Meet John Cann | Stuntman/Stunt Coordinator/Actor/Producer/Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with John Cann and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi John, what role has risk played in your life or career?
As a motion picture stuntman and stunt coordinator risk is a huge part of what I do. There is no true reward without risk. From a stuntman’s perspective risk is our job but knowing how to mitigate the risk is critical. I believe that risk taking should be very calculated. Risk vs reward. If you are going to take a risk what do you stand to gain? What do you stand to lose? Is the risk your own or are others involved? When I look at a particular stunt I try to determine first and foremost, what can go wrong with this scenario? I have to be able to see the risk factors and either eliminate them or do my best to minimize them. I have to be able to see not only what might probably go wrong but what could possibly go wrong. i.e. When I teach stunt work to new performers I like to set up a scenario and ask them what they think can go wrong. Usually they will give me four or five things they see. Then I begin to lay out all the things that I see. For instance; in a highfall scenario they might point out 1. The height of the fall 2. Wind 3. The type of catcher they will use airbag, boxes, foam pit or water 4. any obstacles they might need to overcome, I then point out what they have missed; Besides the things they have pointed out, 5. Are the safety personnel competent and can you trust them? 6. Is there anything that might interfere with your vision? 7. Is the catcher on a smooth surface? 8. Can it be easily moved in case they need to catch you? 9. What are the weather requirements for the scene? 10. Is it raining? 11. Is it snowing? 12. Is the rain/snow natural or manufactured? 13. Lightening could be an issue, 14. There could be an Earthquake 15. Is your takeoff platform slippery, rough or uneven? 16. Will your wardrobe present any issues? 17. Will you be wearing any prosthetics that may hamper your ability to see or move? 18. Have all the birds been cleared from the balconies below your takeoff point? 19. Are you going through a window or other obstacle? 20. Can you see your catcher from your takeoff point? 21. What is the action you will need to do prior to the fall? 22. What is the motivation for the fall? 23. Are you being thrown? 24. Are you voluntarily jumping? 25. Are you falling backward, forward or rotating? etc. etc. etc. Get the picture? The risk factors of any given stunt can be overwhelming and that is where training comes in. We have to be able to think outside the box in order to conceive the risks involved. As a stunt coordinator my job is to make sure that I understand the risks not only to the stunt performers but to everyone on the set and place qualified professionals in the right positions to reduce the chances of accident, injury or death. The more I understand the risks I am taking the easier it is to focus on the task at hand. To eliminate risk you must fully understand the situation and always listen to your gut. Call it intuition, instinct or The Holy Spirit. But never ignore it. If your spirit is screaming, “Don’t do it!” then walk away. Someone may call you a chicken but at least you’ll be a live chicken. A very important thing to remember is to keep it all in perspective. We are making a piece of entertainment product. We are not ending world hunger or curing cancer. We risk our lives and limbs in order for a bunch of people to sit in a dark room and say, “Wow that was cool!” There is not a movie in the world worth breaking a fingernail over, much less dying for. One of my mentors told me early on in my career that if I am ready to do a stunt and I feel confident that I have mitigated all the risks and am not at all afraid, then I need to step back and look again because most likely I have missed something! A little fear is a good thing. However, I believe we should only fear what we don’t understand. If you don’t understand gravity then don’t play with it. If you don’t understand electricity then stay away from the fuse box. If you don’t understand tigers then leave the damn tigers alone! IMHO there is only one thing that we should truly fear and that is God Almighty! Because we will never be able to wrap our finite minds around His infinite being and we will never be able to fully understand Him. How’s that for a risk?

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My name is John Cann and I am a veteran of the entertainment industry and have been working as a professional performer and coordinator since 1982. I have appeared in 100’s of feature films, television, and live shows as a stunt performer and/or actor. My most recent projects include South of Heaven and Nefarious (to be released in theaters in April 2023). My list of credits includes such hits as Machete, 11-22-63, LBJ, Parkland, Alamo, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Hoodlum, Batman Forever, Tango & Cash, Home Fries, Predator 2, Blood In Blood Out, Miss Congeniality, Streets of Blood, Exit Speed, Killer Women, The Good Guys, Chase, Lying Game, Dallas, The Walking Dead, Walker Texas Ranger (40+ episodes) and more. My most recent stunt coordinating credits include 9th Floor; Quest for the Ancient Relic, A Haunting at the Beacon, Universal Squadrons, The Last Ride, Jerico, and Elsewhere Texas. I have begun to move into the producers arena with my first short film The Deepest Dark and currently I am producing and stunt coordinating the upcoming web series “Battle Run.”

Some of my specialties include stunt coordination, high falls, air rams, fire gags, stunt driving, , rigging, high tech stunt equipment, armed and unarmed fights and fight choreography . I hold a 3rd degree black belt in Tae kwon do and was trained in Judo by Grand master Gene LeBell, trained extensively in Shorin Ryu Karate, Jiu Jitsu, and was a nationally ranked wrestler. I also hold a MA weapons black belt and am S.A.F.D. certified in classical swordplay. I have designed and fabricated all of the stunt equipment used by Action P.A.C. Stunts, including air rams, ratchets, airbags and decelerators. Action P.A.C. Stunts’ equipment is some of the safest, most dependable in the world. In over 40 years of performing stunts, I have never been seriously injured nor caused injury to another performer. My safety record is flawless.

