Missing in Action: the decades-long effort to get stunt workers their Oscar due

Over the past near-century, Academy Award categories have come and gone. In the silent film era there was an award for Best Title Writing. You know, the written cards that summarized the “dialogue”? Oscar worthy. 


This year’s 96th Academy Awards broadcast saw Oscars handed out in a whopping 23 different categories, from the big wins like Best Picture, to awards for behind-the-scenes expertise in costuming and score. But one group of people thinks there should be yet another added to that list: best stunts. 


Stunt actors are real life action heroes behind the biggest movies, but it’s unlikely we know their names and faces, at least not if they’re doing their jobs right. They risk life and limb to bring films to life. The chariot race in Ben-Hur? The entire Fast and Furious franchise? None of them would be possible without stunt coordinators and performers. 


On this week's Storylines, Joan Webber tells the story of a decades-long effort to get stunt workers their Oscar due.


Produced by Joan Webber. Story editing by Julia Pagel.  This documentary first aired on Storylines back in April of 2024.


Storylines is part of the CBC Audio Doc Unit