Stunt Actor Mike Chute on doubling for Ron Perlman in Guillermo Del Toro’s ‘Nightmare Alley’

As an ex-semi pro hockey player, Mike Chute had a very physical lifestyle. When he was transitioning out of sports, he found himself following a dream he had since childhood.

“When I received my first opportunity to work as a stuntman I literally jumped at the chance (pun intended),” he says.

Doing stunts requires high levels of physical control and concentration, all well aiming to tell the best story possible for audiences. As an industry-leading stunt actor, Chute has had a career many can simply aspire to. With over 30 years of experience, he has worked alongside many of Hollywood’s top stars, such as Oscar winners Jennifer Lawrence in Mother!, Will Smith and Jared Leto in Suicide Squad, and recently Director Guillermo Del Toro on the crime thriller Nightmare Alley, starring blockbuster actors Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Toni Collette, Willem Dafoe and Ron Perlman. 

“Working with such incredible talent as we had on this film is a rarity. I’ve had the pleasure of being a part of an ensemble cast such as this more than once, but this one was different. It was remarkable to be a part of this piece of cinematic history,” says Chute. “Working on this film was different from most of my previous projects. Usually there is a lot of action and stuff blowing up and mayhem. On this film there was not a lot of action but it was like being back in film school. Watching the director and actors work their craft to perfection was instructional to say the least.”

Nightmare Alley follows a grifter working his way up from low-ranking carnival worker to lauded psychic medium, who matches wits with a psychologist bent on exposing him. Chute was approached to work on this film as a double for actor Ron Perlman of Hellboy fame. Initially, he was just brought on as a fight double in one scene. However, the moment he stepped on set he impressed Perlman so much that the actor insisted Chute stay on for the duration of the film, ensuring Perlman’s safety by taking over any dangerous stunts to the highest skill level. 

“The sets on this film were spectacular. Not only did I have the pleasure of watching superstars like Willem Dafoe and Cate Blanchett work with one of this century’s best directors, I also got to watch it all take place in Circus world circa 1940’s. It was an amazing movie to work on,” says Chute.

Nightmare Alley received stellar reviews upon release, holding an 81% Fresh Rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The iconic Martin Scorsese then wrote an essay for the  Los Angeles Times urging fans to head to the theaters to see the film, and arguing that Nightmare Alley is “truer to the animating spirit of film noir than the many ‘homages’ that have been made over the years and are still being made now.” Success such as this could not be possible without the stunt work, adding to the authenticity and overall watching experience for viewers, and Chute is proud to have been a part of that success.

Undoubtedly, Chute has had a formidable career, and for those looking to follow in his footsteps, he urges caution, and above all, passion.

“First of all, I would let anyone who would like to pursue a career in stunts know that there is risk and pain involved. If, after that, they still think they want to be a stunt person, I would recommend perfecting two skills primarily. The first is to take a martial arts class and learn how to fight. Film fighting is the highest percentage of film stunts performed. Secondly, I would recommend a class in gymnastics or similar. Learning how to control your body on the ground and in the air is a skill that will pay off big dividends in a person’s career,” he advises. “And lastly, I would recommend finding out the names of the stunt coordinators in the region where you want to work and send them an updated resume and headshot every month or two. Be persistent but not annoying and don’t give up!”

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