Universal Pictures
Ryan Gosling plays a Hollywood stuntman in new action comedy ScapegoatAn adaptation of the popular 1980s TV series Same name The film stars Lee Majors, and while Gosling performed some of his own stunts, the most dangerous scenes were performed by professional stuntmen, whose job it is to take risks to ensure the stars don’t get hurt, especially with a high chance of head injuries. the study A significant percentage of stuntmen don’t report such injuries, mainly because they fear losing their jobs in what is a highly competitive industry, according to a paper published in the Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology. The effects can lead to more severe cognitive impairment later in life.
“Many stuntmen are afraid to report injuries, especially head injuries, for fear of being put on the no-hire list or considered a liability.” Co-author Jeffrey Russell said: “The more injuries and trauma you have, the harder it may be to find work,” said the Ohio University stuntman, “but it shouldn’t be that way. Production companies and their unions need to ensure that stuntmen receive proper care and aren’t reprimanded if they are injured on the job.”
This study builds on Russell’s previous work. Published last yearWe looked at the incidence of head injuries and concussions among stuntmen and how well these injuries are managed. The high incidence of these injuries means that stuntmen are at higher risk of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) throughout their careers. CTE is a degenerative brain disease associated with a history of repeated impacts to the head and is a major concern in collision sports such as football and ice hockey.
For the 2023 study, stuntmen anonymously completed an online survey that, in addition to collecting relevant demographic information, asked how many head blows or “head whips” they had experienced on the job, how many of those caused concussion-like symptoms, and whether a medical professional had diagnosed a concussion.
They found that 80% of stuntmen had suffered at least one head blow or impact while on the job, a much higher prevalence than similar injuries reported by dancers, theater workers, and even professional fighters. Of those, 86% showed concussion-like symptoms, and of those, 65% continued working despite symptoms. Only 38% said they had been formally diagnosed.
While 44% didn’t report it due to embarrassment, fear of losing their job, or just a desire to tolerate it, most simply didn’t realize the severity of their injury at the time. Educating stuntmen may help them better recognize such symptoms, but there is limited evidence that it increases the likelihood that workers will report injuries and seek medical care.
