Roderick Michael Gilbert (April 17, 1936 – February 5, 2024) was an American actor,

stuntman A stunt performer, often called a stuntman or stuntwoman and occasionally stuntperson or stunt-person, is a trained professional who performs daring acts, often as a career. Stunt performers usually appear in films or on television, as opposed ...

and rodeo performer.

Early life and career

Roderick Michael Gilbert was born in Los Angeles, California on April 17, 1936. Gilbert was

Robert Redford Charles Robert Redford Jr. (born August 18, 1936) is an American actor and filmmaker. He has received numerous accolades such as an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and two Golden Globe Awards, as well as the Cecil B. DeMille Award in 1994, the ...

's stuntman in films, from ''

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid ''Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid'' is a 1969 American Western (genre), Western buddy film directed by George Roy Hill and written by William Goldman. Based loosely on fact, the film tells the story of Wild West outlaws Robert LeRoy Parker, k ...

'' (1969) through ''

The Old Man & the Gun ''The Old Man & the Gun'' is a 2018 American biographical crime film written and directed by David Lowery, about Forrest Tucker, a career criminal and prison escape artist. The script is loosely based on David Grann's 2003 article in ''The New ...

'' (2018). In the trailer for ''The Old Man & the Gun,'' Redford says that he and Gilbert "were in the same class in the same high school in the San Fernando Valley, and then many, many years later, he showed up in my life again as the stunt double in ''Butch Cassidy,'' so from that point on he's been in all my films since." Some of Gilbert's best known stunt roles are the leap off a cliff into water as Redford's Sundance Kid in ''Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid''; jumping from a moving train to a signal for

Gene Wilder Gene Wilder (born Jerome Silberman; June 11, 1933 – August 29, 2016) was an American actor, comedian, writer, and filmmaker. He was mainly known for his comedic roles, including his portrayal of Willy Wonka in ''Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Fa ...

in '' Silver Streak''; rolling down a hill while mounted on a horse in ''

The Return of a Man Called Horse ''The Return of a Man Called Horse'' is a 1976 Western film directed by Irvin Kershner and written by Jack DeWitt. It is a sequel to the 1970 film '' A Man Called Horse'', in turn based on Dorothy M. Johnson's short story of the same name, w ...

''; and leaping on horseback off a cliff into water in '' The Frisco Kid''. Gilbert also appeared as a horse rider

stunt performer A stunt performer, often called a stuntman or stuntwoman and occasionally stuntperson or stunt-person, is a trained professional who performs daring acts, often as a career. Stunt performers usually appear in films or on television, as opposed ...

in the 1980 TV movie '' Stunts Unlimited''. Later in his career he worked as a stunt coordinator and

second unit director A second unit is a discrete team of filmmakers tasked with filming shots or sequences of a production, separate from the main or "first" unit. The second unit will often shoot simultaneously with the other unit or units, allowing the filming s ...

. Gilbert portrayed the Ripper in the first episode of '' Kolchak: The Night Stalker''.

Personal life and death

Gilbert married Yvonne Yrigoyen, whose father was also a stunt performer, in 1962. They had three sons, all of whom are also stunt performers, as are their five grandsons. He died at his home in

Camarillo, California Camarillo ( ) is a city in Ventura County, California, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 70,741, an increase of 5,540 from the 65,201 counted in the 2010 Census. Camarillo is named for brothers Juan and ...

, on February 5, 2024, at the age of 87.

Filmography

Second unit director/stunts

As stunt double

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gilbert, Mickey 1936 births 2024 deaths American male film actors American stunt performers Rodeo performers Male actors from Los Angeles