So many times I walked in the hood and just never saw the fun in the decor until I had a camera draped around my neck. Click the link below the skeletons for results.

Halloween Flickr Photos

Please watch both short videos.

I add, only 15% of all stunt work in film is performed by women. Less than 1% of all working Stunt Coordinators in the film business are women. These are shameful statistics that need to be changed.

Now, it should be “Religious Tolerance Day.” It should have been “Tolerance Day” from the beginning. It’s more healing – not to mention life, time and money saving – to love, forgive and live in peace. War was the absolute worse thing to do. I was shocked when I heard war message roaring across the country. NOOOO! It was devastating news, especially since all the world showered their love on us in the aftermath of 9/11. War news broke my heart. It was just so wrong on so many levels. I still can’t believe we resorted to “war” and we’re still at “war.” Love heals all wounds.

“But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”

So, my birthday message to all is Love, Forgive and Live in Peace.

The Risk Gene, Stunt-performers & Borderline Personality Disorders

By

Leigh Hennessy

According to Art Linkletter, kids say the darndest things. According to every terrified parent around the globe, kids do the dumbest things. How many daredevil young boys do you know that have endeavored to fly off the roof of their house in a make-shift Superman cape? Or, stubbornly rammed their banana-seat stingray bicycle into a brick wall convinced they could pierce a hole through it? We’ve all taken a whack at defying gravity or inertia at one time or another in our young lives. We were courageous and we were invulnerable. We thought: Where’s the danger in it all? And, stunt people were no different.

However in adulthood, precarious pursuits diminish over time. Adults learn to protect themselves from danger. All modern research shows that the inclination to throw all caution to the wind declines with age. Humm? Why haven’t stunt people been affected?

Blame our fathers. When I was around 4 years old and still getting my fashion advice from diaper commercials, my father caught me standing on the edge of a high diving board contemplating a leap into the cool water below. When he discovered his topless tot on top of the ten-foot tower, his paralyzing screech from across the pool abruptly broke my concentration. But oddly unlike most parents, instead of forcing me to climb down to safety, he made me jump. The death-defying drop took intense coaxing, but I finally stepped off performing my first less than perfect cannonball. Weeeeeee! What fun! After a wimpy splash and labored dog-paddle to the side (of course, he wouldn’t help me swim to the side), nothing could stop me from climbing right back up.

A Southern AAU Diving Champion, Dad taught me early on to take the plunge, so to speak.  But that’s only part of the equation. The other part is genetic. Stunt performers have a rare gene that affects about one in five people, mostly young males. In the world of psychological research, it is known as the Risk Gene.

The Risk Gene is a DNA concoction of three neurotransmitters that make up the enzyme Monoamine Oxidase, what we commonly call MAO. The three neurotransmitters play a role in regulating arousal, inhibition and pleasure. Norepinephrine arouses the brain in response to incoming stimuli. For example, as a racecar increases in speed, norepinephrine allows the driver to experience an adrenaline rush, otherwise known as a thrill.  Dopamine is involved with the sensation of pleasure in response to arousal, letting the driver feel excitement as the speed increases. And serotonine acts as a brake inhibiting arousal, telling the driver to slow down when it gets too dangerous. A person with the Risk Gene has lower levels of MAO, causing a need for more stimuli than the average person to reach a desired level of excitement. In other words, a car has to go twice as fast for a person with the Risk Gene to experience excitement than for a person without it.

Dr. Frank Farley, from the University of Wisconsin and former President of the American Psychological Association, developed personality types similar to the familiar Type A and Type B. Most stunt people would classify themselves as a Type A since we can’t seem to keep still. However, Farley’s new personality type better exemplifies stunt people.  We are Type T – T for Thrills. He divides Type Ts into four categories: T-Mental, T-Physical, T-Positive and T-Negative. Obviously, we fall into the T-Physical category and most of the time we are T-Positive since we take risks safely and for good reason: to earn a living.

Risk-takers are also known as High Sensation Seekers or HSS. Dr. Marvin Zuckerman from the University of Delaware and pioneer in the study of risk-taking, calls HSS individuals an ironic moniker.  He calls them “Highs.” Since Highs have an excitement deficit, they get bored easily. They tend to be impulsive, uninhibited, social and prefer high stimulus activities. They prefer friends with offbeat or exciting lifestyles while avoiding boring people. Here’s a kicker: they have trouble keeping full-time jobs. They are more apt to succeed on Wall Street than in a factory or should I say, more likely to succeed in a film career rather than to that in a 9-5 office.

