Buddy Joe Hooker

Hooker began as a young child actor on the television series Rin Tin Tin. Under the stage name, Buddy Hart, his acting career continued in shows such as Gunsmoke, Father Knows Best and Twilight Zone. He also starred in the family feature that his stunt performer father, Hugh Hooker, produced called The Littlest Hobo. That role led to a part on Leave It To Beaver as one of Wally Cleaver’s best friends, Chester.[1] He appeared in 12 episodes.[2] He was also one of the bachelors on The Dating Game in 1969, where he was chosen by the bachelorette Farrah Fawcett.[3]

Hooker pursued the stunt profession in Rock Hudson’s Tobruk and Shirley MacLaine’s Sweet Charity. Throughout the years, his reputation as an all around stuntman led to his regular employment as Disney’s premiere stunt coordinator for 8 years.

Hooker’s reputation as the go-to coordinator for car chases grew with movies such as To Live and Die in L.A., Jade, and Death Proof.[4] He was coordinator for Harold And Maude, The Outsiders, Godfather III, Close Encounters Of The Third Kind, Meet Joe Black, and 40 Year Old Virgin.

In the 1977 film about the stunt business, Hooper, Hooker broke industry records with a rocket powered car jump and many other stunts doubling Jan Michael Vincent’s character Ski.[2]

His career continued with the first motorcycle jump over a helicopter as it landed, and rolling a truck 17 times down a sand embankment in the 1971 action feature Clay Pigeon.

The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences inducted Hooker into its membership during the first year it began a limited initiation of motion picture stunt coordinators. An original member of the organization of stuntmen, STUNTS UNLIMITED, he has served 5 terms as President.[2]

Hooker works alongside his wife, Gayle, a fellow stunt-performer, and they have twin sons.[2] His sons have also worked as stunt performers, in the film Spy Kids.[1]

In 2014 Hooker was recognized with World Stunt Awards "Lifetime Achievement Award".[5]

The 1978 feature film Hooper, starring Burt Reynolds, is based on a fictionalized account of his life. In the film, Hooker actually performed stunts for both Reynolds and Jan-Michael Vincent.[1] He was also on the Dating Game in 1969 with Farrah Fawcett, which broke out into a staged fight. Hooker was the bachelor selected by Fawcett.[6]

• Buddy Joe Hooker at IMDb
• BuddyJoeHooker.com