By Dillon Jagersky
In the thrilling world of entertainment where action takes centre stage, some individuals shine as unsung heroes, bringing scenes to life with their remarkable skill and dedication. As the spotlight turns towards celebrating the essence of these feats, it’s impossible to overlook the remarkable achievements of two standout individuals: Tig Fong (they/them) and JF Lachapelle (he/him).
Introduced in 2022, the ACTRA Toronto Stunt Ensemble Award honours the achievements of exceptional stunt performers. In 2023, Tig Fong, a veteran stunt coordinator and director, and Stunt Coordinator JF Lachapelle, who are the stunt co-coordinators on What We Do In The Shadows, claimed the award alongside their ensemble peers for their contributions in the show’s The Night Market episode. The verdict came from a panel of ACTRA Toronto’s esteemed stunt community members.
Reflecting on the honour, Tig shared, “It’s always wonderful to be recognized for the (sometimes literal) blood, sweat and tears that we film people pour into our respective careers which, for most of us, can only be described as a labour of love.” JF echoed this sentiment, noting the recognition adds “a little more spice” due to their peers’ deep understanding of the dedication required to execute these stunts. This sentiment exemplifies the commitment that elevates stunts from action to art.
Both Tig and JF had different entrances into the industry. For Tig, as a mixed Asian child growing up in the Maritimes, there was no Asian community nor any role models on television, movies, or in sports who looked like them. Seeing Bruce Lee and Jet Li in Hong Kong films inspired them to want to do martial arts with the dream of one day doing it in film. Over the years, they trained in several types of martial arts, becoming fascinated with and then focusing on edged weapons and various styles of knife fighting. At the time, they had no idea of how to get into film. After working as a martial artist and making appearances as a bodybuilder in non-union productions, they got their first Union stunt credit on the show, KungFu: The Legend Continues. “I played an Asian henchman and in the scene I was very quickly dispatched with a single punch by actor Chris Potter. It wasn’t much in the way of action, but I was thrilled to get my first official stunt credit and couldn’t wait to do more,” Tig noted about this pivotal stunt experience.
The biggest challenge Tig faced was the lack of work opportunities for BIPOC performers both in acting and stunts. They maintained, “the only roles that would sometimes come along were Asian stereotypes, and because I didn’t look like a grocery store owner or a Chinese restaurant worker, I would wait and hope for a film or TV show that would have Asian thugs and gangsters in it, but those were few and far between.” It was only after Tig moved behind the camera that they began to actually make a living working full-time in film; first as a stunt rigger, then as a fight and stunt coordinator.
In the midst of retiring from the martial arts world after winning world karate championships from 1999 to 2003, JF got a call for his first audition. He describes this audition as “probably one of the worst,” because he was trying to showcase his skill as best as possible; by fighting much faster than his opponent. Needless to say, he landed it and a few months later had his first stunt credit with a fight scene. “I guess deep down, I always wanted to be in that industry, but it never crossed my mind that it could actually be a career choice.” JF faced challenges as well, especially expanding work opportunities outside of his home province of Quebec. He mentions that attitude and timing are incredibly important. “I’m not the tallest stunt performer, so I didn’t get a chance to double the classic 5’11”, 180-pound male actor. [As a result,] I had to be as versatile as possible to perform various stunts and often play the bad guy!”
Tig and JF both emphasized the synergy of their close-knit stunt team to effectively communicate and bring the stunts to life on What We Do In The Shadows. They had been working with the same core team of stunt riggers and stunt doubles from the beginning (2019). Tig observes, “Much of the movement, the vampire super strength, storytelling and comedy through physicality had been established and we all shared a verbal shorthand when discussing these elements.” While JF adds, “tweaking is key on this show since most of the gags are unique (including vampires levitating, being launched, fighting, etc.) and we need to spend time finessing for the story, but also for the action. Communication is key and I feel we’ve got something good going on with our team.” It is a commendable feat engineering these unique action sequences for diverse, uncommon movements, having to go above and beyond more traditional stunt sequences.
When discussing the challenges faced during the episode, Tig identified the ever-present trio of time, money and resources that inevitably factor into film and TV productions. Notably, on-set wire rigging was a formidable obstacle, requiring coordination across many departments and tight schedules. In their words, “Our on-set wire rigging was often one of our biggest challenges during production, because not only did it require coordinating with multiple other departments, but also with SPFX, VFX, actors, costume designers, HMU, and all the other departments that are needed to make the comedy magic that is What We Do In The Shadows.”
On a similar note, JF highlighted the swift shooting pace and the show’s logistical intricacies. Echoing Tig, JF notes “collaborating with other departments is the key to success for us.” He stressed the significance of preparation, “90 per cent of achieving the final product is organizing and executing rehearsals, while 10 per cent is the actual shooting day.” Furthermore, he expressed gratitude for the community environment on the show. Where mutual support and understanding always exists, “Shadows is a tight family that is always willing to help out one another and understand that everyone is fighting time, all the time.” Both coordinators extended their gratitude to the Stunt Rigging team, notably Marco Bianco and Shack Shackleton, the lead doubles Dillon Jagersky and Josh Maloney, and the other departments that make this production a joy to work on. If you are an aspiring stunt performer looking to get into the industry, these two have some advice for you. Tig stressed the importance of having something valuable to offer and knowing the market. JF expressed having a great attitude, growing a big network and diversifying your skills as much as possible.
Outside of stunts, you can find Tig maintaining their martial arts prowess and lifting weights in the gym. Between contracts, they travel to scuba dive and do underwater photography. “This year, I photographed banded houndsharks, angel sharks and horned sharks in Japan and oceanic whitetips in the Bahamas. Next year, I will, hopefully, be in Brazil to photograph anacondas in the water.” JF enthusiastically stated his love for wine and travel when not working on film sets, “Whenever I have some time off, I love spending it with my family and seeing as much of the world as possible with a glass of Brunello in hand.”
Dillon Jagersky is a stunt performer and actor as well as a member of ACTRA Toronto’s Stunt Committee. Dillon was thrilled to be a part of the award-winning 2023 Stunt Ensemble for his work on What We Do In The Shadows.
