Brian Smrz

American film director

Brian Smrz
Born	1959 or 1960 (age 63–64) Strafford, Pennsylvania
Nationality	American
Occupation(s)	Stunt coordinator, second-unit director, director

Brian Smrz (/smɜːrʃ/; born c. 1960), also Brian Delaney Smrz, is a Hollywood stunt coordinator and second unit director of projects such as Live Free or Die Hard, Mission: Impossible 2, Eagle Eye, Night at the Museum, Windtalkers and Superman Returns, among others. He is also the director of Hero Wanted, starring Cuba Gooding, Jr. and Ray Liotta and of 24 Hours to Live, starring Ethan Hawke and Xu Qing. He won the Taurus Award twice and was nominated for a third time.

Career

Smrz has worked as a stunt performer and stunt coordinator on Hollywood films since 1981. In more recent years, he has acted as second unit director and director on projects such as Hero Wanted, Fantastic Four and Face/Off. He has worked on several of director John Woo's American films, including Windtalkers, Paycheck and Mission: Impossible 2.^[1]

Smrz shared a Taurus Award for stuntwork on Mission: Impossible 2^[2] and Live Free or Die Hard.^[3] He was also nominated for Taxi. In an otherwise negative review of Taxi, Variety praised Smrz's stunts.^[4]

Hero Wanted is his directorial debut. It is a crime drama/action film starring Cuba Gooding, Jr., Ray Liotta and Norman Reedus.^[5] Shooting occurred in Sofia and Bulgaria with a crew composed mostly of Bulgarians.^[6]

Personal life

Smrz is from Strafford, Pennsylvania and was the twin brother of the stuntman Brett Smrz, who died while performing a stunt jump off a building.^[7] Smrz was hospitalized after a stunt went wrong in 1992 on Cyborg 2. The incident was investigated by the Screen Actors Guild.^[8]

References

^ Harris, Dana (June 22, 2004). "Smrz takes helm for 'Loyalty'". Variety. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
^ Dore, Shalini (May 23, 2001). "Kudos for crashes". Variety. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
^ "2008 Taurus World Stunt Awards". Taurus World Stunt Awards. 2008. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
^ Koehler, Robert (October 5, 2004). "Taxi". Variety. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
^ Total Film (Mar 15, 2007). "Hero Wanted: Cuba Gooding Jr and Ray Liotta Answer". Total Film. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
^ Schwinke, Theodore (June 27, 2007). "On location: Hero Wanted". Screen Daily. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
^ Gordon, Suzanne (October 6, 1986). "A Stunt Man's Closing Fall: He Died Fulfilling A Dream". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
^ "TERMINAL ISLAND: Misdirected Explosion Hospitalizes 6 Stuntmen". Los Angeles Times. October 21, 1992. Retrieved 14 July 2013.