Mike Massa, a 55-year-old stunt performer, set himself on fire during a rally in Fayetteville, Ga., in an attempt to raise awareness for striking performers.
He completed the stunt at a Georgia rally on Monday before hundreds of performers in the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, who are on strike after failed contract negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. Earlier this month, SAG-AFTRA joined the Writers Guild of America in a
that has brought major Hollywood projects to a halt as members push for higher pay and limits to the use of artificial intelligence, among other issues.“And I think it did,” he said. “Which is, look at the risk an individual took just to stand onstage and go, ‘Hey, look, we’re fighting for our rights, and we want you to pay attention to us and believe in us.’”
Massa, who worked as a stunt double for Harrison Ford in the recently released film “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” had not yet participated in a strike demonstration when a fellow performer called on Thursday.His friend explained that the stunt was for a rally in Fayetteville, Ga., which would be attended primarily by other SAG-AFTRA stunt performers.
His goal was to walk across the stage, turn to show the flames across his back and hype up the crowd before the fire was extinguished. He planned to do it all in 10 seconds, before the flames would start to burn through his clothes and warm the protective gel slathered on his skin.Around 1:30 p.m., it was nearly time for Massa to be set alight. He put on six layers of clothing before a member of his team poured fuel across his back, arms and legs.
The stunt, Massa said, was a way to show that the stunt performers at the rally, as well as the actors who came to support them, were taking risks — in their jobs and during the strike — like everyone else in the industry.“To look them in the eye while you’re on fire, not run around like you’re completely freaked out or it’s one of those uncontrollable moments — I think it says a lot,” Massa said.When the stunt was finished, Massa said someone put a mic in his hand.
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