“You don’t stop playing because you grow old, you grow old because you stop playing.” – George Bernard Shaw

Did you know that stunt people can, and often do, perform well into their 70s and 80s? And not just easy stunts. I’m talking about car crashes, cannon rolls, pipe ramps, big stuff. When I first got into stunts, I couldn’t believe how Bob Yerkes, an old-school circus performer, was still throwing backflips on the trampoline into his 70s and 80s. I was amazed.

Growing up, my favorite show was Peter Pan. I obsessed. My goal for adult Shauna as a child was simple: never grow up. I wanted to play forever. As life turned out, I found the Peter Pans of the world.

I’m convinced that the secret to a long, healthy, and active life is incredibly simple. So simple, in fact, it’s practically bred into the blood of stunt performers without them even realizing it: we’ve mastered the art of play.

The Stunt Life: Adulting in Reverse

What do I mean by “the art of play”? I mean that stunt performers never stop moving creatively, dreaming up new action sequences, or experimenting with choreography and performance. Our bodies are our instruments. Our imagination is our fuel. Our workplace is a sandbox with explosions.

Stunt Coordinating Chick Fight with a cast and badass stunt team of all ladies. So. Fun.

Let me paint a picture of a stunt performer’s typical day.

What is called a Honeywagon. Stunt performers trailers.

If we’re on set or rehearsing, we start by getting into workout gear, good shoes for movement or fight scenes, and our stunt bags with pads to wear under clothing and harnesses in case of wire work. Days are long. Twelve to fourteen hours is standard. An 8-hour day, that’s a quick one.

But here’s the thing, on the long days, we still find time to play. We mess around in the trailers, shoot silly stunt videos, prank each other, or practice new moves just for fun. One of my favorite things to this day is listening to the OG stunt guys (and ladies) share stories of the gnarly pranks they pulled off back in the day. The industry may have changed in the last five years, but one thing remains: stunt people never grow up.

And yes, safety is always #1. But let’s be real, who else gets paid to do everything we got in trouble for as kids? I can’t think of another career like it.

Oh, and crafty. Endless food, drinks, and snacks whenever we want. I swear, my first set felt like walking into a 7-Eleven. The running joke is, “If you can’t find a stunt person, check crafty.” Love me good crafty. Though, I tend to wrap a show after a few weeks or months a sold 10 lbs heavier. Every. Time. HA!

Every Day is Halloween

When we’re working on set, we show up at basecamp, head to wardrobe from superhero costumes to zombie costumes it’s always something you wouldn’t typically wear.  We then go into hair and makeup to get into character. It honestly feels like Halloween every day. And I love it.

Then comes the waiting game, sometimes for 6, 7, even 8 hours. Or we’re up first, jumping right into the action for the worlds entertainment.

Little action (i’m in the back as Captain Marvel cosplay scene) on the Marvel TV series Ms. Marvel.

I loved performing. Of course, I’d always get nervous before a stunt, but it was the same nervous excitement I felt as a kid playing pretend in the backyard. The more fun I had, the better the stunt turned out. Sure, I knew I’d get bruised or banged up or extremely sore. But to me, bruises were battle wounds. Proof that I went all in. I played hard.

Legends Never Age

My friend Charlie Picerni is one of the OG stunt guys. He’s seen the evolution of Hollywood stunts—from raw, unrigged madness to today’s safer way of doing stunts. He’s still known as one of the baddest drivers in the business. A few years ago, in his mid-70s, he showed me a clip from the night before: a night shoot involving a pipe ramp. He launched a car, flipped it multiple times, and landed it on the roof. The moment the car stopped moving, he stuck his arm out the window with a thumbs up, then crawled out of the upside-down car like it was nothing.

Who does that at 75?

Stunt people do.

The Fountain of Youth

The mindset of a stunt performer is the mindset of Peter Pan. If you want to tap into the fountain of youth, here’s the secret: never stop playing.

Sure, we age. But the key is to keep moving, keep laughing, keep imagining. Stay curious. Stay passionate. Let your inner child come out and live.

Whether we’re flipping cars, flying through the air, or just goofing off between takes, we’re always finding ways to enjoy the art of having fun. And that, the play, the passion, the purpose, to me, there’s something there to staying young forever.

What do you do in your life to have fun, laugh and live through your inner child?