The 'real' Mad Max died just before 'Fury Road' won 6 Oscars
The Australian man known as the "real" Mad Max died just before the film cleaned up at the Academy Awards.
Max Aspin, Mel Gibson's master stuntman in the 1981 film Mad Max II: The Road Warrior, died on Feb. 24.
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The sad news was announced via the Mad Max Museum Facebook page, with Fairfax Media confirming Aspin, who was in his late 60s, died after collapsing at home on the central coast of New South Wales.
"It is with deep sadness that we have to announce the passing of legend Max Aspin last night," the administrator of the page wrote. "Max was not only a legend in the stunt business but a great entertainer and comedian. Even whilst battling his illness Max couldn't resist joking around. We have lost a good friend."
Much of Aspin's work was held in the Mad Max Museum in the outback town of Silverton, New South Wales, where Mad Max II was filmed. Aspin was also writing a book about his time in Mad Max and had visited the town as recently as September for further research.
Aspin was behind the epic moat jump stunt that went horribly wrong on the second attempt and ended with a broken ankle. It has been more than 30 years since the third film was made.
He was married to Dale Aspin, who was also a stunt double, and had one daughter, Felicity. He was also involved in other iconic Australian movies such as Crocodile Dundee and Razorback.
The fourth movie in the saga, Mad Max: Fury Road, swept the Academy Awards on Sunday night, Los Angeles time. The film, starring Tom Hardy, instead of Mel Gibson, and Charlize Theron, won six Oscars for film editing, costume design, sound editing, sound mixing, production design and make up.
The categories awarded in the Academy Awards do not include stunts. Stunt workers have recently been calling for their work to be recognised, with some Australians speaking out before the ceremony.
Australian stunt coordinator Keir Beck told the ABC the latest installment of Mad Max would have been nothing without the stunts. "If you took the stunt performers out of Mad Max it would have been like a car park," he said. The same could be said for all the Mad Max films.
Aspin spent his life making films more sensational. While tragic, it is in some ways fitting his death coincides with Mad Max's latest triumph.
"It’s that old saying," Aspin's once said. "Old stuntmen never die, they just fade away."
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Topics Oscars
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