Brian Connelly (SAG-AFTRA)

 

Stuntman Brian Connelly spent more than a decade as a competitive gymnast that culminated with a scholarship at Iowa State University. A longtime martial arts student and aficionado, he then met up with John Hicks Pearce of the Chicago Stunt Team, who started him on his career in stunt work. For over 20 years, Connelly has been able to merge his interests in climbing, riding, and acting into his stunt career as well.

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Now the main Director of Asylum Stunts, Connelly originally co-founded the stunt group with Jeff Kehoe, Laurie McNeilly, and Domingo Rodriguez, all originally of the Chicago Stunt Team. Asylum was developed with the needs of non-equity projects in mind, so that smaller productions could have access to professional-quality stunt performers and stunt training.

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In June 2016 Brian Connelly relocated to Arizona to start up Asylum Stunts Southwest and has been a guest instructor at Arizona State University, Artesia Arts Council, and currently offers ongoing stunt training sessions at Desert Devils Gymnastics in Mesa, Arizona.

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Special Skills

Falls: High falls, low falls, roof falls, stair falls.

Stunt Fighting: street, cowboy and martial.

Armed Stunt Fighting: Medieval and Asian weapons, knife, sword, staff, etc. Can match most fighting styles.

Fight choreography: armed and unarmed, multiple opponent, multiple concurrent fight, large scale battles, etc.

Gags: slide for life, air ram, cable/wire work, car hits, transfers, ratchet line/jerk-line.

Martial Arts: (Krav Maga, JKD Blend {Degerberg}, Jun Fan, Savate, Silat, Karate {Kenpo, Isshin-Ryu}, Judo, Ju-Jitsu, Kali, Escrima, Ghurka, Kendo, boxing, fencing, wrestling)

Other: Sky-diving, rappelling, horseback riding, gymnastics (Scholarship - Iowa State).