When you handed Andrew Comrie-Picard on the highway in his dwelling metropolis of Los Angeles, you’d by no means guess his odometer ceaselessly ideas above 100 mph. “I drive actually gradual on regular roads,” says the rally racer turned stunt driver, “and I’m all the time the individual to let another person merge in. I don’t need to drive quick as a result of I get my stimulation elsewhere.”
By elsewhere, Comrie-Picard is referring to the locations his profession as knowledgeable driver has taken him — pace competitions, off-road driving, units for giant motion movies, and even the North Pole. We chatted with Comrie-Picard to study extra about how he made a reputation for himself on this planet of stunt driving and racing.
A Day within the Driver’s Seat
A self-described cognitive load junkie, Comrie-Picard loves exhibiting as much as a job the place on daily basis is totally different. “I like challenges, and I really like performing within the second,” he says. “That’s precisely what I get from racing and stunts.”
When he exhibits as much as set, Comrie-Picard not often is aware of what to anticipate. “My life is ruled by the decision sheet, which frequently doesn’t get circulated till the night time earlier than the shoot,” he says. “So I present up and the producers say, ‘Oh you’re taking part in cop quantity three or unhealthy man primary.’” Hours later, Comrie-Picard walks out of hair and make-up after buying and selling his beard for pretend tattoos.
Surprisingly, many stunt scenes are created equally. “Many of the artistic course of occurs within the second with the stunt coordinator,” says Comrie-Picard. “We work out a scene with Sizzling Wheels automobiles and a few chalk on set.” A few hours and a slow-speed drive by or two later, the director calls “motion,” and Comrie-Picard hits the gasoline.
Between scenes, Comrie-Picard admits, there’s a number of ready. “It’s like hours of boredom punctuated by moments of terror,” he laughs. “I’d think about it’s what an Olympic athlete appears like earlier than the 100-meter sprint. You’re ready, generally for days, and you then carry out for 15 seconds.”
However the thrill of these 15 seconds retains Comrie-Picard hooked — like when he drove on the set of Atomic Blonde. “We had a dual-control automobile, so I’m within the again seat dressed like a ninja driving the automobile whereas Charlize Theron is driving on digicam,” he recollects. “She’s a badass and simply rolled with it, whereas I’m doing 180s and J-turns and telling her when to show the steering wheel to make it look real looking. These are the perfect days in my workplace.”
Constructing an Epic Profession Path
So, precisely how does one turn out to be a backseat stunt driver for Charlize Theron? For Comrie-Picard, his skilled driving profession began with racing. “The core of my work has been in automobile racing, particularly rally and off-road,” he says.
After 20 years as knowledgeable rally racer, with some huge wins below his belt, Comrie-Picard landed a gig internet hosting TV exhibits about automobiles. “I might drive, and I’ve a technical automotive background, so I used to be the proper match,” he says.
As soon as he relocated to Los Angeles to immerse himself within the leisure trade, Comrie-Picard started selecting up gigs as a stunt driver, and people alternatives continued to construct on one another. Comrie-Picard has labored on big-name movie franchises, together with Deadpool and Quick and Livid, in addition to American Ninja Warrior. “As a result of I adopted my passions, I’ve ended up with a portfolio of actions that I actually love,” says Comrie-Picard.
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The Subsequent Huge Stunt
In recent times, Comrie-Picard has targeted much less on racing in favor of spending time on his newest pursuit — the Transglobal Automobile Expedition. “About 14 or 15 years in the past, I began considering, ‘What’s the toughest factor I might do with a automobile?’” says Comrie-Picard. “Now we’ve practically accomplished a multi-stage circumnavigation of the globe by automobile.”
The journey kicked off in New York in January 2024. From there, Comrie-Picard and his crew pioneered a route a wheeled automobile had by no means pushed earlier than — heading north into Canada, throughout the Arctic Tundra, traversing the coastal shelf of North America, and driving over ocean ice to the North Pole. After navigating throughout Europe, Africa, and South America, the crew accomplished their journey, returning to New York in April.
“What I’ve been loving about this expedition is that you have to have broad expertise,” Comrie-Picard says. “On an enormous movie set, totally different crews are answerable for each side, however on an expedition, it’s all palms on deck, and everyone does each job.”
Even amid all of the onerous work, Comrie-Picard says he nonetheless has moments of awe on the issues he and his crew have completed.
“I’ll always remember a dialog I had once I first determined to commit myself to racing full-time,” he says. “After I informed my buddy, he stated, ‘Effectively, that’s nice information,’ and I stated, ‘How is it nice information? There’s just one different man who makes cash doing this,’ and he replied, ‘Why wouldn’t it’s you?’”
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