that gag. Congrats on that by the way.
CB: Thank you.
ESW: Anytime! So you have done plenty of stunts. What about stunt coordinating?
CB: I’ve gotten to coordinate a few webseries, and TV shows. Even a few lower budget features. Coordinating is definitely something I want to do more of. I truly enjoy every aspect of stunts. I still love hitting the ground, but am trying to expand my arsenal a bit.
ESW: Now see, THAT’S awesome! Anyway, we’ve finished the warm-up questions so here is the big one. As per the theme of this interview you are the stunt double for Charlie Cox on Marvel’s Daredevil. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe DD might be your biggest profile project to date.
CB: Daredevil is by far, my favorite show ever. Every element of the show was perfect. The stunt coordinator is great friend of mine, Phil Silvera. He choreographed some seriously phenomenal action and the actors (Charlie Cox especially) were absolutely perfect. I’ve never found myself getting glued to the monitors like I was on this show. If I wasn’t in the actual scene, I would be behind the monitors. The producers and directors were great. They truly wanted action. They had a vision, and they really made one of the coolest comic book characters to come to life. Being part of that process was amazing.
ESW: I have to say, as a stuntman, comic book nerd and fan of film and TV in general, I thought Daredevil was well done. The fights were dirty but did not lack technique. It had a mix of real techniques and some flash with some great freerunning/parkour scenes. Big wrecks, nice gags and good acting, I mean the list goes on. DD is how The Punisher should have been as a feature. What was it like getting the call asking if you were available double for the lead character, Matt Murdock?
CB: It was funny actually. Phil offered me the job before he even booked the coordinating job. He told me that they were going to film a Daredevil series. He said “I’m going to coordinate it, and you’re gonna be the Daredevil stunt double”. Just a few weeks later, he made it happen.
ESW: That’s the power of positive thinking at its finest. I can’t believe he didn’t even have the coordinating gig yet, but he claimed it and it was his and then it was yours. That’s a very cool piece of info. So now you’ve booked the Daredevil stunt role which I am sure was a dream come true, but you can’t dream without having a few nightmares. What some of the challenges you faced while filming DD? Be it not having time to get the stunts in, not being able to do a certain stunt and having the change it on the fly, not having time to practice?
CB: Doing stunts on Daredevil was challenging, but great. In fact, I think the challenge made it that much better. First of all, the character is blind, so he reacts by turning his head instead of his eyes and the costume actually helped with that. There was a mask, that pretty much blind folded me, so it was pretty easy acting like I can’t see. [laughs]
ESW: That’s hilarious! I was like a number of people watching the show who thought you were able to maybe see through that thing in some way. Anyway, I know you said the challenges made it a better experience for you, but was there a stunt on DD that you were so glad that you didn’t have to do it again and you pray to God you never have to do it on another film?
CB: No way, I loved every stunt on that show. I will say, I did a scene in episode 9 that involved falling into the water. I had to do that for about seven-and-a-half hours. Fall, sink, swim, back up, repeat…
ESW: [laughs] Seven-plus hours of pretty much bobbing for apples without the apple in dirty water. Actually that makes me think of another question. Did you do all Charlie Cox’s stunts or did you do the fighting and someone else did the parkour?
CB: I doubled Charlie for everything, but you’d be surprised! He did A LOT of it himself. Charlie did a TON of his own fighting and the parkour while Phil and I trained him every chance we got. Luckily, he picks things up very quickly, and Phil is a master of finding the best places to put the actors, and the best places to have the doubles do their thing. Charlie is such an athletic person, that he would watch a move or a combination, and then he would do it perfectly.
ESW: That has become a big trend in Hollywood now. Actors want to do a lot of their own stunts as long as it’s not fatal so that you don’t have to keep cutting away from the action. Real quick, I saw an article where Charlie Cox said “I have my amazing stunt double Chris Brewster who will every now and again throw in a 360 double flip kick that I didn’t know people could do. I don’t do those.” I personally thought that was really cool of him to say that about you. I know you do a lot of fight design for different projects. Did you also helped create some of the fights? Did the coordinator pretty much give you free reign with the fight scenes?
CB: I am humbled and honored that Charlie gave me credit and mentioned me. He is an awesome guy. As for the fights, they were a great blend of Phil, myself, and Roberto Gutierrez. The three of us have very different styles, but we work together very well. I love it, because we were able to combine traditional hard and soft styles, krav, CQC, and a whole bunch into a whole new style. We didn’t want the movement to look like anything else out there.
ESW: Well you guys succeeded in that because I love the fights and felt like it was different then a lot of the stuff I see. Congrats on that. Let’s backtrack just a little bit. Now, we talked about side swipe for a brief moment. What many stunt people know, but some might not is you had a chance to work with fellow Side Swipe member Craig Henningsen who I have had the pleasure of meeting a few times. What was that like being able to work with a longtime friend?
