Hooper. That’s the name of the 1978 film starring Burt Reynolds that is a tribute to stuntmen and stuntwomen. If you were in a bar with these professionals (the hardworking, unsung heroes of action which takes place in films) who perform these miraculous events which are commonplace in films, and mentioned you didn’t know the movie Hooper…you’d likely be laughed out (or kicked out) of said drinking establishment. Hooper is the sacred to stuntmen and stuntwomen. Legendary stuntman Mike Chute won’t even take you seriously if you aspire to his profession and don’t know the film; to him it is the same as not knowing your history. Don’t be mistaken, Chute is far from grumpy; he is an affable, positive guy who believes that you have to give respect to the roots of his profession. The general public may have never heard his name but almost all of us have seen his work. If Esquire magazine did a story on the most recognized brand in terms of stuntmen, Mike Chute would be floating right on top. If you invested in a movie based on Mike’s involvement, you’d see quite a positive return. His credits are far too numerous to list but a small sample includes; X-Men: Apocalypse, X-Men: Days of Future Past, RoboCop, Pixles, Pacific Rim, Total Recall, Source Code, 300, The Notebook, Taken, and so many more. With almost three decades in his career doing stunts, Chute is a walking history lesson in the industry with a story to tell about decades of marquee names that he has worked with since his early days in the late 80’s. Even more captivating and remarkable is the fact that Chute continues to work more each year than the previous one. The career of a professional stuntman is not dissimilar to that of a professional athlete in regards to aging out by the time one hits their late 30’s. Mike attributes his very active career to a combination of professionalism, preparation, and respect for the field’s history as previously mentioned. A conversation with Chute reveals as much about the evolution of his profession as it does about the man himself.

Mike Chute grew up like most boys in French Canada, dreaming of a career in professional hockey. He played semi-pro for a time but his other early childhood interests would lead him down another path. As a youth, Chute saw the movie Stunt Seven. The film about an intrepid team of stunt experts who stage the daring air, sea, and land rescue of a kidnapped movie star from the clutches of a suave, modern-day pirate who rules a sovereign fortress state in the middle of Gulf of Mexico, cemented the idea in Mike’s mind that these men were the true heroes of the world. He made up his mind that this was the only path for his future; never mind the fact that a career as a stuntman was almost unheard of in Canada at the time. Chute enrolled in a stunt school in his late teens. His natural athleticism had already taught him most of the physical skills he needed but he learned how to find work as a stuntman in a time when it was not as easily accessible as it is these days. He notes, “In my early days it was different than it is now. Most modern stuntmen have more specialization in parkour or gymnastics, but when I was younger we had to learn to do it all. We did jumps, took the hard hits, drove, anything that needed to be done…you figured out how to do it. I love problem solving; my dad was an engineer and I think I get that from him.”

Now, in his 29^th year as a stuntman, Mike has had many varied experiences. His career is a touchstone to so many of the films and actors that the movie-going public takes for granted. In 2003 Chute worked on the movie Timeline with Gerard Butler and Paul Walker before they were the household names they are now. Chute recalls this as one of his most memorable experiences because he actually felt as if he went back in time. He notes, “It was so much fun. We had battles in these castles and it really felt like we were in the 1600’s. What kid doesn’t want to dress up like a knight and do that?!” This was the first film in which Mike worked with famed stunt and fight designer/coordinator Thomas DuPont (Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, Indiana Jones, Thor, Men in Black). DuPont praises Chute’s skill and expertise declaring, “To execute these stunts, we worked together over a period of several months as many of the stunts were complex being that they were set in different periods of time and required the stunt performers and actors to be trained individually for each sequence. Mike more than rose to the challenge of executing these stunts over the long shoot, giving form to the director’s vision of the action sequences and thereby the overall film. Timeline went on to become a huge hit at the international box-office, bringing in nearly $20 million. Without doubt, Mike Chute was an instrumental part of this success as the action sequences would not have been possible without his contribution in the leading role of Stunt Performer.”

