Ep153 - Jesse V. Johnson, Stuntman-Turned-Director Behind ‘Avengement’

As a young stuntman, Jesse V. Johnson learned the ropes of directing on films like ‘Total Recall,’ ‘The Shawshank Redemption,’ ‘War of the Worlds,’ ‘Mission: Impossible III,’ ‘Hell or High Water,’ and dozens more. In this interview, Johnson discusses the various types of stuntmen (including his “ground-pounder” days), how life experience brings something extra to the film, how actor-stuntmen like Keanu Reeves or Matt Damon have changed over the years, and what it’s like to work with world-class stunt performers like Scott Adkins and Tony Jaa. We also discuss Johnson’s films ‘Triple Threat’ and ‘Avengement.’ In the latter, Adkins stars as Cain Burgess. “While released on furlough from prison, a lowly criminal evades his guards and returns to his old haunts to take revenge on the people that made him a cold-hearted killer.” If you enjoyed this interview, join thousands of viewers for the new YouTube series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5