Conrad Palmisano was a stunt performer and coordinator on such movies as “Rambo: First Blood,” “Weekend at Bernie’s,” the sequels to “Rush Hour,” and many more.
- Died: January 10, 2024 (Who else died on January 10?)
- Details of death: Died at the age of 75.
- We invite you to share condolences for Conrad Palmisano in our Guest Book.
Conrad Palmisano’s legacy
Palmisano began doing stunts in the early 1970s, with his early films including “Werewolves on Wheels,” “The Final Comedown,” and “Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex but Were Afraid to Ask.” He served as stunt double for many notable actors, such as Nick Nolte in “Adams of Eagle Lake,” David Carradine (1936–2009) in “Thunder and Lightning,” John Denver (1943–1997) in “Oh, God!” Steve Martin in “The Jerk,” Lloyd Bridges in “Airplane!” and Pierce Brosnan in the TV series “Remington Steele.”
Palmisano’s many other movie credits as stunt performer include “Breaking Away,” “The Amityville Horror,” “Smokey and the Bandit II,” “The Cannonball Run,” “Christine,” “Hook,” and “21 Jump Street” (2012). He also worked widely as a stunt coordinator on such films as “Rambo: First Blood,” “Cujo,” “The Natural,” “The Naked Gun,” “Weekend at Bernie’s,” “Turner & Hooch,” “Sleepless in Seattle,” “Lethal Weapon 4,” “Romeo Must Die,” “Rush Hour 2,” and “Rush Hour 3.” He worked as a second unit director on movies like “She’s Having a Baby,” “Robocop 2,” and “X-Men: The Last Stand.”
In addition to his work in movies, Palmisano also did stunts and stunt coordination on such TV shows as “Charlie’s Angels,” “The Fall Guy,” “Dallas,” “The A-Team,” “Spenser: For Hire,” “JAG,” “Lost,” “The Rookie,” and “NCIS.” He served as president of the Stuntman’s Association, and he advocated for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize stunt performers at the Oscars. Palmisano was honored by the Taurus World Stunt Awards with a lifetime achievement award in 2023.
Notable quote
“Richard Burton once complained to me. He said, ‘I do a soliloquy of Shakespeare and I don’t get anything out of the crew. You fall down a flight of stairs, everyone applauds.’ I said, ‘What are you complaining about, you’re married to Elizabeth Taylor.’” —from a 2021 interview for Variety
Tributes to Conrad Palmisano
Full obituary: Variety
