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

Hi Gregg, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I did lots of jobs before I started my career in movies and television, so many that for a while I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. Everyone has to find what their passionate about while finding themself and that can be quite a journey. Discovering what drives you and makes someone excited to get up each morning is key. That takes time for some and after working a variety of different and often boring jobs I began to realize something. Every time I went to a movie theater or watched a great TV show I felt completely drawn in, as if I was watching myself in the characters. I felt at home in the theater. It was in these comfortable and often exciting moments that made me really feel that I was destined for something more. My journey to pursue a career in movies and TV had begun and I was determined not to let anything or anyone get in my way.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Learning my craft as a stunt performer and also studying acting is what propelled me to where I am today. The stunt world is a very specialized craft as well as acting so when you combine the two you really learn all aspects in front of and behind the camera. You don’t really stop learning because there are so many advancements that are always being made in the movie and TV arts, You want to always be staying up to date on the latest cutting edge technology for filmmaking. I am a stunt coordinator, action director and action actor. Being an action actor is quite different. It allows a performer to play the role in a movie or TV series and also perform the stunt action which can be many things like fights, falls, car stunts and much more. I have my own stunt team now and my stunt company, Stunts 911 Action Design, has worked hard to establish our place in the movie and TV business. Our motto is, “WE MAKE THE IMPOSSIBLE POSSIBLE”. If you can imagine it we can create it and bring the stunt action to life. Stunts is a combination of planning, choreography and story telling. I am proud to have worked with some great stars such as Tom Cruise, Johnny Depp, Russell Crowe and Arnold Schwarzenegger, and have to say that they are always amazing collaborators as we strive to make the most exciting movie and TV for audiences around the world. I am proud to have been nominated for the Screen Actors Guild Award for best stunt action in a motion picture for- Pirates of The Caribbean At World End. That was quite an honor. I love my job and the people I do it with. I wake up each morning excited to get to the set or next movie location somewhere in the world and begin creating something new and exciting for audiences everywhere. I can’t think of anything better and my plan is to never retire.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
So many places and so little time. Los Angeles is a great city and there are so many fun and sometimes unusual things to experience. We always like to take visitors to The Malibu Winery. It’s a beautiful spot and always a great place for an afternoon wine tasting and lunch. Then Santa Monica has some great local attractions that are a must stop like the Santa Monica Pier. A special treat is the Getty Villa which is an amazing and historic museum that shouldn’t be missed. Depending on who’s visiting it’s always fun to take them to Universal Studios and City Walk which has a great attraction there called iFly that simulates sky diving and quite a thrill. It’s especially fun if their from out of town or just stopping in while traveling from other countries. There is a great rooftop restaurant and lounge in Santa Monica that is great for a sunset called LouLou, and I always like to make time to take visitors to one of my favorite dinner spots in Malibu called Moon Shadows. It’s right on the ocean and a fantastic way to end a great day. If time permits I always like to follow up the week with a visit to the local mountains and finally a stop in Palm Springs. There’s always something else to add to the itinerary but unfortunately not always enough time.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are several people who really influenced me in achieving my success and I would be remiss if I didn’t mention some of them. I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to work with the great Arnold Schwarzenegger early on and he always encouraged me to go after my goal of being in the movies. He always said “If you work your butt off and totally commit you can do it Gregg”, and I believed him. Having people who encourage you and believe in you is so important in life.
Throughout my career I’ve been fortunate to work with remarkable talented actors, directors and the stunt community that bring heart pounding stunt action to the big and small screen alike. I will always be grateful to these extraordinarily talented stunt professionals who took me and and made me one of their own. Anything in the arts takes a real dedication and the roller coaster of ups and downs as you are pursuing your goal can get difficult so it really helps to surround yourself with positive people. Many of us are so busy making a living and just paying the bills we don’t have the opportunity to follow our passions. My parents were always supportive and they made sure I knew that they believed in me. You have to be relentless to achieve whatever your goal is in life. My dad always told me, make a plan, follow your plan, and keep going. Never give up.

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