The story of trailblazing stuntwoman Julie Ann Johnson may soon be coming to the small screen. According to Deadline, Keshet Studios is working on a limited series based on “The Stuntwoman,” the 2013 book Johnson wrote with David Robb about her experiences in the male-dominated industry. The project will trace Johnson’s journey as a female stunt person, which is described as “David vs three Goliaths.”
Not only was Johnson one of the first female stunt coordinators in Hollywood, she spoke out about sexism in the industry, the cocaine addiction prevalent among stunt professionals, and “fought the most powerful and vindictive man in the television industry — Aaron Spelling.” With the original “Charlie’s Angels,” on which Spelling served as EP, she became one of the first women to coordinate stunts on a major TV series. She suffered a severe injury while working on the spy series and was subsequently blacklisted from show biz. Johnson fought back by filing a lawsuit against “Charlie’s Angels” and pushing for better conditions for women and minorities working in stunts.
Johnson also called for male stunt people to stop doubling for women, thereby creating more opportunities for stuntwomen. She pursued equal pay in the stunts profession and pressed the industry to hire more women in top stunts positions.
“The Stuntwoman” limited series will be written and directed by Guy Nattiv. He’ll also executive produce with his wife and filmmaking partner, Jaime Ray Newman. The duo won the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film last year for “Skin.” They both produced the short, an exploration of modern racial tensions, and Nattiv co-wrote and directed.
“Julie was part of a movement of women in the 1970s, the first #MeToo movement that never took off,” Newman told Deadline. Newman, who also works as an actress, is an active part of #MeToo and is among those who have accused Brett Ratner of sexual harassment.
“This is Julie’s story as she comes to Hollywood, which is a boys town,” Nattiv explained. “She is bringing with her eight women — one is good with horses, one is a biker, one drives fast cars. It was a wolf pack of amazing women who took over Hollywood and tried to make a change. They struggled, there was a huge backlash, they were blacklisted, they were threatened, some were physically hurt,” he said.
Johnson will consult on “The Stuntwoman” series, but is not creatively involved.
Johnson did stunts — and often went uncredited — on titles such as “Blazing Saddles,” “Spider-Man 2,” and “Crank.” She co-founded the Stuntwomen’s Association and the Society of Professional Stuntwomen. She also chaired the SAG Stuntwomen’s Subcommittee.
