Rémy Julienne

Rémy Julienne (born April 17, 1930 in Cepoy, France) is a French driving stunt performer, stunt coordinator, assistant director and occasional actor. He is also a former rallycross champion and 1956 French motorcross champion.

Rémy Julienne
Rémy Julienne in 2009
Born (1930-04-17) April 17, 1930
Cepoy, France
OccupationStunt coordinator, stunt performer

He is a veteran of over 1,400 films. Notable large film projects in which he has arranged stunts, consulted or manufactured special stunt cars include The Italian Job and six James Bond films, five of which were directed by John Glen and three with his sons Dominique and Michel.

His choreographed stunt sequences are usually destructive, with high-speed chases and highly realistic vehicle behaviour. French car manufacturers, notably Renault and Citroën, frequently called on his services for their TV and film commercials.

He has also coordinated the attraction Moteurs... Action! Stunt Show Spectacular at Walt Disney Studios Park in Paris.

He began a school in France to provide drivers and mechanics with the specialized skills needed for stunt work.

His career suffered a setback in 1999, when a stunt went wrong during the filming of Taxi 2, written and produced by Luc Besson and directed by Gérard Krawczyk, causing the death of a cameraman Alain Dutartre and the serious injury of the cameraman's assistant. Julienne accused the production company of taking short cuts in safety equipment, which Besson denied. The case wound up on September 11, 2007, with Julienne receiving an 18-month suspended jail sentence and a €13,000 fine. The prosecutor accused Julienne of "not taking all the necessary measures for the security of the stunt in question" and notably to have "neglected the speed calculations of the car and the length of the jump".[1]

Besson's firm EuropaCorp was initially cleared of all charges in 2007. Instead, Julienne, was held solely responsible for the botched scene.

But the Paris Court of Appeal reversed the ruling in June 2009, and ordered EuropaCorp pay €100,000. Julienne's jail sentence was reduced to six months, and his fine was reduced from €13,000 to €2,000 but he was required to pay the Dutartre family €50,000 in court costs.

EuropaCorp producers were criticised for rejecting Julienne's offers to trial the car scene in question for a price, which the stuntman claims would have prevented the tragedy. (Sources for this story appear to be entertainment news outlets with varying details.)

In November 2005, Julienne was contracted by French TV station M6 to consult on a French-language remake of the 1970s series Starsky and Hutch.

His sons Michel and Dominique are also highly skilled stunt drivers/coordinators.

References
  1. Stunt Coordinator Sentenced In Death COMPILED BY LAWRENCE VAN GELDER; The New York Times, September 12, 2007
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