CB: Craig is one of my oldest and best friends. I was so stoked to find out that I would be starting the show off with an epic fight with him. We have trained together, competed together, and spent over a decade as brothers in the martial arts world. It definitely started the show off the right way. Also, Justin Eaton was a part of Sideswipe back in the day too. He was brought out later in the season, to double Stick. We got to do another huge awesome fight! Doing a fight scene with friends is not only fun, but makes you perform so much better. You can move so much more fluidly, when you know how a person moves, and trust that person.
ESW: Was DD the first time you guys worked together on a project?
CB: No Craig and I have worked together on Teen Wolf, Agents of Shield, and a bunch of other shows. Justin and I have a LONG list of fights together that span pretty much my entire career.
ESW: I’m going to throw this out there. I LOVE Teen Wolf and I know it’s not in my demographic me being a 30-plus black male, but I really do like that show. And the best thing about admitting that to you is that, you can’t judge me. [laughs] So I would say that the fight between you and Craig, and you and Eaton were my favorite fights. Not only because they looked dark and dirty, but also because they looked extremely painful. I felt the pain everyone was going through. Did you guys both go home sore, bruised and battered that night? [laughs] I’m not sure about Craig, but you didn’t seem like you had much room to pad up in the black costume. I was looking for the gatorback and couldn’t find it so imagine you pretty much took one for the team. Is that true?
CB: There wasn’t a lot of padding on that show. [laughs] Phil and I really love the idea of “positive contact” in fight scenes. We don’t mind giving/taking a little beating in the scenes. That being said, when it was necessary, we had some really great low profile Troy Lee pads that fit under anything.
ESW: Troy Lee better give me some pads for free for plugging the product. [laughs] Tell me, what is the end game for Chris Brewster? Full time stunt guy, stunt coordinating, acting, second unit director, everything?
CB: That’s a great question. For right now, I’m going to keep hitting the ground, but I’m studying and prepping myself to coordinate. I already love doing fight coordinating, and will keep pursuing that. Eventually, I think my passion for designing action will lead to 2nd unit directing, but I’m not in a rush. I’m enjoying every step of this journey.
ESW: I truly hope you are able to get everything you want in this business and from the looks of it, you will. If you don’t mind, on a more personal note, like me and most of the people in Hollywood, not all of your friends are in the business. Do you get a chance to be just a normal person around those people in your life? I mean do they look at you as Mr. Hollywood or just Chris?
CB: My friends and family keep me grounded. My fiancé, Isabelle, my family, and my friends are incredibly supportive, but we love life both in and out of the stunt world.
ESW: That’s great. I love it when people stay humble especially when they have accomplished so much at an early age. So you have played Captain America and Daredevil. If you could pick your next superhero project who would be? Let’s just put it out there in the universe and hope it comes to you.
CB: I’m hoping I get to stay with the character Daredevil for a while. I would really like to do a few more seasons of the show, and maybe Daredevil can become a bigger part of the Marvel universe, in the next Avengers or something. I would also really like to see who they cast for Iron Fist. That is another show that has potential to be amazing and with the right stunt team (I know the guys), they could make Iron Fist awesome.
ESW: I can see people drooling now about the potentially for an Iron Fist show or movie so let’s keep our fingers crossed. I know you are an extremely busy man so I just have one more question for you. Having worked on a number of comic book-related projects, you should have a good sense of the comic book world at this point so I have one question for you in this regards. Who wins? Batman or Superman?
CB: That’s easy…Daredevil.
ESW: Daredevil it is. Not sure if the rest of the world believes that, BUT if there is a will, then there is a way.
Well that’s a wrap on Chris Brewster and I want to thank him for being with us today. More importantly, I want to thank Isabelle for allowing him to spend some time with me. Even though people might not have known who the man behind the man behind the mask was yesterday, hopefully they know today. I just want you guys to know that behind every great actor doing an action scene, there is a great stunt person behind them who has their back. With that being said, that’s a wrap on me, Eric Shamm Watson. I’m done!
Done and done, good sir!
Marvel’s Daredevil has since been renewed with a second season as Netflix continues to build its own branch Marvel Universe with four other shows on the way. For this, if all works in Brewster’s favor, we’re sure to see him back and wreaking havoc in Hell’s Kitchen yet!
Actor and stuntman Eric “Shamm” Watson‘s own stunt credits include The Purge: Anarchy, Frank Lin’s mucial action drama, Battle B-Boy, the Z-Team’s 2014 debut thriller, Die Fighting, and the upcoming releases of Anoop Rangi’s Assassin’s Game, Art Camacho’s The Chemist and actor Matt Hannon’s long-awaited character revival, Samurai Cop 2: Deadly Vengeance to name a few. For all personal inquiries, email Eric at Shammgodwatson@gmail.com. If you enjoyed this interview, please share it with friends!