Meet T. Ryan Mooney | Stuntman & Stunt Coordinator, your favorite Action Director in the future.

We had the good fortune of connecting with T. Ryan Mooney and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi T. Ryan, how do you think about risk?
As a stuntman and stunt coordinator, I think of risk as a exposure. To me risk is not just making sure I can meet my budget goals every month, it’s also considering what physical danger I am putting myself and my coworkers in when we take on each project. I see our job as exciting the audience with something they haven’t seen before and take them on a vicarious roller coaster ride. To do that we have to set up film sequences that take on a tangible amount of risk exposure to accomplish. Being a professional means knowing when, where, and how much that exposure is tolerable, when to fake the risk factor, and giving our best performance under the knowledge of risk. No shot is worth ending up in the hospital, but we are tasked with stepping closer to the danger than an the average person. It’s a small zone and takes focus and awareness to get right, which is a skill you have to experience to learn.

Being able to sustain being a professional means applying the same philosophy to career choices. Without taking the initial risk of leaving college and moving out to LA, I never would have this career. If I sit home and never take any chances to improve myself I will not continue to progress in the film industry. It would be too much risk exposure to mortgage our house and empty the bank account to shoot one movie In hopes of making it. Conversely, it would be too little risk exposure to sit back and hope good things happen without attempting to generate them myself.

Risk is a daily thought to me, and though it makes me quite morbid at time, I feel very honest with my life. I know our family could suffer tragedy at anytime as likely as a huge success. Living with that knowledge every day is a very freeing experience.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I have loved making movies ever since my 9th grade english teacher let me turn in a video essay instead of a written one about “the Crucible,” With in camera editing on a VHS camcorder, we turned in a Jerry Springer esque talk show. The class loved it and I was hooked into making movies. I Discovered rollerblading shortly after and the absolute joy of jumping off as many stairs I could find, it’s obvious that I wasn’t going to be happy without finding an outlet for those passions. That’s what makes stunt work such a great fit for me.

Getting into the profession was not simple, as there is no traditional path. All I knew was that I needed money saved up for a safety net and I needed to live in LA. I moved when I had enough to get there and pay 3 months rent. Guided by passion, but motivated by the absolute fear that I would run out of money and have to move home.

Generally no one wants to take a chance on helping you unless you have a sports pedigree, like being a collegiate gymnast or champion martial artist. I had neither! After a couple of years of dead ends, I talked my way into a training group. Since I had no such background, I knew I had to throw myself with full commitment into what I was being taught. I kept showing up over to the training, and relentlessly worked on what I was being shown. I managed to impress John Moio with that attitude and he gave me my first opportunities. It took 5 years to get started, but I was absolutely determined to succeed. In John’s own words “I can open the door for you, but you have to walk through it yourself.”

What I didn’t know then was that is how your whole career is going to be shaped. 15 years later I am still going strong, and success still requires that same determination. After each gig you start back from zero and have to apply the same mindset.

What makes the art of stunts thrilling is combining the excitement of what humans are capable of with creating worlds that are hyper realistic. My favorite sequences to work are in unique environments. I have fallen off balconies with a bucket on my head, simulated being blown up on the beaches of Iceland, fought all manner of creatures tooth and nail, and wrecked vehicles in as interesting way as we could figure out.

In my opinion, the very best art is one that progresses a persons mindset, even ever so slightly. It’s what I strive to do everyday, I am very proud to do that in an adrenaline fueled way, as it’s what I know best in the world, I want the audience to feel satisfied when they watch our work. t’s escapism for them and If we try and cheat them out of a good performance, they’ll know. We are the background for first dates, the footnotes on a long day, or the thread to build friendships around. I believe in honoring that time. I want every stunt sequence to be one that creates a moment for the the viewers to remember as special.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
This is Miami right?

I have truly only spent a few days in the city, and most of that was filming in a dolphin tank at a local theme park.

I would start the day with a cuban coffee and a walk along the beach. Unlike the first and only time I had an authentic cuban coffee, I wouldn’t order it black! Breath in the fresh air on the beach and realize we’re all part of something bigger.

Then I’d take them to the theme park we filmed and try and show them the dolphins we filmed along with. I’d tell them how each of the trainers will definitely have stories about being bitten by those dolphins!

If was on my game, I’d have made reservations at Nobu, and we’d order family style and fill the table. At dinner I’d tell them how ludicrous it would be to get in into any of the clubs without a connection, but we’d cruise along the streets and people watch. Finally we would stop at whatever bar we could get into, because it’s still miami and it’s still going to be a wild time. I’d tell them to drink lots of water because 3am comes quick and the bar will still be going strong!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Shauna, my wife, for taking everything I was going and turning into a streamlined business. She is the sole reason we went from chaos to organized chaos.

My parents for never questioning my ambition.

Chris Foster, my (brief) college stage combat professor for giving me the advice to drop out of college and go for my dream

John Moio, Bob Yerkes, Scott Leva, Lane Leavitts for taking me in when I knew nothing and teaching me how to be a stuntman.

Website: www.TryanMooney.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tryanmooney/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tryanmooney/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MooneyStunts

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TRyanMooneyStunts

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/tryanmooney

Other: Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tryanmooney

Image Credits
Emily Ibarra @ediphotoeye (handstand on the couch, and holding myself horizontally on a fence) The rest are selfies or unknown