{{Short description|American film actor and director (1933–2023)}} {{Use American English|date=May 2023}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2023}} {{Infobox person | name= Gary Kent | image = Gary Kent in Austin Texas.jpg | landscape = yes | caption = Kent in 2016 | birth_date = {{birth date|1933|6|7}} | birth_place = Walla Walla, Washington, U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|2023|5|25|1933|6|7}} | death_place = Austin, Texas, U.S. | occupation = {{hlist|Actor|stuntman}} | alma_mater = University of Washington | years_active = 1959–2023 }}
'''Gary Kent''' (June 7, 1933 – May 25, 2023) was an American film director, actor, and stuntman notable for his appearances in various independent and exploitation films. A native of Washington, Kent studied at the University of Washington before later embarking on a film career. He made his feature film debut in ''Battle Flame'' (1959) and had roles in several additional low-budget films in the 1960s, including ''The Black Klansman'' (1966) and the biker film ''The Savage Seven'' (1968). He also served as a stunt double for Bruce Dern in ''Psych-Out'' (1969).
Kent and his experiences as a stuntman served as one of the inspirations for Cliff Booth, the character portrayed by Brad Pitt in Quentin Tarantino's ''Once Upon a Time in Hollywood'' (2019).
== Biography == ===Early life=== Kent was born on June 7, 1933,<ref name="LA Times - Obit">{{cite news |last1=St Martin |first1=Emily |title=Gary Kent, stuntman who inspired Tarantino's 'Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood,' dies at 89 |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2023-05-27/gary-kent-stuntman-who-inspired-tarantino-once-upon-a-time-in-hollywood-dies-at-89 |access-date=May 31, 2023 |work=Los Angeles Times |date=May 27, 2023}}</ref> on a wheat ranch in Walla Walla, Washington, the son of Arthur E. and Iola Kent. He graduated from Renton High School in Renton, Washington, a suburb of Seattle, and attended the University of Washington, where he studied journalism, played football and pole-vaulted on the track team. In 1952, after one quarter at UW, he dropped out to join the U.S. Navy. Stationed in Texas, he wrote promotion and publicity for the elite flying team, The Blue Angels.<ref name=Freese>{{cite book |last=Freese |first=Gene Scott |author-link=Joe Bloggs |date=April 2014 |title=Hollywood Stunt Performers, 1910s–1970s: A Biographical Dictionary|edition=2nd |publisher=McFarland |location=Jefferson, NC|isbn=978-0786476435|pages=156| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=10dXAwAAQBAJ&q=filmfax+%22gary+kent%22&pg=PA156 |access-date=February 17, 2006}}</ref> He was honorably discharged in 1954.
===Career=== In 1955 Kent moved to Hollywood with his wife, Joyce, and son, Greg, and worked as a parking lot attendant while looking for acting jobs. He eventually worked primarily in drive-in exploitation films.<ref name=state/> He acted, worked stunts, and directed action for directors Richard Rush, Monte Hellman, Al Adamson, Don Jones, Ray Dennis Steckler, Peter Bogdanovich, and Brian De Palma. He performed television stunts and acted on ''Green Hornet'', ''The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'', and NBC's ''Daniel Boone'' starring Fess Parker.<ref name=Freese/> Some of the films he directed were ''The Pyramid'' (1975)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.larryratliff.com/larry_ratliff/2011/06/my-entry.html|title= 'Pyramid' power: A Gary Kent lovefest |first=Larry|last=Ratliff|date=June 7, 2011 |website=Larry Ratliff|access-date=March 23, 2020}}</ref> and ''Rainy Day Friends'' (1983).<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-12-19-ca-30591-story.html|title='Rainy Day Friends' are Surrounded by Puddles |first=Kevin|last=Thomas|date=December 19, 1985|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=March 23, 2020}}</ref> Kent doubled Jack Nicholson in stunts in the Richard Rush films ''Hells Angels on Wheels'', ''The Savage Seven'' and ''Psych-Out'', and also did his very first stunts in 1966 Nicholson films ''Ride in the Whirlwind'' and ''The Shooting'', which shot back to back in Kanab, Utah, under the direction of Monte Hellman.<ref>{{cite book |last=Edwards |first=Scott |date=January 2018 |title=Quintessential Jack: The Art of Jack Nicholson on Screen |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6jpDDwAAQBAJ |location=Jefferson, NC |publisher=McFarland |page= <!-- or pages= --> |isbn=978-1476670942}}</ref>