Mike Chute has worked on many huge film productions in his career (as mentioned above) but one of his particular favorites was the film Lucy starring Scarlett Johansson and Morgan Freeman. The modern day Sci-Fi bent action film (Grossing $444 MM Worldwide) had a $40 MM budget. When budgets start getting cut, the stunt sequences are some of the first to go. The big car chase scenes were shot in Paris. The stunt drivers arrived ten days prior to filming for rehearsals. Rehearsals usually involve timing and estimations, saving the expense of the actual damage for filming. Lucy was a treat for Mike and the rest of the team on Lucy because their rehearsals involved the exact actions that were to be filmed, crashes and all; an almost unheard of privilege in movie making. Mike happily comments, “In those ten days we trashed about twenty or thirty cars. There was no pressure of cameras or time constraints so we were able to have fun and dial things in. They almost never allow filming with car chases in the core of Paris so the preparation really helped to get the filming done quickly when the cameras were rolling.”

Completing the trilogy of his favorite experiences as a stuntman, Chute points to the 2014 action/crime/thriller Brick Mansions starring Paul Walker. As one of the main stunt drivers, Mike worked with iconic French stunt coordinator Michel Julienne and Canadian legend Stephane Lefebvre. Julienne is considered royalty in the stunt world (his father was the coordinator for the James Bond films and the thrilling driving in these movies) and one of the most respected drivers (if not THE MOST) in Europe. Because of his incredible work, Julienne made Chute one of his stunt team members; something which Mike considers to be one of his crowning achievements. Chute states, “Besides being very active in the film as a driver and working with such a great team, the thing that was so special about Brick Mansions was that the production kept adding stunts to the film. That never happens.” Lefebvre proclaims, “Mike’s successful career as a stunt performer in over 600 feature films and television series has made him one of the most sought after stunt performers in the film and television industry.”

When discussing his illustrious career, Mike Chute continually references the great movies that inspired him and his love of car stunts; films like Bullitt, The French Connection, To Live and Die in LA. He concedes that his work on films like the Brick Mansions may have the exact same influence on the next generation of stunt drivers. Chute eloquently states, “I’ve worked hard to build an honorable reputation for my career and professional attitude. When you die, the only thing you take with you is your reputation.”

Bruno Nunez Romagnoli is already a well known actor in his homeland of Argentina. With his latest role, he is becoming a part of the lineage of Latin actors in Hollywood; a list which includes such actors as Anthony Quinn, Antonio Banderas, Michael Pena, Edward James Olmos, and so many others. This actor exudes the intensity and charisma that the aforementioned leading men posses but is also required to establish a career in a modern day market which is somewhat chaotic. With so many paths available to the actors of today (film, TV, online and streaming platforms), the path to work and success is more fragmented than ever before. This also means that the potential for an actor to be seen is greater, as is the competition for the public’s attention. To get noticed takes that intrinsic quality, a quality that many are recognizing in this young actor known for his commanding presence.

Her Last Job is writer/director Leon Tianze Wang’s film about modern day hitmen and their pursuit of a mark while dealing with their personal lives. Romagnoli plays Robin, an assassin hired for a job who runs into an old flame, who was also a hitman. The reunion does not end well for Robin. Her Last Job creator and director, Wang recalls the experience working with the actors, “Bruno’s performance in the film is incredible but he added more than the public will ever know. Without him on set, I don’t think we would have been able to achieve making this film. We had so many problems when we were shooting in the Salton Sea. I was worried about the actors all the time because I was making them work for more than 16 hours straight. Bruno, who was the leading character told me, ‘Don’t worry. I understand how directing works. I’m here for you so let’s work, okay?” I couldn’t believe it. He truly helped me out at a time when everyone was exhausted. He led the charge to stay focused and at delivered a heart wrenching and riveting performance.”

