‘Drastic change’ needed to end practice of ‘wigging’ on British film sets
“Drastic change” is needed to end the “backwards” British stunt industry’s use of men in wigs pretending to be women, according to leading female stunt experts.
“From my point of view, it’s heartbreaking,” says stunt co-ordinator Tiger Lilli Rudge talking to Sky News at Space Studios in Manchester.
A stunt performer for 15 years, she now helps train other women with the skills needed to work in film and television, all too aware from her own experience that they will be fighting on multiple fronts.
“Women put in all the time and effort and are more than capable to do a job…and then you put a wig on a man,” she says.
Some stuntwomen say the industry remains a “boy’s club”
She adds: “The excuse that they use is that they had to use the man because there wasn’t a woman to do the job, and I can tell you that that is absolutely rubbish because I know hundreds of women that are capable car drivers, bikers, whatever, there’s so much talent out there.”
Decades ago back when male-centred action films were more en vogue, the practice of “wigging” used to be quite common. Today it is largely frowned upon.
It is a term, used within the industry, to describe the process of a wig being put on a stuntman so that they can double as a female character for some of the more dangerous action scenes.
On Amazon Prime’s big-budget spy show Citadel, as you might expect, all the primary cast have their own assigned stunt doubles who are gender and race-appropriate.
But Sky News obtained photos of a stunt driver wearing a wig and given heavy make-up to pass as female.
Tiger Rudge, stunt co-ordinator
Filmed just a couple of months ago, it is understood it happened after an incident with the original female driver meant they turned to a last-minute replacement – and a man happened to be the only person available quickly with the right set of skills.
To some female stunt performers and drivers, this explanation is familiar – there just aren’t enough women in the trade – but we’ve been told even those with the prerequisite skills are not often being booked because, they say, the stunt world remains a “boys club”.
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“It’s very backwards,” Ms Rudge insists. “America is much better…we are massively behind here and I think it needs drastic change.”
She says: “The opportunities for women are much lesser so… they have to get all these skills, the bikes, the cars, the horses, yet when it comes down to hiring they’re not getting an opportunity.
“Anything with a weapon, anything with danger, it will automatically go to men….there is a stereotype with women for some reason that they aren’t as good as men.”
A recent study carried out by academic Dr Laura Crossley – a film lecturer from Bournemouth University – found that despite an increase in female action roles women still struggle to get into core stunt teams.
Dr Laura Crossley
“The overwhelming evidence is that it’s very difficult for women to progress to the roles of the stunt directors and stunt coordinators,” Dr Crossley explains.
“They tend to be the people who will determine who gets brought onto the stunt teams and predominantly they are men.”
She adds: “I don’t think it’s necessarily something that’s being done that’s mendacious or that it’s deliberately trying to freeze women out, I think there’s just this ongoing culture… because stunt workers have existed in this sort of shadowy area for quite a long time… they just don’t tend to get that kind of transparency.
“It is jobs for the boys… if a stunt woman is brought in, she isn’t always part of the core team, she might just be brought in for a scene and then if there’s something else that arises along the way and she’s no longer around, the stunt director probably turns to his core crew and just goes ‘okay, you’re up, you’re going to do it’.”
In 2024, she argues, it’s hard to justify that a man in a wig is the only option.
“This is something that we knew was happening in the 60s and 70s, to a certain extent, but I didn’t realise it had carried on for so long….it should absolutely be industry standard that men cannot double for women and white stunt workers cannot double for people of colour,” she says.
Given the nature of closed film and television sets, it is hard to say for certain how often men double for women.
In relation to the photos we obtained from the set of Citadel Season 2, Sky News understands Amazon MGM endeavour to find gender and ethnic-specific stunt doubles and that stuntmen dressing as women happens only with the rarest of exceptions.
But Ms Rudge argues it shouldn’t be happening at all.
She said: “This comes from the top – production need to acknowledge female stunt coordinators, female coordinators will acknowledge women….unless there is more hiring of women, this isn’t going to change.”
Entertainment
Snoop Dogg becomes co-owner and investor of Swansea football club saying it’s ‘an underdog just like me’
Police are taking no further action over Kneecap’s performance at Glastonbury.
Officers said they had investigated “comments about a forthcoming court case made during Kneecap’s performance” at the festival on 28 June.
However, after Crown Prosecution Service advice, they decided there is not enough evidence “to provide a realistic prospect of conviction for any offence”.
The Avon & Somerset force started investigating the Irish group’s show last month, as well as comments by punk-rap duo Bob Vylan.
It said they were looking at a possible public order incident.
Police said on Friday that the investigation into Bob Vylan’s performance was ongoing.
The London duo were widely criticised – and caused a BBC crisis – after leading on-stage chants of “death to the IDF” (Israel Defence Forces).
Kneecap’s Liam Og O Hannaidh appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in June. Pic: PA
Kneecap posted a photograph on Instagram, which the group said was an email from police announcing the case was being dropped.
They said their packed Glastonbury gig was a “celebration of love and solidarity” and reporting used “wildly misleading headlines”.
Fears over what Kneecap might do or say during the performance had prompted the BBC not to show it live.
The group said: “Every single person who saw our set knew no law was broken, not even close… yet the police saw fit to publicly announce they were opening an investigation.”
“There is no public apology, they don’t send this to media or post it on police accounts,” they added.
The police statement on Friday said they had informed Kneecap of their decision to drop the case.
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One of the group’s members appeared in court in June charged with a terror offence.
Liam Og O hAnnaidh is accused of displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah, a proscribed organisation in the UK, at a gig last year.
He was released on unconditional bail ahead of a second court appearance in August.
Entertainment
Tomorrowland: ‘Devastating’ blaze destroys main stage at major festival – two days before it was due to begin
A huge fire has destroyed the main stage of a major festival in Belgium – two days before it was due to begin.
Tomorrowland is a dance music event as big as Glastonbury – and David Guetta was due to perform.
Footage showed flames and thick plumes of black smoke engulfing the stage and spreading to nearby woodland on Wednesday.
The fire gutted the main stage
Fire crews attempt to bring the blaze under control
The annual festival in the town of Boom, north of Brussels, is one of the biggest in Europe and attracts about 400,000 people over two consecutive weekends.
It is famous for its immersive and elaborate designs and attracts big names within dance music – including Guetta, best known for tracks When Love Takes Over and Titanium.
Dutch DJs Martin Garrix and Charlotte de Witte were also due to perform, along with the likes of Swedish House Mafia, Eric Prydz and Alok.
Black smoke could be seen rising into the sky
The festival’s website described the creative elements which went into the elaborate main stage.
The theme, described as Orbyz, was “set in a magical universe made entirely out of ice” and “full of mythical creatures”.
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Organisers said no one was injured in the blaze but confirmed “our beloved main stage has been severely damaged”, adding they were “devastated”.
Spokesperson Debby Wilmsen added: “We received some truly terrible news today. A fire broke out on the Tomorrowland site … and our main stage was essentially destroyed there, which is truly awful.
“That’s a stage that took years to build, with so much love and passion. So I think a lot of people are devastated.”
Spokesperson Debby Wilmsen told reporters ‘a lot of people are devastated’
Despite the fire, Tomorrowland organisers said they were still expecting 38,000 festivalgoers at DreamVille, the event’s campsite.
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