In his 2009 memoir ''Shadows and Light'',<ref>{{cite book |last=Kent |first=Gary |date=July 2009 |title=Shadows and Light: Journeys with Outlaws in Revolutionary Hollywood |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FUt2PgAACAAJ |publisher=Dalton Pub. |page= <!-- or pages= --> |isbn=978-0981744377}}</ref> Kent wrote of an "outlaw" cinema aimed at breaking film taboos and barriers.<ref>{{cite news|first=Josh|last=Rosenblatt |url=https://www.texasobserver.org/hollywood-texas/|title=Hollywood, Texas |work=The Texas Observer|date=November 2, 2009|access-date=March 23, 2020}}</ref> In the book he talks of shooting at Spahn Ranch when Charles Manson and his followers were there.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.austinchronicle.com/screens/2009-07-10/808106/|title=The Fall Guy |first=Marc|last=Savlov|date=July 10, 2009|work=The Austin Chronicle |access-date=March 23, 2020}}</ref> He retired from stunts in 2003 after an accident on Don Coscarelli's film ''Bubba Ho-Tep'', for which Kent served as stunt coordinator, but continued to act in independent films.<ref name=state>{{cite news|first=Joe|last=Gross|url=https://www.statesman.com/ENTERTAINMENT/20180602/Austin-stuntman-Gary-Kent-has-lived-a-life-right-out-of-the-movies|title=Austin stuntman Gary Kent has lived a life right out of the movies|work=Austin American-Statesman|date=June 2, 2018|access-date=March 23, 2020}}</ref>
===Personal life=== Kent was married four times, to Joyce Peacock, 1953-1964 (divorce); Rosemary Galleghly, 1961-1968 (divorce); Sherry Lee Tilley, 1973 (divorce); and Shirley Willeford, 1977-2005 (her death). He had six children: Greg, Colleen, and Andrew with Joyce, and Chris, Alex, and Mike with Rosemary.
===Later years=== As of 2018, Kent resided in Austin, Texas.<ref name=state/> Kent and his career as a stuntman in Hollywood (specifically his experience working at Spahn Ranch while the Manson family resided there) served as inspiration for the character of Cliff Booth (played by Brad Pitt) in Quentin Tarantino's ''Once Upon a Time in Hollywood'' (2019).<ref name=austin360>{{cite web|work=Austin360|url=https://www.austin360.com/news/20191111/meet-austins-danger-god-real-life-stuntman-who-inspired-quentin-tarantino|date=November 11, 2019|title=Meet Austin's 'Danger God,' the real-life stuntman who inspired Quentin Tarantino|last=Gretschel|first=Johanna|url-status=live|archive-date=April 11, 2020|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200411012304/https://www.austin360.com/news/20191111/meet-austins-danger-god-real-life-stuntman-who-inspired-quentin-tarantino}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.clevescene.com/scene-and-heard/archives/2018/03/30/documentary-about-stuntman-gary-kent-to-screen-at-cinema-wasteland|title=Documentary About Stuntman Gary Kent to Screen at Cinema Wasteland |work=Cleveland Scene|first=Jeff |last=Niesel|date=March 30, 2018|access-date=March 23, 2020}}</ref> Kent is the subject of Joe M. O'Connell's documentary ''Danger God.''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6011306/|title=Danger God |website=imdb.com}}</ref>
