French stuntman who worked on six Bond films dies, age 90
Remy Julienne also worked on the 1969 Italian Job movie and The Da Vinci Code
One of France's leading stuntmen, who worked on no fewer than six Bond films and The Italian Job has died from Covid-19, aged 90.
Remy Julienne, a veteran of more than 1,400 films and TV commercials, including hits such as Frantic, The French Connection 2, Ronin, Once Upon a Time in America, The Da Vinci Code and no fewer than14 Jean-Paul Belmondo movies, died in hospital at his home town of Montargis, Loiret, on Thursday, having gone into intensive care, suffering from Covid-19, in early January.
Among those paying tribute to him on social media were the publisher of movie spy magazine MI6 Confidential and James Bond & Friends podcast.
The official James Bond Twitter account also paid its respects
In the stunt world, he was known for his innovation as much as his daring. Fellow stuntman Jérôme Gaspard, who has doubled actors such as Kevin Costner and teaches at France’s Campus Univers Cascades stunt school at Le Cateau-Cambrésis, Nord, said: “He was one of the first stuntmen to become well-known across the world and he was up there on a pedestal.
"He was known for doubling actors like Roger Moore, but above all he is remembered for his originality and the way he could devise a system that was safe, but produced dramatic effects.
"For example, in a car chase, if one car was to fly over another, as well as using a ramp, he would install a cable system, so that the car would also flip in the air. It is for that he will be remembered in the world of stuntmen.”
French motocross champion Julienne was born in Cepoy, near Montargis, in 1930.
His film career began almost by accident in 1964, when he doubled for French actor Jean Marais in a film called Fantomas. It was the start of a 50-year career in which he crashed countless cars, drove a lorry at a 45-degree angle, and flew over historic Venice hanging on to a rope ladder swinging from a helicopter.
As well as the driving work for Michael Caine and co-ordinating the car stunts in The Italian Job, he doubled for Bond stars Roger Moore and Timothy Dalton, and worked on six James Bond movies in total: GoldenEye, A View to a Kill, Octopussy, Licence To Kill, The Living Daylights, and For Your Eyes Only.
