Meet Eric Sweeney | Stuntman and Actor

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

Hi Eric, have you ever found yourself in a spot where you had to decide whether to give up or keep going? How did you make the choice?
Keep going if the process brings you joy and the pay off is even more rewarding. Sometimes the process feels monotonous but in retrospect it can feel gratifying when you reach your goal. If neither the process or the reward brings you joy then it’s time to move on.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I wanted to be both an actor and a stunt performer when I moved to Los Angeles over 20 years ago. I had no idea how to get started besides taking acting classes so that’s what I did for the next several years. I eventually acted in a couple of plays and even did stand up comedy. I performed at the Comedy Store numerous times in the Main Room in front of a crowd of over 200 people. I got an agent and was auditioning often but I was not making a living as a performer and most of my income was from my day job as a personal trainer. I would often ask stunt performers how to get into stunt work but no-one had a clear path or plan for me to follow. By this time I was 35 yrs old and thought well your dream of becoming a stunt performer is slipping away with age and your not making a living as an actor maybe it’s time to focus on that 100%.. I decided to tell my commercial agent that I wanted to be a stunt performer along with anyone else that would listen including a friend I had met years before who was now a working stuntman. My agent brushed me off and said that every athletic guy says that to him. so I devised a plan to further convince him. I asked my brother to come to the park where I live and shoot me doing athletic feats jumping, climbing, and flipping over obstacles in the park. He then edited the footage and put music to it and we downloaded it to Youtube where it remains to this day. I went to my agent and showed him the video and I remember he said “Why didn’t you tell me you could do stuff like this.” He then started sending me out on auditions that asked for stunt performers. I eventually booked a couple of jobs and at one of those auditions I met my friend that I mentioned earlier who was now a working stuntman. I remember him asking me what I was doing there that it was only for stunt performers and I told him I had booked a job or two. He then showed me the ropes of the stunt business and invited me to train and hang out with other stunt people and the rest is history!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I would show them famous filming locations and studio tours, take them on some of my favorite hikes and do the typical tourist things like the Walk of Fame and catch a movie at the Chinese theater. Oh and of course a beer and burger at the Laurel Tavern on Ventura Blvd. !

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I definitely owe my mom recognition for her encouragement. The entertainment business is unpredictable and I remember my mom’s advice before I left our home state of Virginia to move to Los Angeles. She said be prepared to get rejected. It may sound harsh but I’ve probably auditioned over 500 times in my career and most of those jobs I did not get! She encouraged me to go after my dream and to move to California. She is usually the first person I call when I book a big job even now after almost 25 years in the business!

Instagram: instagram.com/erictsweeney

Facebook: Facebook.com/erictsweeney

Other: imdb.me/ericsweeney