I am an avid actor and have always loved the stage as well as film. I am one of the first stunt performers to work as an Action Actor. While living in California, I helped establish several theater companies, including The Two Roads Theater in Studio City and Theater III in Hollywood. My most recent action acting role was as a prison Guard in the soon to be released Christian Horror film, “Nefarious”. I am a prolific writer and have written, edited, and published three editions of The Stunt Guide, which was an internationally recognized standard for information pertaining to the stunt business before the internet made it obsolete. I have written many lyrics and poems and several complete screenplays. I reside in the Dallas, Texas area and I hope to remain in Texas, serve the Lord, and continue working in the growing Texas film industry.

About my company Action P.A.C. Stunts, L.L.C.

Action P.A.C. Stunts, L.L.C. offers high-quality stunt coordination, stunt performance and rigging as well as stunt equipment rental, sales, design, and fabrication for TV, film and live productions. We also offer high-level professional stunt performer training, motivational speaking and summer kids camps.

Action P.A.C. Stunts, L.L.C. was founded in 1987 by John Cann, a professional stunt coordinator, stunt performer and actor with more than 40 years of experience and a flawless safety record. John moved to Los Angeles after graduating high school to pursue a career as a stunt man in the TV and film industry. His first stop was at Kahana’s Stunt School where he learned the basic skills needed to become a Hollywood Stunt performer and became an instructor for several years. Later, under the guidance of such luminary stunt performers as Greg Elam, Conrad Palmisano, Gary Davis, Tony Epper, Gene LeBell, and many others, he learned more about the stunt business and was able to take his career to the next level. John spent 14 years in Hollywood and found success appearing in feature films including Lost Angels, Predator 2, Batman Forever, Tango & Cash, Marked for Death, Child’s Play III, Puppetmaster II; Toulon’s Revenge, Blood in Blood Out and many more.

After his time in Hollywood, John moved to Dallas to work on Walker: Texas Ranger, where he performed stunts in more than 40 of the TV show’s episodes. While in Texas, he has worked on films like Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Hoodlum, Miss Congeniality, Exit Speed, Parkland, Machete, 11-22-63, LBJ, South of Heaven, Queen of the South, Nefarious and more. He has had the opportunity to cultivate his stunt coordinating career on films such as A Haunting at the Beacon, The Last Ride, 9th Floor: Quest for the Ancient Relic aka Infiltrators, Universal Squadrons, and the civil rights movie, Jericho.

John’s Live show stunt coordinating credits include Baskin Robbins Yogurt Stunts Gone Crazy I, II and III, The Actionfest Film Festival Live Stunt Show Extravaganza I, II and III and the Frito Lay Chester Cheetah convention promo. John Cann’s career has spanned over 40 years and he has over 200 film, television, and live show credits. He is an avid educator, and participates in summer camps and after school programs for kids throughout the Texas education system. John gives all the glory to his Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who has preserved him and kept him safe since day one!”

Affiliations Include:

President – Action P.A.C Stunts, L.L.C.
Member (Since 1988) – Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists
Producer/Senior Mentor – The Movie Institute
Charter Member – Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Stunts Peer Group (Emmy Awards Voter)
Charter Member – World Stunt Academy (Taurus World Stunt Awards Voter)

For more complete list of credits and equipment, see my IMDb page at www.imdb.me/johncann

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
There is so much to do in Dallas and Ft. Worth. As someone who has been in the last three films depicting the JFK assassination (Parkland, 11/22/63 and LBJ), and drove the white Ford Galaxy in two different motorcade re-enactments, and the Secret Service limo in the third, one of the first places I take visitors is to Daly Plaza and the Third floor museum, in order to show them that the bullet that killed JFK could not have possibly come from the book depository! We would then continue the film location tour of all the buildings I have jumped off of while doing stunts in Dallas! Then a quick trip to West End or Deep Elum depending on their taste for dinner and some live music. If Hunter Sullivan and his big band is playing in town then that is a definite must see! For some country music we would head to Gilley’s and get our boot scoot on! After we have some upscale fun in Dallas it’s time to go to Mesquite for a rodeo and later in the week I like to visit The Ft. Worth Stock Yards and get a great down home meal at any of the fantastic eateries there and take in the Ft. Worth rodeo! A recent attraction that I have found in Addison is the year round haunted house attraction called Dark Hour, where you can go get chased by axe murderers and machete wielding psychos in an exciting game of tag!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I dedicate this shoutout to al the stunt coordinators, directors and actors who have mentored me, inspired me, hired me, trusted me and given me the opportunity to live my dream! Greg Elam, Rick Barker, Eric Norris, Aaron Norris, Chuck Norris, Conrad Palmisano, Gary Davis, Tony Epper, Gene LeBell, Russell Towery, Chuck Borden, Joe Witherell, Kinnie Gibson, Hemke Madera, Luke Wilson, Buddy Joe Hooker, Dar Robinson, Lorne Janes, Lane Leavitt, Bob Terhune, Gary Littlejohn, Kim Kahana, Rick Kahana, Mark DeAlessandro, Victor Quintero, Jeff Wolfe, Brandon Lewis, Seckeita Lewis, Chuck Konzelman, Cary Solomon, Mark Riccardi, Michael Stokes, Sally Helpie, Freddie Pool, Jim Henry and all the wonderful members of the Stunt community who have made this journey such a joy! God bless you all!

Website: www.actionpac.com

Instagram: jkcstunts

Twitter: @stuntpatriot

Facebook: facebook.com/Actionpac.stunts

Youtube: @JohnCannStunts