They are also the ones who buck the system. As our society increasingly imposes controls on risky behaviors, Highs seek new ways to achieve thrills. Case in point: In the past 30 years, as a result of unceasing liability lawsuits, new laws like seatbelt and helmet laws were recorded in the safety books. At the same time, so-called “Extreme Sports” were born.

So, while researchers have been working hard to decipher the roles of nature and nurture in risk-taking behavior, many see a dark side of taking risks. Risk-takers not only represent a limited sample of society, they often don’t have the resources or role-models for T-Positive behavior. Therefore, to fulfill their need for thrills, Highs often resort to drugs, sex, gambling, reckless driving or various crimes. The dominant conclusion of the psychological community is that risk-takers are abnormal. Prominent researcher from UC Davis, Dr. Salvadore Maddi,  feels that well-adjusted people are “good at turning everyday experience into something interesting.” Dr. Randy Larsen, psychologist from the University of Michigan, takes it to another level. He thinks risk-takers are a little sociopathic.

Others view us as normal, but with a common unique personality profile. One such expert is Dr. Keith Johnsgard, a professor of clinical and sports psychology at San Jose State University. He has spent more than a decade studying HSS personalities. Some common traits he found include that they tend to have a higher tolerance for pain, they tend to minimize risk when evaluating situations and experience less anxiety, and they have a facility for assimilating figures and symbols faster. In addition, he finds that they are tough-minded and unsentimental, they have a high drive to be the best, they are fiercely independent, non-conformists, don’t like to be told what to do, and are exhibitionistic and creative. All research also concludes that they have a higher sex drive. Intriguing, but perhaps it’s a subject better suited for a different magazine.

While researchers squabble over character traits and labels, the reality is that the world depends on risk-taking behavior. Survival requires it. Society provides abundant opportunities for constructive risks such as investing in business ventures, running for political office, taking an unpopular stand or perhaps making more conventional choices like changing careers, going back to school, getting married or having children. Our history is shaped by Type-T personalities. Would there be a United States of America if not for the pilgrims? Would there be Christianity without Jesus of Nazarus? Would women have the right to vote without the Suffragettes? And how far would the civil rights movement have gone without Martin Luther King? The world needs risk-takers.  The Dalai Lama reminds us, “Take into account that great love and great achievement involves great risk.”

Quite frankly, if no willing cowboy back in the first half of the 20^th century didn’t jump up and proclaim, “I can fall off that horse, Mr. Director,” there would be no stunts in pictures. It took some brave souls to establish and develop the creative and exciting craft of stunts that magically enhance the art of filmmaking as we know it.

However, ultimately, the greatest benefit to taking risks is personal. “Taking a risk, stepping away from the guardrails, from the rules and the status quo, that’s when you get a sense of who you are,” affirms Dr. Farley, former APA President. You have to push beyond the boundaries to know that. Challenging your limits increases your self-esteem. The satisfaction achieved from that step off the platform awesomely fulfills your soul, giving you a reason to believe in yourself.

A great little book we should all read called “Right Risk” by a former high-diver Bill Treasurer is filled with intriguing thoughts on the subject. His answer to why climb the mountain is not ‘because it’s there.’ It’s more profound. It’s because IT means more than the mountain’s location. To Treasurer, “IT is all the lessons to be gleamed by going through the ordeal of taking a risk. It is the gratification derived from learning character-building lessons about fortification, courage, sacrifice and persistence. It is the personal fulfillment you feel when you withstand strength-sapping pain and find out what you are truly made of … And, ultimately, it is the self-confidence gained from experiencing first hand the pre-eminent value of your own worth.”

So, stunt performers have lucky genes. We challenge ourselves every day. We take it to the limit regularly. Sometimes we succeed. Sometimes we fail. But, ultimately, we learn. Therefore, the next time a parent in your neighborhood panics over their child attempting to fly off the roof, assure them that it’s OK. It’s not the dumbest thing they can do (but, it could be the darndest). Foremost, remind them that it’s their first stab at self-discovery. Better yet, quote Anonymous who said, “Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.”

