Living in Vancouver, Jason Bell is a driven and talented stunt performer who currently can be seen in NBC’s new smash series Timeless and CW favorites Arrow, The Legends of Tomorrow and Supergirl. A former active duty Army veteran, Jason has been involved in the film industry as a professional stunt performer since 2008.
Here is what Jason had to say about working in stunts and being an introvert in an extrovert’s world.
CraveOnline: Tell us about the projects you’re currently working on.
Jason Bell: This season I’ve been heavily involved with NBC’s Timeless doubling actor Matt Lanter and I’ve continued my work as a regular stunt player over on The CW’s Arrow and Legends of Tomorrow. I’ve also been fortunate enough to work on The CW’s The 100 and BBC America’s Dirk Gently.
How did you get into stunts? Was it something you always wanted to do? Were you a wild child?
I didn’t get into stunts until later in life. Growing up I wanted to do anything and everything, so it was hard to stick to one career path. My mom would call me a wild child but I just got bored easily. I went to school for business and tourism and actually thought I would take that route, but then I decided to join the army. I was in the army for seven years, had one combat tour in Afghanistan and in May of 2010 I left. By then, I had some friends who were involved in stunts and they guided me on where to meet people in the industry and where to start training. It’s been quite a journey and I love it.
Where do you currently live?
Currently I reside in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Who is someone in the business that you look up to and would love to work with?
I’d have to go with Jackie Chan. He’s an insane martial artist, actor, director and singer. When you see behind scenes footage of him doing his own stunts, it’s jaw dropping. Not to mention he fought Bruce Lee in “Enter The Dragon”. Doesn’t get more bad ass than that. A guy like me could learn so much from an all around performer like him.
If you hadn’t gone into stunts, what do you think you might have done professionally?
That’s a tough one. I moved around a lot and have had more jobs than I can count. If I had it my way, I would have gone into marine biology or oceanography. I’m in love with the ocean, being outdoors and the study of aquatic life and the environment. I’m also a certified PADI Rescue Diver, so coupling those aspects together would be an amazing career and lifestyle.
What’s one thing that people would be surprised to know about you?
I’m super shy. I can play a convincing extrovert, but at the end of the day I’m quite the opposite. It’s a tough thing being shy working in film, but I have to put that aside for the sake of being a performer and performing in front of a whole cast and crew. Oh, and I’m absolutely terrified of snakes.
Photo: Dan Rizzuto
