036: Stuntman Kevin Cassidy on the Art of Falling Down

Stuntman Kevin Cassidy has been making movie goers’ hearts beat faster since 2005, when he appeared in his first feature film, the remake of The Longest Yard starring Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, and Burt Reynolds. Since then, “Cass” has become known industry-wide for his hard-hitting action in major motion pictures like Black Panther, multiple Spider-Man and Ant-Man movies, Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2, Captain America: Civil War, Salt, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay 1 and 2, The Dark Knight Rises, and many others. His television appearances include episodes of Punk’d, Dexter, CSI, Friday Night Lights, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, and Sons of Anarchy. He has also done motion capture work for EA Sports’ Madden NFL, HALO, Gears of War, and many other video games, and trained performers Nicki Minaj, Rhianna, Britney Spears, and Justin Bieber for specialized action in their music videos.

Prior to becoming a stuntman, Cass was a standout high school and college athlete who went on to play professional baseball and SlamBall (an extreme form of full-contact basketball), which was televised on Spike TV in the early 2000s. He also taught middle school outside Washington, D.C., before answering Hollywood’s call.

Cass was born on Long Island, New York, in 1977 with a severe facial deformity that made him the target of intense bullying throughout his childhood, causing him to think deeply about matters of identity, self-assurance, and the way social roles are constructed. That experience, along with his lifelong dream of teaching and coaching young people, led him to bringing Ninja Nation to the Charlotte area. A place where kids will not only learn fun athletic skills but also become the recipients of Cass’s real-world lessons in confidence, humility, poise, and teamwork.

Cass lives with his wife, Megan, and their daughters Victoria, Blake, and Rae in Charlotte, North Carolina, where they enjoy the nearby lake, golf courses, sports teams, year-round community events, and time with friends and family.

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