Mic Rodgers

The Man Behind the Stunts on the Throttle.

Born on January 1, 1954, Mic Rodgers has made a name for himself as a multi-faceted contributor to Hollywood. A stuntman, stunt actor, stunt coordinator, and director, Rodgers has left a remarkable imprint on the film industry, with a unique talent that spans both performing and directing heart-stopping action sequences.

Raised in San Gabriel, Los Angeles, Rodgers entered the film industry in the 1970s under the mentorship of Paul Stader. Starting his journey on TV series like MAS*H and The Incredible Hulk, he began to carve his path in the film industry with appearances in features like The Return of Captain Nemo and Survival Run.

‍Enter Hollywood

However, Rodgers' most notable work was as the personal stunt double for actor Mel Gibson. From 1984 to 2000, the pair collaborated on a string of films, including the Lethal Weapon series, Bird on a Wire, Forever Young, and the Oscar-winning Braveheart, which featured some of the most memorable hand-to-hand combat scenes ever portrayed on the big screen. Rodgers' talents extended beyond performing stunts; he coordinated them, too, working alongside Gibson on the Lethal Weapon series, Scrooged, Radio Flyer, and Maverick.

Creating the Action

The diversity of Rodgers' work is a testament to his skill and adaptability. He has worked on a variety of genres, from Beverly Hills Cop and Birdy to Into the Night and Forever Young. Notably, his expertise was on full display as the stunt coordinator and second unit director on Lethal Weapon 4, coordinating the warehouse fight sequences with martial arts master Jet Li.

Rodgers has achieved remarkable recognition for his work. Among his accolades, he won a Technical Achievement Award at the 2002 Academy Awards and the Taurus Award for Best Stunt Coordinator and/or 2nd Unit Director: Feature Film for The Fast and the Furious. His work on Hacksaw Ridge earned him the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture in 2017.

Despite his resounding success in the film industry, Rodgers has maintained a strong passion for motocross. He regularly competes in local motorcycle races and has participated in every Day in the Dirt Motocross Grand Prix. This love for motocross dates back to his youth, tracing his racing roots to locations like Carlsbad and Saddleback.

‍Director 

His directorial debut came with UNIVERSAL SOLDIER: THE RETURN, a film that benefited from his extensive background in stunts and second unit directing. Who knows what will come next but in the meantime he continues to reside in Los Angeles with his wife, cherishing every opportunity to race motorcross.

From his start in TV series in the 70s to coordinating and directing stunts in some of the biggest blockbusters, Mic Rodgers has proven himself a force to be reckoned with in the world of film. As a mentor to others and a constant student of the craft, he continues to shape Hollywood's most action-packed moments, both in front of and behind the camera.

Inventor

One of the pivotal moments in Mic Rodgers' illustrious career came during his work on the action-packed film, The Fast and the Furious. Collaborating with director Rob Cohen, Rodgers sought to revolutionize how car chases were filmed in Hollywood, ultimately creating a new filming apparatus that would change the face of car chase sequences.

Enter the Mic Rig

To breathe life into the film's exhilarating car chases, Rodgers conceptualized a new way of capturing action shots of car interiors with the actors inside. The team stripped cars of their engines and tires, attaching the body and interior onto the back of a van chassis. This enabled the crew to fix lights and cameras in innovative ways to capture the actors miming stunts inside the vehicles.

In reality, while actors like Vin Diesel and Paul Walker were seen performing high-octane car maneuvers, it was Rodgers or one of his teammates skillfully driving the Mic Rig, executing power slides, 180s, and 360s.

The invention of the Mic Rig represented a significant leap forward in the filming of action sequences. It offered a new perspective, bringing audiences into the heart of the action like never before, and enhancing the authenticity and excitement of the scenes.

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The revolutionary nature of the Mic Rig was recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which awarded it a Technical Achievement Award in 2001. This invention underscores Mic Rodgers' ingenuity and his ceaseless drive to push the boundaries of what's possible in film production.

Lasting impact

Whether he's coordinating stunts, directing action sequences, or inventing game-changing film equipment, Rodgers' creativity and expertise continue to leave an indelible mark on Hollywood.