Legendary Stuntman Who Worked With Tom Cruise, Clint Eastwood and Denzel Washington Passes Away at 72

Carl Ciarfalio, the legendary stuntman, stunt coordinator, and actor whose career spanned more than 40 years across film and television, has died at 72. His wife, Teri Ryan, confirmed the news on Facebook this week but did not reveal a cause of death.

“Our Carl has passed on,” she wrote, as reported by Deadline. “And by ‘our’ I mean all of us. He was so special to everyone. We will celebrate his special life and light. No idea how yet, but I know the laughter will flow with the tears. He went peacefully, and we were all there.”

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From Live Stunt Shows to Blockbuster Sets

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Born November 12, 1953, in Alhambra, California, Ciarfalio began as a college wrestler before performing live stunt shows at Knott’s Berry Farm and later Universal Studios. His screen career took off in the early 1980s with stunt work and bit roles on television hits including “The Fall Guy,” “MacGyver,” “Sledge Hammer!” and “Magnum, P.I.”

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He went on to appear in an extraordinary number of film productions. His credits range from “Licence to Kill,” “RoboCop 2,” “RoboCop 3,” “Wayne’s World,” “Beverly Hills Cop III,” and “Batman & Robin” to later projects including “Justified,” “Meet the Blacks,” and the “Sharknado” franchise.

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A Filmography Too Vast to Count

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Ciarfalio’s work spanned hundreds of productions across genres. He appeared in classics such as “Beetlejuice,” “Total Recall,” “Glory,” “Get Shorty,” “Mallrats,” “Romy & Michele’s High School Reunion,” “Daddy Day Care,” “Bruce Almighty,” “After the Sunset,” and “Wedding Crashers.”

His television résumé included “Simon & Simon,” “Quantum Leap,” “Family Matters,” “ER,” “Community,” and “Murder, She Wrote.”

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He also served as stunt coordinator on three dozen titles, including “The Expendables,” “Meet the Blacks,” and “Rock, Paper, Scissors.” In 1985, he won Best Fight Sequence at the inaugural Stuntman Awards for an episode of “Knight Rider”.

He later earned an Actor Awards nomination for “The Amazing Spider-Man” stunt ensemble.

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A Legacy That Forever Shaped His Industry

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As per Deadline, Ciarfalio joined the Stuntmen’s Association of Motion Pictures in 1985 and later served as its president from 1992 to 1996. He went on to serve two terms on the Board of Governors of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences after helping to form the Stunt Peer Group in 2000.

His leadership played a key role in creating the Emmy Award for Outstanding Stunt Coordination in 2001, which is presented each year at the Creative Arts Emmys.

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