Veteran with more than 200 credits, actor and stuntman also worked on ‘Dead Machine’, ‘Matrix Reloaded’ and ‘As Panthers’, among other film
Ronnie Rondell Jr.stuntman of Hollywood immortalized in fire by the cover of Wish you were herefrom Pink Floyddied at the age of 88.
He died on Tuesday, 12, at a nursing home in Missouri, as announced by his family (via The Hollywood Reporter). The cause was not disclosed.
Stuntman and actor with more than 200 credits in his filmography, Rondell Jr. is perhaps better known for a single photography: the iconic cover of Wish you were here (1975), Pink Floyd’s album, where he was set on fire in a Hollywood studio (Warner Bros. Studios), squeezing the hand of a suit man (Danny Rogers).
“I did a lot of work with fire at that time, and had the special costumes and all this equipment to completely involve the fire”said Rondell Jr. in the documentary Pink Floyd: The Story of Wish You Were Here. “It was very easy to do, did not pose a very big risk to life and was well paid.”
To capture the photo, conceived by Storm Thorgesen and Audrey Powellfrom the HipgnosisRondell Jr. would have been set on fire 15 times, since the wind and other factors – “There is a funny thing about the fire: when it hits your face, you move”Rondell Jr. added, ”they forced the many attempts.
During the filming, the flames made Rondell Jr. lose an eyebrow and part of the mustache, but the end result was worth it: Wish you were here It is often acclaimed as one of the best album covers of all time.
“Ronnie was very kind, considering … But for him, as a professional in the film industry, it was all work”said Powell about the contribution of Rondell Jr.
In a career in film and television that extended from 1955 to 2003, Rondell Jr. appeared significantly – although anonymously – or acted as stunt coordinator in films and series like Dead -machine, Batman & Robin, Twister, The crow, Predator 2, Karate Kid and the TV series The panthers. Although he retired in 2000, he returned to one last movie, a sequence of persecution in Matrix reloaded,, 2003, where your son Ra Rondell acted as stunt supervisor coordinator.
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Source: Rollingstone
Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.