My uncle was a relic of an era gone by. An era of farming. An era of rural America. An era of small-town religion and politics. An era of back-breaking work. An era of modesty. Even an era of sports. A devout “Bapti-costal,” Uncle Pete, also known as J.W., loved God, life and family. He also loved his team. In his final days on Superbowl Sunday, his five loyal children gathered in his hospital room to enjoy the big game with him. They cheered their favorite team together for three happy hours. As the game was winding down, Uncle Pete asked one of his kids, “How much time is left?” “Ten minutes, Paw Paw,” she answered, “Ten minutes.” With wet eyes and slight smile, he looked up and said, “OK, I think I’ll live that long.”

He knew his life on Earth was coming to an end and he made it. He had lived to see the day. Born in 1918, one of Uncle Pete’s last joys with all his children together was to witness one more unexpected miracle. A WWII vet (which I only learned about at the funeral, hence the flag-draped coffin), hard-working farmer who never missed a church service, pillar of Winfield, life-long Democrat,

unassuming cousin of Louisiana’s legendary Long family, dedicated husband of 51 years, widower for 14, proud father of five, loving grandfather and great-grandfather of dozens, he was a simple man with few needs who lived to celebrate every moment that he could squeeze out of his full life.

I never got to tell my uncle that even as a small child I always admired him. He was a decent and humble man. Although he wasn’t Catholic, I thought how he would have appreciated this sight.

Symbolically, New Orleans seems to be inspired to bury the old and celebrate the new. For all of us in the Big Easy, our new year starts now. Our resolutions aimed at a better future start today. As for myself, it means a greater connection to my home and family as well as a brighter outlook on my career as I learn the delicate balance of work and lifestyle.

That said, here’s the Aints Second Line Funeral march. Happy New Era!

But, this event is bigger than a sports victory. It’s a mix of life lessons. Here’s a few: Never give up on your dreams. In life, you must take chances to succeed. Those who are willing to succeed work hard, perpare diligently, focus on execution and not fear failure. There are many more. But, it is also a message to a troubled city devastated  by the blow of Katrina and poverty. New Orleans is a city of winners. This Championship season has lifted the spirits of the hopeless and given faith to the believers. The Saints Franchise understands that their function as ambassadors and role models is a responsibility to their fans and to the people of New Orleans. They fulfilled their mission flawlessly and are greatly appreciated for it.

THE BIG EASY IS BACK!

The video doesn’t do the vision of our hike from our steading to the Balfour estate any justice. Nature is just far more beautiful. However, please enjoy.

… and Happy New Year to you and your loved ones.

We’ve been in New Orleans several weeks considering and planning the move. Finally, we did it.  We flew to L.A., tied up loose ends by reducing our obligations there significantly, drove back to New Orleans with all our worldly possessions (truck broke down twice in the Texas heat! Ugh!) and moved into our own little cottage in the Garden District.

During this time, the Louisiana Legislature passed the updated film tax incentive bills and the Governor signed them into law. With the new incentives and new home and new life, my hopes hinge on the theory that more features will be produced in Louisiana opening opportunities for my film career as a local talent in the Pelican State. By the end of the year, if this theory does not prove true, it’s OK. New Orleans is an exciting and lively town ripe with opportunity for creative individuals. Besides, the fun never ends. I feel very good about moving here.

What a year this has been! Change is good.

Primarily, economics dictated saving since the USA monthly dues are significant and, let’s face it, as much as I love Obama, the economy isn’t going to get fixed overnight. On the other hand, my subconscious backed up the decision with the intrigue of completely reinventing my career. 

Taking this reinvention as far as I can to me includes presenting a whole new persona, doing everything differently than I did in the past. Over the years, I followed a basic set of rules that worked in the beginning of my career, but serves no purpose any more. I trained hard at every stunt skill possible. I “hustled” several film sets a day. I politely kept a professional stance with stunt coordinators. I kept my opinions to myself. I’ve had the same commercial agent from day one. And, I joined the most distinguished stunt organization for women in the film business – USA. Today is a new day, however.

This is my Unconventional Reinvention plan:

Focus career in Louisiana.

Use married name, Leigh Hennessy-Robson, with all my promotional materials including headshots, resumes and more.

Focus on trampoline training with fitness training as a supplement.

Treat stunt coordinators like peers instead of authorities.

Increase relationships with producers, casting directors and more.

Get new agent(s).

Apply for stunt coordinator jobs.

Work on smaller productions to expand and improve my skill base, including directing, producing and acting.

Be myself, speak my mind, be independent.

Have a hell of a lot more fun!