Estonian Hollywood stuntman says 'Sisu' stunt was hardest fall of career
For Estonian stuntman Enar Tarmo, who doubled for the lead in "Sisu: Road to Revenge," the key to his job isn't the stunts themselves — it's the trust he shares with his team.
Finnish director Jalmari Helander's latest action flick, "Sisu: Road to Revenge," premiered in Tallinn this week. Filmed mostly in Estonia, the sequel to the Finnish cult hit "Sisu" had Tarmo on set doubling for lead actor Jorma Tommila.
"I can promise you that no one will recognize me in that," Tarmo told ETV's "Ringvaade" Friday night. Another stunt double, Priit, also worked on the sequel.
"This time, there were two of us," he said. "For the last movie, there were ten, for one reason or another."
Tarmo's uncanny resemblance to Tommila sometimes confused even the other cast and crew — leaving people watching from afar why Tommila was on set when he wasn't needed for another hour.
"And then they'd say, 'That's not Jorma,'" he grinned.
Tarmo stressed that stunt work depends on trust and teamwork. Every scene is a team effort, he noted, with a whole department preparing for it.
"We think, plan and test things out," he explained, adding that they figure out better ways to do things during rehearsals.
The film's most daring stunt? Plunging through a tiny train hatch, balancing a massive prop as he squeezed his body through the narrow opening.
"That was probably the hardest fall of my career," he said.
'Give me three minutes'
While stunt work is inherently risky, Tarmo said actual injuries are usually avoidable. This time, though, he took an actual hit to the face.
"I got hit in the nose with a pipe," he recalled, laughing. Blood running, the first assistant director rushed in and urged him to go again immediately.
"Give me three minutes," Tarmo had said, trying to stop the bleeding. The assistant director looked confused — because the stuntman was already covered head to toe in blood.
Looking ahead, Tarmo said he's gotten a few offers, but things have slowed down.
"After that project, things got kind of quiet — especially compared with the last five years, which were packed with work," the Estonian stuntman said. "This year has been slow, but we're hoping next year will pick up again."
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Editor: Karmen Rebane, Aili Vahtla