Romagnoli always loves the challenge of filmmaking and acting but reveals that Her Last Job was a challenge that required him to stay particularly focused. The location and the fact that this was an independent film made the shoot especially difficult for its cast and crew. Bruno reveals, “Filming in the middle of the desert at noon is insane! It was more than 115 degrees Fahrenheit, and was also full of flies, making it very uncomfortable. The incredible heat caused some of the equipment to intermittently stop working, which delayed shooting. Filming was delayed so much that the script needed to change and 30% of the scenes became night scenes. Independent films have a much tighter budget and in order to not exceed that, we had to stay awake and work through the entire day and night for the climax scene. The two actresses and I who were a part of these scenes were working for more than 20 hours straight, only stopping for lunch. The director felt awful about the working conditions; we were all tired and dizzy because of the heat. If I only had an acting background, I might have been grumpy, but I understood his situation. I let him know that I was going to be there for whatever he needed and I was not going to stop until it was done. With tears in his eyes, he hugged me. I might have helped but it still wouldn’t have worked without the two talented women, Caitlin Harty and Mariana Huerta who worked just as hard as everyone involved in the film. There were no rampant egos on this production.”

Critics and cast praised Bruno’s performance in the film. Bruno threw himself into the character and his preparation just as he would for any major studio production. He admits that he found transforming himself to be more difficult than the actual delivery of his performance. Romagnoli comments, “I did a total physical change to play Robin and it has changed the way I live. When I got the script the first thing I noticed was that my character was a hitman, and the second was that I had a sex scene. Because of his vocation, my character has to be in a really good shape. I think that is what someone who kills professionally would look like. There are a lot of physically demanding scenarios in his work and he has to be prepared if he wants to remain alive. I had three months before the shooting so I got a personal trainer and I started a program of intensive diet and training at the gym. I would not call it enjoyable. I would feel sick some days, but I got into shape just in time; and maintained it even after the shooting. There are many roles which call for this physical appearance so I have continued this approach to be prepared.”

Bruno Nunez Romagnoli has all of the physical attributes and talent of the marquee names that the public loves, but also has the perspective of a filmmaker. This winning combination has led him from his home in Argentina to the Hollywood community as he pursues and accepts the offers that continue to gravitate his way. Her Last Job is the first of many future jobs which are establishing him as one of the film industry’s bright faces.

Comedy is often the presence of the absurd in otherwise quite serious circumstances. Monika Smith is one of Hollywood’s comedic actresses that has become increasingly of note in this world due to her work on shows like Adult Swim’s Newsreaders. Newsreaders is the spinoff of Adult Swim’s Childrens Hospital produced by The Corddry Company (established by Emmy award-winning actor and comedian Rob Corddry of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, HBO’s Ballers, Hot Tub Time Machine, and Childrens Hospital). Many of the Corddry Company productions use an eclectic cast to add an impression of reality to their fictionalized comedy productions. Appearing in addition to Monika are personalities and actors like Dan Rather, Jane Seymour, Ed Begley Jr., Dave Foley, Conan O’Brien, Billy Ray Cyrus, David Hasselhoff, and countless others. This series requires actors of major presence and talent to perform with such recognizable faces and not become overshadowed. Smith more than met this challenge with her role as Cammie on Newsreaders.

Los Angeles may be a big city but the entertainment community is quite small for both the famous and those not as widely known professionals. Canadian born comedic actress Monika Smith had made a name for herself early on in Canada as part of Second City, the famous improv sketch comedy group. After moving to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career, she also became involved in LA’s Second City as well as the Upright Citizens Brigade and Nerdist. Possessing this background and her talents as an actress quickly gained her acceptance into the LA comedy community. She tells, “I felt very much a part of the community right away. When it came to my work on Newsreaders, every writer, producer and actor on that show is an exceptional comedian so the bar definitely was raised. The environment was accepting, every joke was yes-anded. The comedy world in Los Angeles can feel small at times, and this was one of those moments where I felt I got to be a part of something special.”

