Legendary James Bond and Italian Job Stuntman Rémy Julienne Dies of COVID-19 at 90
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Legendary movie stuntman Rémy Julienne has died from the novel coronavirus at the age of 90.
Arguably the most famous and prolific stunt coordinator in modern cinema, Julienne died following a month-long hospitalization in Loiret, France. Specializing in lengthy action scenes, Julienne was behind dozens of unforgettable movie stunts in six James Bond films and also worked as Michael Caine's stunt double in The Italian Job (1969).
In a career involving over 1400 films, television shows and commercials as a stuntman, daredevil and driver, he doubled for Roger Moore, Jean-Paul Belmondo and countless others.
Julienne's death was announced on Twitter on Friday in a heartfelt post.
C'est le cœur lourd que nous vous annonçons que Rémy nous a quitté dans la nuit du 21 janvier 2021.
Hier encore, il avait des projets plein la tête. Son corps nous a quitté mais il restera à jamais dans nos cœurs.#RemyJulienne #stunt #cinemafrancais #jamesbond pic.twitter.com/Ud1TbfQuHe— Rémy Julienne Officiel (@RJ_Cascade) January 22, 2021
"It's with a heavy heart that we announce that Rémy left us during the night of January 2 2021," the statement read, which was posted in French. "Yesterday, he still had plans for projects in mind. His body has left but he remains in our hearts."
Julienne's work appeared in films like The Da Vinci Code, The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Frantic, Bobby Deerfield and films directed by John Woo, Francois Truffaut, Robert Altman, and Claude Lelouch among others.
Born in 1930 in north-central Loiret, France, Julienne entered the film industry in 1964 as a motorcycle stunt rider. His international reputation was established with the success of The Italian Job which featured a long choreographed multi-car getaway across, around, under and over the city of Turin, Italy.
Beginning with Octopussy (1983), his run of Bond films continued through 1995's Goldeneye. Notable among his Bond sequences he helped execute during was A View To A Kill's Eiffel Tower parachute jump/breakaway car pursuit.
He also coordinated the attraction Moteurs… Action! Stunt Show Spectacular at Walt Disney Studios Park in Disneyland Paris, which opened in 2002.
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