Carl Ciarfalio obit

Carl Ciarfalio Dies: Stuntman & Actor With Hundred Of Film & TV Credits Was 72

 

He was not on the list.

Carl Ciarfalio, a longtime stuntman, stunt coordinator and actor who worked with such top names as Martin Scorsese, Clint Eastwood, Tom Cruise, Denzel Washington, Ron Howard, Quentin Tarantino, Steven Soderbergh and many others, has died. He was 72. His wife, Teri Ryan, announced the news on his Facebook page this week but did not provide details including a cause of death.

“Our Carl has passed on,” she wrote. “And by ‘our’ I mean all of us. He was so special to everyone. We will celebrate his special life and light. No idea how yet but I know the laughter will flow with the tears. He went peacefully and we were all there.”

Born on November 12, 1953, in Alhambra just east of Los Angeles, Ciarfalio was a college wrestler before getting his start doing live stunt shows at Knott’s Berry Farm and later Universal Studios. His prolific screen career got going in the early 1980s with stunt works and/or bit roles in TV series including The Fall Guy, MacGyver, Sledge Hammer! and Magnum, P.I.

His earlier film credits range from the Pierce Brosnan James Bond pic Licence to Kill and RoboCop 2 and 3 to Wayne’s World, Beverly Cop III and Batman & Robin. He continued to work on camera in hundreds of stunt and acting roles all the way to last year, with more recent credits as Justified, Meet the Blacks and Sharknado films.

Ciarfalio’s credits are far too numerous to list, but he also worked on such classic TV series as Simon & Simon, Quantum Leap, Family Matters, ER, Community and Murder, She Wrote. Among his even more prolific film career included such memorable pics as Beetlejuice, Total Recall, Glory, Get Shorty, Mallrats, Romy & Michele’s High School Reunion, Daddy Day Care, Bruce Almighty, After the Sunset and Wedding Crashers.

He served as stunt coordinator on about three dozen projects including The Expendables, Meet the Blacks and Rock, Paper, Scissors, along with many short films.

He won Best Fight Sequence at the inaugural Stuntman Awards in 1985 for an episode of Knight Rider and later earned a Actor Awards nom for The Amazing Spider-Man stunt ensemble.

Ciarfalio joined the Stuntmen’s Association of Motion Pictures in 1985 and was its president from 1992-96. He also served two terms on the the Board of Governors at the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences after helping to organize the Stunt Peer Group in 2000. He also was key to establishing the Emmy Award for Outstanding Stunt Coordination the following year, an award now presented annually during the Creative Arts Emmys.