Being a part of the LA improv comedy world can mean that you sometimes work with the same people, whether onstage or on set. When Monika auditioned for the role, she was aware of the great writers, producers, and cast members, but did not expect to be working with Thomas Middleditch (Emmy nominated lead actor in HBO’s Silicon Valley). Smith reveals, “I had performed with Thomas before this at some improv shows, and on an improvised web show (Improvise Live), so working with him was easy as we already knew each other’s styles, plus we have the bond of both being Canadian. On Newsreaders I played Cammie who was doing an undercover interview with the lead of the show who plays the reporter. Thomas Middleditch played my boyfriend and we were supposed to be in school paying for our tuition using the bang bus. The newsreaders host was interviewing us in order to catch our boss, who was supposed to be using it illegally.”

One of the stereotypes that Newsreaders like to play off of is the idea that television news personalities are more possessing of pleasing aesthetics than the intellect to properly process the information they disseminate. With all of Monika’s success as a comedic actor, who also had a thriving modeling career with Ford and Elite modeling agencies (before focusing on her acting career), she proves that this stereotype does not apply to this actor. Commenting about this idea she states, “I don’t think looks are as important in comedy. Comedy is about the circumstances created and the reactions of the people within it. Being beautiful isn’t a trope of comedy. But, this is Hollywood, so looks always factor in.”

In the world of Prank TV shows, Monika Smith is one of the shining stars. This actress has numerous film and TV credits in her list of credits but made her mark early on with shows like Disaster Date (as the name implies, a program about horrible dating experiences) and Who Gets The Last Laugh (WGTLL). WGTLL pitted famous comedians against each other to see who can pull the most outrageous prank. Smith was one of the comic actors on the show who acted out the parts dictated by these comedians. Possessing a strong background in improvisation as well as being extremely confident and convincing was a necessity for the actors on WGTLL. Monika saw the show as a chance to challenge herself. She states, “I love pranking. I think it has helped me hone my skills as an actor and I am very fortunate for this experience. As I move forward in my career I am continually trying to challenge myself with the roles I play.” WGTLL, produced by Ashton Kutcher and Jason Goldberg for TBS, resulted in Smith working alongside household comedy names like D.L. Hughley, Alan Thicke, Tom Green, and many others. Smith concedes that she particularly enjoyed working with so many comedians whose work she has enjoyed for so long. Monika relates, “. It was so much fun to work with Cherie OTeri. I grew up watching her on SNL. She had made me laugh for so many years with her work so it was particularly fulfilling for me to make her laugh. Kevin McDonald from Kids In The Hall was the same for me. He was a celebrity guest and Kids in The Hall is a very famous Canadian comedy show that I grew up watching. That show shaped a lot of people’s comedy styles. To make Kevin laugh was thrilling. At one point he was complimenting me about how funny I was and I was thinking to myself, ‘I watched your show over and over at home in my pjs growing up!’ Those are the pinch me moments that a lot of us aspire to achieve.”  WGTLL Producer Nick Kriess adds his comments to Smith’s other admirers noting, “Monika struck me as an actor to keep an eye out for when she came in to audition for Punk’d.  She was incredibly captivating during the auditioning process, showing a clear sense of direction; she knew how to grab your attention and keep you mesmerized.  I brought her along with me on TBS show Who Gets the Last Laugh?, a hidden camera comedy television series that saw some of the industries’ most well-known comedians going up against three guest comedians to see who could pull off the most outrageous practical jokes on the unsuspecting public.  Monika was a series regular on the show.  She was critical to the project because she had to convince ‘normal’ people to do the crazy tasks that the comedians were coming up with.  There aren’t a lot of actors that can stay in character during insane situations and convince people to do absurd things, but Monika is one of those actors who can. Who Gets the Last Laugh? was a hit due in large part to Monika’s extensive improv background.  Monika has managed to make a strong career out of her fantastic comedic sensibilities and her amazing way of always knowing the best direction to take a scene in no matter what is thrown her way.  She went neck and neck with some of the biggest celebrity comedians in the game and stood her ground, sometimes even completely overshadowing them.  Monika’s leading role on the production catapulted her into being the fan favorite, directly resulting in the one million plus viewers Who Gets the Last Laugh? received each episode.  Monika is a very unique actor in that she can convince people of just about anything.  For example, on one of the most hilarious and popular episodes, Monika had to convince an unsuspecting person that her dance partner was cheating on her and was subsequently going after the person’s significant other.  This task would be a very hard one to accomplish for most people, but it was almost too easy for Monika.  She is a class act and has helped the series succeed as both a piece of entertainment and a showcase for what makes Monika such a professional and amazing actor to work with. Monika has accumulated many impressive credits in a number of major film and television productions in the global entertainment industry for several years now.”

