This week’s open threads have highlighted the background of several African-American stuntmen and stuntwomen.
Alex A. Brown was raised in Jacksonville, Florida and is a product of the Duval County School System. He was a member of the FAMU Marching 100 Rattlers Band while attending Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University. Following a brief stay in the Big Apple, Mr. Brown moved to Los Angeles, California in 1963. As the city regrouped from the upheaval of the 1965 Watts Riots, Alex found himself working as a “Movie Extra” from time to time.
He was soon bitten by the “Movie Business Bug” and it became his life’s work. He joined a group of guys known as the “Buffalo Soldiers Parade Unit” that was being personally trained to be cowboys by the great Woody Strode and John Russell. The 10th Calvary Buffalo Soldiers appeared in the Tournament of Roses, Hollywood Santa Claus Lane and Watts Parades as well as the parade scene in the movie “Hello Dolly”. In 1967, Alex Brown became one of the original members of the Black Stuntmen Association (BSA) founded by Eddie Smith and served as the first Secretary of the group. The BSA was to the Movie Industry what the NAACP was to Integration. The early work of the Black Stuntmen afforded him an active career as an Actor-Stuntman for over 40 years.
He has appeared in numerous movies, television shows and commercial advertisements like, Cleopatra Jones, Dirty Harry, Blazing Saddles, Coming to America, I’m Gonna Git You Sucka, and plenty others. Other professional affiliations have included Screen Actors Guild, Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Stunts Peer Group and the Tom Anthony and Rawn Hutchinson Stunt Driving Teams. Alex resides in Los Angeles with his wife of 44 years, Karen, and continues to work in the Business. He is enjoying his family, one son, two daughters and five grandsons.
***Information courtesy of Black Stuntmens Association***