Posted in: FX, TV | Tagged: exclusive, fx, interview, Krista Perry, Reservation Dogs

Reservation Dogs: Krista Perry on Athlete/Stunt Coordinator Journey

Reservation Dogs stunt coordinator Krista Perry spoke with Bleeding Cool about her career - from professional athlete to stunt coordinator.

Krista Perry's meticulous competitive edge as a swimmer transitioned into the next phase of her life: becoming a stuntwoman and stunt coordinator in Hollywood. Since her debut in Shudder's Scare Package and Discovery's Street Outlaws in 2019, she's built an impressive filmography through film and television, including The Seventh Day (2021); CBS's Blue Bloods; NBC's The Endgame, The CW's Roswell, New Mexico; Paramount's Killers of the Flower Moon (2023), and AMC's Dark Winds. Perry spoke to Bleeding Cool about why her athletic abilities transitioned into stunt work, trusting the process, how she got involved in FX's Reservation Dogs, and her favorite stunt from the series.

Reservation Dogs Stunt Coordinator Krista Perry on Her Journey

Bleeding Cool: How did you find your way to stunt work?

Growing up, I was an athlete. I was a swimmer and so being on set in another department, I got pulled in, and it was quite a wild ride.

How was the transition, for you just from being an athlete? Or was it just something that is just as pitch to you or just something you sort out?

I sort it out. I got to see some stunt work while I was on set, and I thought to myself that I wanted to be a part of this specifically. That world aligns with how I was raised, being a disciplined athlete. When you watch stunts and how we operate on set, it's like a team sport. It was an easy transition for the mindset that it takes to be a part of the stunt group.

Are there projects you feel aren't compatible based on what you're asked to do, or is it something that comes your way? Do you try to tackle as they come?

I'm honest with people when they reach out to me regarding specific work because we have specialties in the industry. We don't like to tell people we could do something we can't do because as soon as the camera rolls, they'll be able to tell that you're incapable of performing what you've been asked. I'm vocal and honest before we even get to that situation. I'm not going to train personally for heights because that's not my specialty. There are plenty of people…I've been asked questions like, "Hey, can you do this?" I say, "Absolutely not. Not to the degree you want it. Let's give it to someone else." Then I try to find an amazing recommendation and that's what keeps me working well, being honest.

How did you get involved with 'Reservation Dogs,' and what appealed to you about the show?

I've been working with Sterlin Harjo on projects for over the past ten years. It came naturally whenever he was coming up for his show. He wanted to work with people he had worked with in the past, so I had the opportunity to be his season three stunt coordinator and it worked well because I had a relationship with a lot of the cast and other shows. It was a natural transition to be a part of the stunt team and to kind of know what he likes about comedy because he loves to sell comedy with action. We leaned into that because each director has a different style of how they like to do the action.

You do some horseback riding in the series. Were there skills you had to pick up along the way throughout your career?

I wouldn't call myself a stunt horseback rider in the business. That's more of my fiance's realm. I will ride, but if a saddle falls and stuff like that, that's not my forte to do. I have coordinated stunt sequences with horses, but my specialty is more car and water, and I train in those disciplines. I also learn more skills, but that's what I go for jobs or nondescript, stunt roles and stuff like that.

Are there certain types of projects you gravitate more toward in general? Do you prefer working on larger-scale projects? or do you like to do more of the smaller indie projects? Do you have a tendency to lean towards one or the other?

I had the opportunity to work on larger-scale production than smaller ones. I feel when you're working on the smaller productions, it's more intimate with your actors, and more time with them. You can work closer with your directors and your directors of photography. Sometimes, when you're in the bigger setting, we've already had it so mapped out that we know exactly what's going to happen, and there's less dialog of maybe what we could change on the day. When you're working on a smaller scale, there are opportunities to change things, and there's more creativity on the fly if you will.

Being in the business as long as you have, has there ever been an aura of having a chip on your shoulder when it comes to proving yourself as a stuntwoman in the industry compared to generations ago when it was probably a steeper hill to climb? Do you feel like that atmosphere is still there today to a point?

I feel grateful for the people I had the opportunity to work with and work for. It becomes like family so everyone who I work with I know well, and they've been receptive to my background of being a disciplined athlete. A lot of people describe me as someone who has lots of grit, and so I haven't had an opportunity to be in situations like that. I'm fortunate to be with people who surround me, protect me, and elevate me versus the other side of that, I suppose.

Was there a particular stunt on 'Reservation Dogs' that was more difficult than others that stood out?

The action sequence with our conquistador and horseback on day zero of filming. We prepped so much in advance with auditions and walked it through in a different location. When we got to where we were going to shoot, we had to worry about the horse track reshooting, resetting, and working with horses, the boom operators, and people who maybe haven't seen as much stunt action because that show is more comedy stunts. So, when you bring in a great rider who can act really well and then our main actor, we aren't doubling him, we're having him do the action. We involved so many departments including our props team, who created fake weapons for the scene. All the safety that went into putting that together was really awesome, because it was our very first day of season three. It was an awesome day with stunts and horses; everybody loves it when the horses are on set.

Do you have ambitions to appear more on screen as an actor or are you happy to stay within the realm of stunt work?

I like creating actor action and making it safe, and working with actors to really elevate their characters – whether that's to bring more power to a character or to show the demise of their character through action. I like to be able to work directly with my actor, my director, and my director of photography in planning each stunt and correlating story beat out. Actor action is an aspect of stunt coordination that I really enjoy doing.

Reservation Dogs, which stars Devery Jacobs, D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Lane Factor, and Paulina Alexis, is available to stream on Hulu.

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