Monika Smith has created a unique situation for herself in the entertainment industry. At a young age she had a successful international modeling career with Ford and Elite. Rather than make this her life’s work, she pursued her love of comedy and joined the Second City Touring Company in Toronto. Recognizing the opportunities available to her, she relocated to LA where she began performing on harold, maude and house teams at UCB, as well as Second City and Nerdist. She has taught improv at Second City, UCB, Nerdist, and even internationally in China. The unique combination of her physical presence, comedic instincts, and acting abilities made her the first call for shows like WGTLL. The programs lead performers needed to be eye catching, persuasive, fast thinking, and able to stay in character longer than almost any other actors. Smith explains, “Who Gets the Last Laugh, and the numerous prank shows I’ve done have made me a better actor. I was forced to be in character in front of real people for hours sometimes. With only a mic on my person, and an ear bud letting me know what was happening in the scene, I was able to convince real people that I was a crazy person. It was hard work and it was thrilling. There are no second takes as you have to have your ‘mark’ (the real people) believe you the first time. It’s a skill that I think has made me a better actor.”

Smith states that the X factor which makes her scenes so demanding but also so highly educational for her is the “marks.” She emphasizes that working with an unknowing participant, although similar to improv sketch comedy, can pull you in directions that are completely unexpected. Monika confirms that she is often relieved when her true motives are revealed to the “mark”, but the experience is well worth the small amount of uneasiness. It is often bewildering to witness what some individuals will allow her to do during the pranks. Recalling some of her favorite moments on WGTLL, she states, “On the show I played various characters and tricked real people into believing that this character and these odd situations were real. I played an intern that accidentally discovered classified government papers. I made people believe that the FBI was after us. On another episode I called a locksmith and had them open a jewelry store that I told them was mine. Once they unlocked the door I proceeded to steal all the jewels and leave them in the store. I had to convince these people not only that I owned a jewelry store, but I also got them to open the safe. You can discover whether or not you are truly convincing in the role you are playing in these situations. That’s the type of immediate feedback that confirms if your acting instincts are correct.”

Monika Smith can be seen in a number of films and television programs, most recently starring alongside Patrick Stewart and Adrian Scarborough in the STARZ series Blunt Talk (Golden Globe nominated). All of these opportunities are the reason she moved to Los Angeles. She feels confident that she has chosen the right environment here in LA stating, “I had thought about moving to NY, as I had worked there when I was modeling and loved the city. But, LA is where TV and movies are cast and I thought it was the smartest option. It’s a wonderful city where art is being created just about everywhere.”

It’s almost a certainty that anything which includes the phrase “polyamorous love triangle” will not end well. That’s the plot and the point to the film WANDA by the Canadian comedy troupe Tony Ho. Tony Ho is definitely a “they” and not a “he” but one of the stars of the film, Adam Niebergall, plays a man who is about as “he” as possible. Niebergalls’ character in WANDA is rough, tough, and definitely enjoys the company of other men; meaning all things masculine are on his agenda. That’s an odd character for a love triangle involving a woman named Wanda; even more odd that the character Wanda never makes an appearance in the comedy film. It’s one of the many not so obvious factors that makes WANDA surprising and unexpected. It’s the story of a situation you never want to be in leading to even more situations that you don’t want to be in; interacting with people you definitely don’t want to be involved with. If Stephen King wrote a romantic comedy after an evening playing the board game Clue, it would be WANDA. Uncomfortably funny in a way that makes you think about your own motivations in a relationship as well as the true motives of others, WANDA showcases Niebergall’s abilities as seen in his previous work in shows such as TV’s Man Seeking Woman, True Dating Stories, and films like JAPAN, Lottery, and Friend.

