Jeannie Epper was an established name in the stunt artist industry, the daughter of John Epper, and the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award. Epper, who hails from a stunt artist family, made a name for herself and paved the path for many women who wanted to work in the industry when it was impossible for them to even land stunt parts.
Epper's 70-year career began when she was nine years old, and she has played characters ranging from Wonder Woman to Charlie's Angels to Princess Diana. Epper became well-known for her ability to mimic how others run, walk, and even turn around.
Hollywood Stuntwoman Legend Jeannie Epper Passes Away at 83
Epper, 83, passed away peacefully on May 5th at her home in Simi Valley, California. A family spokesperson confirmed the news of Epper's demise, informing the cause of death to be natural causes.
With a career spanning over seven decades, Hollywood mourns the death of "one of the greatest stuntwomen," Epper. It is confirmed that Epper solidified her place as one of the most respected and accomplished stunt performers in Hollywood history, Epper was a true trailblazer in a field dominated by men.
Epper belongs to the dynasty family of stunt artists, including both her parents, John and Frances Epper. She began her career as a stunt woman, actor, and stunt coordinator at the age of 9, while all her siblings, Tony, Margo, Gary, Andy and Stephanie, worked in the industry as stunt performers as well.
With four generations dominating the stunt industry, famous Hollywood director Steven Spielberg called the family 'The Flying Wallendas of Film'. The influence of stunt art runs so intensely in the Epper family that even Jeannie's children and grandchildren follow her legacy and path.
Despite having a family name in the industry, Epper struggled to get the roles until the 1970s, when the industry witnessed a surge in women-oriented action roles from Dynasty, The Big Valley, Charlie's Angels, Wonder Woman, and many more. Epper, in her career, has done more than 150 films and TV shows. Epper's groundbreaking career paved the way for many women in the stunt industry.
In 2007, Epper also became the first woman to be honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the World Taurus Awards and ranks among the greatest stuntwomen of all time.
Epper, who was 5'9, was known for her agility and horse-riding skills, along with her great fighting reflexes. While Epper's filmography is vast, her breakthrough role was in Wonder Woman (1975–1979), performing roles for Lynda Carter's stunt double. From crashing through windows, performing daring falls, or deflecting bullets, Epper made Wonder Woman's action sequences believable and awe-inspiring.
However, Epper's talents are not limited to Wonder Woman, as she played many iconic female character's stunt doubles. She was the stunt double for Lindsay Wagner on The Bionic Woman and Kate Jackson on Charlie's Angels.
Epper also put herself in harm's way in an episode of Lancer (1968–1971) where she was caught on fire and wounded in a hospital. In another incident, Epper was severely injured as her head smashed a heavy picture frame during the shooting of Foxy Brown (1974).
Some of her recent works include her appearances in The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, The Amazing Spider-Man 2, and Kill Bill: Vol. 2.
Epper was not just an epic stuntwoman but also an amazing friend, as
reportedly, the stuntwoman donated one of her kidneys in 2000 to a friend and actor Ken Howard.
Epper's death is the end of an era, as she was the last surviving stunt performer among all her family, and her son Kurtis also died before her. Epper is survived by her husband Tim, children Eurlyne and Richard, five grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.
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