Gary Connery has gained legendary status in the stuntwork world through sheer guts and determination.  Photo Karen Sutton (limelight marketing)

GARY CONNERY is, quite literally, stuntman royalty. His daredevil stunts, talent in numerous extreme sports and sheer determination in all he does have seen him work with some of Hollywood’s most famous, and even bagged the once-in-a-lifetime role as the Queen’s stunt-double.

Read on to find out how Gary’s daredevil antics started from days of his youth and learn what gives him the total confidence to stand above the rest in all that he does and achieves.

This man was made to do things others only dream off, so don’t be surprised to see his name next time you read about one of the world’s most audacious stunts.

To find out more about Gary go to www.garyconnery.com.

When did you first realise you had an ability for stunts and pushing your body to the limits in the industry?

From a very young age I was doing things that my peers were not, be it climbing trees, jumping from garage roof tops down at the local recreation ground, riding my bike at high speeds, relative to my age, down the Sandbank Hills close to where I lived.

So I guess in terms of realising my capabilities, it was from a very young age.

When did you first get work in the stunt industry and how long was it until things really took off?

After getting on the stunt register in November, 1997, it took until May, ’98, before I got my first job, on a TV show called Bugs, I had to dive from the driver’s seat of a moving car before it blew up

Work was very bitty for the first two years, then I got taken under the wing of a very busy stunt coordinator called Andy Bradford and from that point on I never really looked back, there was a blip in my career when I moved from being a performer to a coordinator, the phone seemed to stop ringing for about a year, but now I am more busy than ever.

Gary Connery zooms through he air in his trusted wingsuit.    Photo Karen Sutton (limelight marketing)

Did you have any stuntmen or extreme sports stars you looked up to at the beginning?

I have never really looked up to others or had heroes, my attitude has always been if somebody else can achieve something then I can achieve it too, and put my own little spin on it, therefore making it a little better. Perhaps an arrogant attitude, though I feel to achieve one has to be a little bit arrogant, or you could call it the confidence to achieve great things.

What do you see as the greatest stunts you’ve done to date?

There are many stunts that stand out for various reasons, 2012 was an amazing year for me, I landed the first intentional skydive without opening a parachute by flying a wing suit from 2,400 feet, and 3/4 of a mile from target, and landed in a box rig.

I then doubled as the Queen jumping into the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics.

These two events were only just over two months apart, an incredible time for me. That’s not to say I have not had other great moments – there are many!

What has been the most dangerous?

I always chuckle with what has been dangerous, things are only dangerous if they hurt you.

I have therefore been more injured playing non-stop cricket with a three and five-year-old than I have been in any stunt work I have undertaken.

What projects are you currently working on?

I am currently working on Britannia, the second series, Chernobyl, the story of the nuclear reactor explosion from 1986. I am also doing the second series of a show called Killing Eve.

I am also trying to push my own personal projects, one of the things I would like to do is effectively be a human shooting star, flying a wingsuit made of fire blanket, being on fire. Then opening a parachute and landing safely.

Which extreme sports do you have to use in your work and is there a sport you haven’t tried you’d like to?

There are many sports that cross over into stuntwork, one can only specialise in a small number as so much time needs to be put into each to maintain a high skill level. My specialties are kayaking, skiing, base jumping and wingsuit flying.

There are many sports I have not done and would like to, one always feels one was born a little too soon with what is now available and seemingly on tap.

What kind of work are you up for? 

I guess I would consider anything, as long as there is money and time available to research any ideas.