While most stuntmen in Hollywood put their lives on the line for nothing more than entertainment, most audiences never even know their names. But for Ronnie Rondell Jr., he became part of Pink Floyd history thanks to his help on the cover of their 1975 album Wish You Were Here. Throughout his career as a stuntman, Rondell Jr. worked on films like Lethal Weapon, How the West Was Won, Blazing Saddles, and even The Matrix Reloaded. Sadly, after years of dangerous stunts, Rondell Jr. passed away at 88.
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Living a life full of danger, Rondell Jr.’s family announced that he passed away on August 10th at a senior living facility in Missouri. Looking back on his career, the stuntman found himself working with the legendary band Pink Floyd. Although known for album covers like The Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall, the band’s most ambitious idea came when working on Wish You Were Here.
The idea was simple – have two businessmen shaking hands. But for one of them, they would be on fire. Behind the camera was Aubrey Powell, who once discussed the shoot with the Guardian and how Rondell Jr. warned about the dangers of such a stunt. “He said, ‘It’s dangerous for a man to stand still on fire. Normally, you’re running and the fire’s spreading behind you, or you’re falling and the fire is above you, or you can always make out with camera angles that the stunt person is closer to the fire than they really are…”
Ronnie Rondell Jr. Set On Fire Over A Dozen Times For Pink Floyd
Not having to fall down a flight of stairs or jump from a moving vehicle, Rondell Jr. only needed to stand still. Completely covering the stuntman in flame-retardant, Powell wanted to take more than a few shots. A total of 15, to be exact. And seeming to save the best for last, Powell recalled, “On the 15th a gust of wind blew up and wrapped the fire around his face and burnt him. He said: ‘That’s it! I’m done.”
Struggling with fire, safety, and Rondell Jr, Powell knew they got the picture even before looking at the results. “I knew I had got a special picture. It took a long time to persuade Ronnie to stand exactly as I wanted but in the end he was very brave and it was a perfect composition.”
Just a single moment in Rondell Jr.’s career, his contributions to both Hollywood and music helped bring more than a few iconic moments to life.
(Photo by Rahman Hassani/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
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