As any lover of classic or upcoming action movies can tell you, stunts make or break a movie. Odavid f course, all of that hinges on how good the coordination team behind a film is leading the cast in the mechanics. Pete Davidson is the latest to praise the staple Hollywood department after working with John Wick creative David Leitch on the slated 2026 movie schedule entry How to Rob a Bank, and I’m loving the vibes.
It goes without saying, the leap from comedy to action for anyone that’s followed Davidson’s career is still relatively new territory. Yet, with promising glimpses of him taking on new roles in Bodies, Bodies, Bodies and The Pickup, he shows a lot of promise. But the stunt-riddled Leitch flick seemed to provide new challenges, until he got on set. Davidson shared with Variety that the crew coordinating scenes were incredibly passionate and welcoming, leaving him stunned:
I was just amazed at how the stunts team are like a family, and they were so excited and precise about every single movement. They were very intentional about every small detail and adjusted certain things because of my height or weight or lack of skill. There was a lot of love, grace and support, and I felt really comfortable quickly. I also loved how much those guys love what they do, and how serious they took it and how they were super jacked about what stunts are next. It was really exciting and refreshing.
It’s not something that a typical moviegoer, or actor for that matter, would think about, but without dedicated crews, the medium wouldn’t exist. Thankfully, there are shining examples of movies, like The Fall Guy, in how much stunt work planning actually takes. I’m just so glad stars like Davidson take the time to showcase just how integral BTS teams mean to making a movie.
The SNL alum also weighed in on the logistics of pulling off sequences and making them look glitzy for the big screen. (Previously, Davidson’s eye-related horror story may have been the closest to larger stake tricks on set.) With it, he specifically nodded to the notable creative who helped user in the expanding John Wick universe and how much of a cheerleader Leitch has been for the artform and its community, by saying:
When I would watch a movie, I would be like ‘Oh man, I wonder how long that took to set up,’ because people really don’t understand how fucking hard these guys work. People who work on movies appreciate it, but as a general audience, I don’t know if they realize how under-appreciated this category is. I love that David’s advocating for it, because when you watch films like the John Wick movies or you see any actor kicking ass, there’s a chorus of people [behind the scenes] that are responsible for that. As actors or directors or writers, we get a lot of glory, but most people don’t think about all these amazing people that make it a team sport.
Team sport is the perfect way to sum up a set. As mentioned, teams like the stunt crew bring all of the elements to the table while the stars showcase it. More often than not, these details get overlooked. But with thanks to people like David Leitch, the Academy finally announced a stunt category will be added to recognize the craftsmanship that goes into a project.
So with his latest title in post production, it makes me wonder if Davidson still feels like acting is ‘”so embarrassing” with being a comedian at heart. Regardless, based on his sentiments on the stunts team, I’m excited to see his work on the John Wick director’s latest thriller. Until then, you can check out more of Davidson’s best shows and movies.
