Albert John Bakunas, Jr, a.k.a. A.J. Bakunas (October 23, 1950 – September 22, 1978) was a stunt performer who died doubling for George Kennedy in a fall from the Kincaid Towers in Lexington, Kentucky, for the film Steel (1979).
A.J. Bakunas | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Albert John Bakunas October 23, 1950 |
| Died | September 22, 1978 (aged 27) |
| Cause of death | Falling |
| Occupation | Stunt performer |
Born in Fort Lee, New Jersey, Bakunas quit his job as a gym teacher at Tenafly (N.J.) High School in 1974 and set out to break into the film industry.[citation needed] He did his first stuntwork for the 1975 film Dog Day Afternoon. Bakunas became known for expertly performing falls from great heights.[1]
In 1978, Bakunas set a world record with a 70.1 metres (230 ft) fall from a helicopter for the film Hooper,[2] which was broken that same year by Dar Robinson's 87.2 metres (286 ft) fall for a non-movie-related publicity stunt.[3]
Bakunas, determined to retake the record, returned to Lexington to perform a 96 metres (315 ft) jump from the 22nd floor of a construction site, where he had previously successfully fallen nine stories. On September 21, 1978, as his father and a crowd of about 1,000 watched, Bakunas performed the fall, reaching an estimated speed of 115 miles per hour (185 km/h). However, the airbag split on impact, and Bakunas died of his injuries the next day.[4]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | The Warriors | Punk #2 | |
| 1979 | The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again | Henchman #1 | |
| 1979 | Steel | 2nd Goon | |
| 1980 | The Stunt Man | Eli's Script Clerk | (final film role) |
References
- Lexington Leader, September 21, 1978