Taking the comedic approach, Tony Ho’s WANDA deals with the subject of an ex who just won’t leave you alone. Adam [Niebergall] and Roger [Bainbridge] clash with their lover’s ex-boyfriend who just can’t seem to get used to the idea that his [Miguel] relationship with Wanda is actually over. Niebesrgall’s namesake character Adam is tough and thuggish. He is openly aggressive and quickly provoked although a tender side does sometimes present itself. More than anyone else in the film, he wants to be done with Miguel. There is often the sense that Adam is on the verge of violence and a fair part of the action sees him on the precipice of (seemingly) becoming violent. He is the sleeping bear that we expect to get poked with a stick. The character couldn’t be further from the actor’s real-life disposition, although he often acquiesces to roles of this type. Adam confirms, “I was cast as Adam in WANDA because I naturally play weird bullies that have odd ways of speaking. Maybe it is something about my appearance or maybe a secret side of my personality that even I am not aware of but, it is fun to play characters that do things you wouldn’t ever find yourself doing. It’s a catharsis. I get to play and do weird things. I often find a weird way of talking. Sometimes I make up a language but say it with extreme confidence as if everyone who is imposing, powerful, or cool talks this way; which of course, they don’t!”

The plot of the movie shows Bainbridge as the well spoken, level-headed member of the triangle which includes Adam and Wanda. He is also the man of whom Miguel is most suspicious of in regards to “stealing” Wanda away from him. Miguel, overcome with jealousy, decides to poison Roger to remove him as an impediment to Wanda. The three main actors in the film are actually members of the Toronto comedy group known as Tony Ho. Tony Ho has spent years crafting their approach to live comedy and have most recently transferred the chemistry they created to the screen. Niebergall no doubt did his homework in sketch comedy (winning a Canadian Comedy Award in 2015 and was a member of sketch group Get Some which won Toronto Sketchfest Best of Fest that same year as well as Montreal Sketchfest in 2016) onstage and then transferred this to his approach in film. Miguel (Rivas) considers Niebergall’s portrayal a major achievement noting, “It’s surprising how convincing his tough guy character is. I know he’s played a macho guy in a few things actually, but he is so unlike that in real life; it kind of surprises you. You throw a neck tattoo on the guy and he becomes vicious! I’ve heard somewhere that more gentle mannered people play tough guys well because they have such an outsider’s perspective of it. It gives them an outlet for their pent up energy. Adam’s portrayal of that character in that movie is gold to me.” Rivas goes on to credit the success of WANDA in great part to Adam’s delivery stating, “It speaks to how important he is to our process. I guarantee we couldn’t have gotten lines like the “It sounds complicated but it’s strictly jungle” out of anybody else. It doesn’t work without him. He brings a really unique energy to that role that drives the whole scene.”

Roger Bainbridge, one of the writer’s and stars of the film affirms, “Adam was very central to the concept of Wanda. It was largely conceived based on how funny and interesting we thought it would be to see Adam charge into an apartment unannounced like an aggressive wild animal, and then have the audience follow along with Miguel trying to milk him for information as to what exactly is going on. The mysterious nature of why Adam is there grabs the attention of the audience immediately. His performance of this character is so amusingly menacing and it helps to establish a mood which is somehow both ominous and silly. Adam’s odd vernacular comes off so strange when he plays a tough guy, which is hilarious. I think it also works to show his range as an actor without losing his recognizable quality.”

Although still incredibly active as a writer and performer in the Canadian sketch comedy scene, Adam Niebergall is steadily appearing in television (as in the aforementioned Man Seeking Woman). His range and ability to draw empathy from audiences, as well as his comedic timing and writing skills are preparing him to become yet another of the well known Canadian comedic faces which includes greats like; John Candy, Jim Carrey, Mike Myers, Seth Rogen, Dan Akroyd, Catherine O’Hara, Martin Short, Tommy Chong, and Samantha Bee, and so many others.