Terry Forrestal, 52, stuntman
T.E. Goodell
LONDON (AP) - British stuntman Terry Forrestal, a veteran of Hollywood
blockbusters like ``Titanic'' and ``Braveheart,'' died in a jumping accident in
Norway on June 10, news reports said. He was 52.
For 15 years, Forrestal was one of Europe's leading film stunt coordinators,
designing and executing action sequences for a series of leading directors.
His British credits include ``The Full Monty,'' ``Trainspotting,'' and
``Elizabeth.''
Born in Chesterfield, central England, Forrestal was educated at a Roman
Catholic school in north London. After his mother's death, he abandoned plans
to go to university, and set off to travel the world.
Deeply affected by the suffering of the poor in India, he returned home to take
up medicine, but found he was unsuited to academic life.
In 1975, he joined Britain's Territorial Army and later served in the elite
Special Air Service, serving in Northern Ireland.
In the mid-1980s, he entered the film world and was soon among the top in his
profession, undertaking everything from diving and parachuting to motorbike
stunts and horse effects.
Early credits include ``Greystoke,'' ``Memphis Belle'' and ``Mona Lisa.''
In 1996 he made headlines when he checked out of a Danish hotel in a cloud of
smoke, plunging 90 feet from the roof on to an airbag to promote the video
release of the James Bond film, ``Goldeneye.''
Forrestal also helped train young stuntmen and women and was in the process of
setting up an equestrian center for stunt horses at Angel Grange, his estate
west of London.
He died while parachuting from the 3,000-foot Kjerag cliff in Lysefjord,
Norway, a practice known as base jumping.
He landed badly on a ledge 2,000 feet down, injuring his legs, and while
waiting for rescue, launched himself from the ledge, but there was insufficient
height for his parachute to open properly.
Forrestal, who was not married, is survived by two sisters. Funeral details
were not available.
AP-NY-07-02-00 0759EDT
Charles A Lieberman
T.E. Goodell provided
>LONDON (AP) - British stuntman Terry Forrestal, a veteran of Hollywood
>blockbusters like ``Titanic'' and ``Braveheart,'' died in a jumping accident in
>Norway on June 10, news reports said. He was 52.
When I saw the obit in the _Daily News_, I thought "no wonder he was in
'Braveheart,' he looks almost exactly like Mel Gibson."
--
Charles A. Lieberman | "I hate to seem inquisitive, but could you kindly
Brooklyn, NY, USA | inform me who I really am?"
| --_The Importance of Being Earnest_
http://calieber.tripod.com/home.html
Sandra Doyle
That's really a shame. I have always had mixed feelings about
professional stunt people. Simultanieously I think they're absolutely
insane risking their lives for a mere movie, and yet I envy them for having,
possibly, the most exciting life any human being could have. They are,
perhaps, the only people who truely "live." I imagine them relaxing with
boring hobbies like sky-diving or rock-climbing.
Charles A Lieberman (yvro...@voicenet.com) wrote:
: 02 Jul 2000 14:13:41 GMT
--
Sandra Doyle
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
I'm not a bitch, but I play one on the internet.
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Disclaimer: These are my opinions only. But I share.
Visit my web page: http://www.sas.upenn.edu/~sdoyle/