Kent died in Austin on May 25, 2023, at the age of 89.<ref name="LA Times - Obit" /><ref name=":1">{{cite web |last1=Barnes |first1=Mike |title=Gary Kent, Fabled B-Movie Stuntman, Actor and Director, Dies at 89 |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/gary-kent-dead-stuntman-1235501781/ |website=The Hollywood Reporter |date=May 26, 2023 |access-date=May 26, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Whittaker |first1=Richard |title=Farewell to the Danger God: Gary Kent (1933–2023) |url=https://www.austinchronicle.com/daily/screens/2023-05-26/farewell-to-the-danger-god-gary-kent-1933-2023/ |access-date=May 31, 2023 |work=The Austin Chronicle |date=May 26, 2023}}</ref>
==Filmography== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style="margin-right: 0;" |- ! scope="col" | Year ! scope="col" | Title ! scope="col" | Role ! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Notes ! scope="col" class="unsortable" | {{Tooltip|Ref.|Reference}} |- ! scope="row" | 1959 | ''Battle Flame'' | Gilcrist | | style="text-align:center;"|<ref>{{Cite web |title=Battle Flame (1959) |url=https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b6a4bcb06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230310061051/https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b6a4bcb06 |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 10, 2023 |access-date=May 30, 2023 |website=BFI |language=en}}</ref> |- ! scope="row"| 1964 | ''The Thrill Killers'' | Barcroft | | style="text-align:center;"|<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 7, 1964 |title=The Thrill Killers – Rotten Tomatoes |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_thrill_killers |access-date=May 30, 2023 |website=www.rottentomatoes.com |language=en}}</ref> |- ! scope="row"| 1966 | data-sort-value=Black Klansman| ''The Black Klansman'' | Wilkins | | style="text-align:center;"|<ref name=":1" /> |- ! scope="row"| 1966 |''Ride in the Whirlwind'' | {{N/A|align=left}} | Stunts | style="text-align:center;"|<ref name=":1" /> |- ! scope="row"| 1966 | data-sort-value=Shooting| ''The Shooting'' | {{N/A|align=left}} | Stunts | style="text-align:center;"|<ref name=":1" /> |- ! scope="row"| 1967 | ''Hells Angels on Wheels'' | Bearded Hood | Uncredited; also stunts | style="text-align:center;"|<ref name=":1" /> |- ! scope="row"| 1968 | ''Psych-Out'' | Thug leader | Also stunts | style="text-align:center;"|<ref name=":1" /> |- ! scope="row"| 1968 | ''The Savage Seven'' | Lansford | | style="text-align:center;"|<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Savage Seven |url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/89129/the-savage-seven |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140526082457/http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/89129/The-Savage-Seven/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=May 26, 2014 |access-date=May 30, 2023 |website=Turner Classic Movies |language=en}}</ref> |- ! scope="row"| 1968 | ''Targets'' | Gas tank worker | | style="text-align:center;"|<ref name=":1" /> |- ! scope="row"| 1968 | data-sort-value=Man Called Dagger| ''A Man Called Dagger'' | {{N/A|align=left}} | Stunts | style="text-align:center;"|<ref>{{Cite web |title=A Man Called Dagger |url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/82554/a-man-called-dagger |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120221005253/http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/82554/A-Man-Called-Dagger/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 21, 2012 |access-date=May 30, 2023 |website=Turner Classic Movies |language=en}}</ref> |- ! scope="row"| 1969 | ''One Million AC/DC'' | Olaf | | style="text-align:center;"|<ref name=":1" /> |- ! scope="row"| 1969 | data-sort-value=Mighty|''The Mighty Gorga'' | Arnold | | style="text-align:center;"|<ref>{{Citation |title=The Mighty Gorga (1969) |url=https://trakt.tv/movies/the-mighty-gorga-1969 |access-date=May 30, 2023}}</ref> |- ! scope="row"| 1969 | ''Satan's Sadists'' | Johnny | | style="text-align:center;"|<ref name=":1" /> |- ! scope="row"| 1969 | ''Body Fever'' | Frankie | | style="text-align:center;"|<ref>{{Cite web |title=Body Fever – Rotten Tomatoes |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/body_fever |access-date=May 30, 2023 |website=www.rottentomatoes.com |language=en}}</ref> |- ! scope="row"| 1970 | ''Hell's Bloody Devils'' | Hit Man | | style="text-align:center;"|<ref name=":1" /> |- ! scope="row"| 1971 | ''The Incredible 2-Headed Transplant'' | Motorcyclist | Stunts | style="text-align:center;"|<ref name=":1" /> |- ! scope="row"| 1971 | data-sort-value=Return Count| ''The Return of Count Yorga'' | {{N/A|align=left}} | Stunts | style="text-align:center;"|<ref name="LA Times - Obit" /> |- ! scope="row"| 1971 | ''Dracula vs. Frankenstein'' | Bob | | style="text-align:center;"|<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dracula vs. Frankenstein |url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/69132/dracula-vs-frankenstein |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110921231508/http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/69132/Dracula-vs-Frankenstein/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 21, 2011 |access-date=May 30, 2023 |website=Turner Classic Movies |language=en}}</ref> |- ! scope="row"| 1972 | ''Angels' Wild Women'' | | | style="text-align:center;"|<ref name=":1" /> |- ! scope="row"| 1973 | ''Schoolgirls in Chains'' | Frank | | style="text-align:center;"|<ref>{{Cite web |title=Schoolgirls in Chains – Rotten Tomatoes |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/schoolgirls_in_chains |access-date=May 30, 2023 |website=www.rottentomatoes.com |language=en}}</ref> |- ! scope="row"| 1974 | ''Freebie and the Bean'' | Ambulance Attendant | Also stunts | style="text-align:center;"|<ref>{{Cite web |title=Freebie and the Bean |url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/freebie-and-the-bean/cast/2030283921/ |access-date=May 30, 2023 |website=TVGuide.com |language=en}}</ref> |- ! scope="row"| 1982 | data-sort-value=Forest| ''The Forest'' | John | | style="text-align:center;"|<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Forest – Rotten Tomatoes |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the-forest-1982 |access-date=May 30, 2023 |website=www.rottentomatoes.com |language=en}}</ref> |- ! scope="row"| 1983 | ''Lost'' | Jack | | style="text-align:center;"|<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lost |url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/lost/cast/2000031759/ |access-date=May 30, 2023 |website=TVGuide.com |language=en}}</ref> |- ! scope="row"| 1988 | ''Lethal Pursuit'' | Bud | | style="text-align:center;"|<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lethal Pursuit |url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/lethal-pursuit/cast/2030129434/ |access-date=May 30, 2023 |website=TVGuide.com |language=en}}</ref> |- ! scope="row" | 1994 | ''Color of Night'' | | | style="text-align:center;" |<ref>{{Cite web |title=Color of Night |url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/color-of-night/cast/2030352939/ |access-date=May 30, 2023 |website=TVGuide.com |language=en}}</ref> |- ! scope="row" | 1996 | ''Street Corner Justice'' | Monsignor Rowan | | style="text-align:center;" |<ref>{{Cite web |title=Street Corner Justice |url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/street-corner-justice/cast/2000004892/ |access-date=May 30, 2023 |website=TVGuide.com |language=en}}</ref> |- ! scope="row" | 2002 | ''Bubba Ho-Tep'' | {{N/A|align=left}} | Stunts | style="text-align:center;" |<ref name=":1" /> |- |}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== {{Commons category}} * {{IMDb name}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kent, Gary}} Category:1933 births Category:2023 deaths Category:American stunt performers Category:Film directors from Washington (state) Category:Male actors from Seattle Category:University of Washington alumni Category:Mass media people from Walla Walla, Washington Category:Male actors from Walla Walla, Washington Category:Stunt performers