Veteran Australian stuntman Grant Page honoured for 'lifetime achievement' in film, television production
By Nick Dole
Updated yesterday at 2:15pm
Grant Page does not think his death-defying stunts are extraordinary.
The 76-year-old said nearly anyone could perform them, if they were not held back by their chronic "fear of the unknown".
"We live in such an overprotective society," Page said.
The world's greatest stunt performers
As legendary Australian stunt performer Grant Page is honoured in this year's Lifetime Achievement Awards, take a look at some other successful stunt men and women — and their breathtaking performances.
With more than 200 productions to his name including Mad Max and Police Rescue, stuntman Page will be honoured on Monday with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Equity Foundation.
"It sounds like something you'd put on your headstone," he joked.
He coordinated and performed many of the stunts for Mad Max himself, featuring complex chase scenes, car accidents and explosions.
The veteran film stuntman is not encouraging anyone to run in front of a speeding car or set themselves on fire, but he thinks parents need to let their children take more risks.
"Our children, we're filling them with so much fear. They're afraid of so much, they don't do anything," Page said.
Stuntman Grant Page in Mad Max
Photo: Grant Page drives a car through a caravan on the film Mad Max. (Supplied)
He later became a commando.
"That became two and a half years of the best instruction in how to expand beyond the limitations society puts on your performance," Page said.
Despite the potential for injuries, the stuntman has only ever broken one bone.
Ironically, he suffered the injury commuting to the set of Mad Max.
"A bloody truck hit me on the way out, I never got there. If I'd got to the stunt I would have been safe," he laughed.
Page said he conquered many of his fears taking risks on play equipment as a child.
Stuntman Grant Page on fire
Photo: Grant Page says he has an acute understanding of how much heat his body can stand after being set on fire multiple times. (Supplied: Gulliver Page)
Page said the secret to a good stunt was to make it look dangerous, while eliminating as much risk as possible.
"If we do a stunt and I'm involved in a car job, I will have checked every driver, I will have checked every vehicle," he said.
"I'm going to know it's safe."
While he has coordinated stunts for actors including Mel Gibson and Jackie Chan, Page has also had his own starring role in the 1970s TV series Danger Freaks.
Stuntman Grant Page on Police Rescue
Photo: Grant Page on the set of the TV series Police Rescue in Sydney. (Supplied)
He also performed stunts on the Don Lane Show, when he was hit by a car and knocked unconscious during a stunt gone wrong.
After being set on fire multiple times in controlled environments, Page gained an acute understanding of how much heat his body could tolerate.
"When you put a saucepan of water on the stove, it doesn't heat up immediately," he said.
"It's the same with the body."
Page is still performing stunts and admits his body is taking longer to "bounce back", but he has no plans for retirement.
"There's no such thing as too old," he said.
A lot of love and respect for Grant in the room.