Filmography

Stunts

Television roles

Year     Title     Note

1979    B.J. and the Bear         Episode: "The Eyes of Texas"; Stunt performer; uncredited

1984    Scarecrow and Mrs. King       Episode: "Fearless Dotty"; Stunt performer

1985    Wes Craven's Chiller   TV movie; Stunt double: Paul Sorvino

1985    J.O.E. and the Colonel            TV movie; uncredited

1988    In the Heat of the Night          Episode: "Road Kill"; uncredited

1988    Simon & Simon          Episode: "First, Let's Kill All the Lawyers"; uncredited

1989    Fair Game       TV Pilot; Stunt performer; uncredited

1990    The Great Los Angeles Earthquake    TV movie

1991    They Came from Outer Space            Episode: "Play Doctor"; uncredited

1991    The Flash        Episode: "Alpha"; uncredited

1991–1995      Murder, She Wrote      3 episodes; uncredited

1992    Quantum Leap 2 episodes; uncredited

1995    Family Matters            Episode: "The Substitute Son"; uncredited

1995    Alien Nation: Body and Soul  TV movie

1998    Dallas: War of the Ewings      TV movie

1998    Babylon 5: Thirdspace            TV movie; uncredited

1999    Velocity Trap   TV movie

2001    2001 ABC World Stunt Awards          TV special; Stunt coordinator

2001–2003      The Wayne Brady Show         7 episodes; Stunt coordinator

2003    The Bold and the Beautiful     1 episode; Stunt double

2005    The O.C.         Episode: "The O.C. Confidential"; Stunt performer

2006    ER       Episode: "Twenty-One Guns"; Stunt performer

2006    Without a Trace           Episode: "The Calm Before"; Stunt performer

2012    Fact Checkers Unit     Episode: "James Franco Is Preggers"; Stunt coordinators

2014    Isa        TV movie; Stunt coordinator

2014    Sharknado 2: The Second One           TV movie; Utility stunts

2014–2015      Justified           2 episodes; Stunt performer

2015    Community     Episode: "Modern Espionage"; uncredited

2015    Rellik   TV movie

2016    Westworld       Episode: "Dissonance Theory"; uncredited

2019    The Adventures of Gin and Sapphy    Episode: "Pharoahs Catacomb Part Two"; Stunt Supervisor

Film roles

Year     Title     Note

1979    Do It in the Dirt          

1983    The Osterman Weekend         

1983    D.C. Cab        

1984    Against All Odds        Stunt double: Alex Karras

1985    The Zoo Gang

1985    Commando     

1985    To Live and Die in L.A.         Stunt player

1985    Runaway Train           

1986    Police Academy 3: Back in Training 

1986    Invaders from Mars     Stunt marine

1987    Number One with a Bullet     

1987    Extreme Prejudice       Uncredited

1987    Real Men         Stunt player

1987    Zebra Force     Stunt player

1987    Death Wish 4: The Crackdown           Stunt player

1988    Aloha Summer           

1988    Beetlejuice      

1988    Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers 

1989    Kinjite: Forbidden Subjects    Stunt player

1989    Criminal Act  

1989    No Holds Barred         Stunt player

1989    Lock Up         

1989    Cage   

1989    Johnny Handsome      

1989    Glory   Stunt player

1989    Think Big       

1990    Lionheart         Stunt double: Voyo Goric

1990    The Hunt for Red October     

1990    King of New York      

1990    RoboCop 2      Unnamed gun store robber

1990    State of Grace

1990    Death Warrant Stunt player

1990    The Rookie    

1991    Shakes the Clown       Additional stunts

1991    29th Street      

1992    Leather Jackets           

1992    Wayne's World           

1992    Class Act        

1992    Rapid Fire      

1992    Sneakers         

1992    The Public Eye          

1992    CIA Code Name: Alexa          Stunt player

1992    Sweet Justice  

1993    Trouble Bound           

1993    Best of the Best II      

1993    Street Knight  

1993    Ring of Fire 2: Blood and Steel          Uncredited

1993    Joshua Tree     Stunt double: Beau Starr

1993    RoboCop 3      Unnamed resistance fighter against OCP

1993    Private Wars    Direct-to-video

1993    CIA II: Target Alexa  

1993    Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit          

1993    No Escape, No Return           

1994    Monkey Trouble          Stunt player

1994    Direct Hit        Direct-to-video

1994    Beverly Hills Cop III  Stunt performer

1994    Zero Tolerance           

1994    Blankman       

1994    The Specialist 

1994    Stranger by Night        Direct-to-video

1994    A Low Down Dirty Shame    

1994    T-Force           

1994    Ring Of Fire 3: Lion Strike    

1995    For Better or Worse    

1995    Excessive Force II: Force on Force   

1995    Cover Me        Direct-to-video

1995    Mallrats          

1995    Get Shorty      

1995    Drifting School           Stunt coordinator and stunt performer

1995    Chameleon     

1996    One Tough Bastard    

1996    Foxfire

1996    Feeling Minnesota      

1996    Crossworlds    Direct-to-video

1996    Santa with Muscles     Stunt double: Don Stark

1997    Romy and Michele's High School Reunion    Stunt limo driver

1997    Batman & Robin        

1997    Lolita  

1998    Vampires        

1998    Out of Sight    

1998    Memorial Day

1999    Angel's Dance

1999    Fight Club       Stunt performer

2001    A.I. Artificial Intelligence      

2001    Megiddo: The Omega Code 2

2001    Corky Romano           

2002    Men in Black II           Uncredited

2002    Serving Sara   

2002    Leaving the Land        Stunt coordinator

2003    Daredevil        

2003    A Man Apart  

2003    Daddy Day Care        

2003    Bruce Almighty          

2003    Wonderland     Utility stunts

2003    Bad Santa        Stunt performer

2004    Starsky & Hutch        

2004    El Padrino      

2004    After the Sunset         

2005    Wedding Crashers       Stunt performer

2005    Shackles          Direct-to-video

2006    Mission: Impossible III           Uncredited

2006    The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift            Direct-to-video

2007    Reno 911!: Miami      

2007    Redline            xStunt performer

2007    Forced Alliance           Short film; Stunt coordinator

2007    Shoot 'Em Up 

2008    The Hustle       Stunt coordinator

2008    Kemper: The CoEd Killer       Direct-to-video; uncredited

2008    Crazy Girls Undercover          Stunt player

2009    The Grind        Stunt coordinator

2009    Dark Moon Rising     

2009    Ballistica         

2010    Chain Letter    Stunt coordinator

2010    The Book of Eli          Stunt double: Joe Pingue

2011    The Green Hornet       Stunt performer; uncredited

2011    Kill the Irishman        

2012    The Amazing Spider-Man       Stunt performer; uncredited

2012    Total Recall    

2012    The Misadventures of the Dunderheads         Stunt performer

2012    Set Apart         Documentary short; Stunt performer

2013    Channeling      Stunt coordinator

2013    Extraction        Stunt performer; uncredited

2013    A Truth in Silence       Short film; Stunt coordinator

2013    Out of the Furnace      Stunt performer; uncredited

2014    Ride Along      Precision driver

2014    Swelter            Additional stunts; Stunt performer

2014    Come Back to Me       Stunt coordinator

2014    The Extendables          Stunt coordinator

2014    Mercenaries     Stunt performer

2014    Isa        Short film; Stunt coordinator

2014    Some Kind of Beautiful          Precision driver

2014    Tell     

2014    Taken 3           Stunt coordinator

2014    The Spy Who Came to Brunch           Short film; Stunt coordinator

2015    Frankenstein    Stunt rigger

2015    Tooken Stunt co-coordinator

2015    Pontiac Angel  Short film; Stunt coordinator

2015    Sharknado: Heart of Sharkness           Direct-to-video

2015    Chaser Short film; Stunt coordinator

2016    Meet the Blacks          Stunt coordinator

2016    Black Mass      Short film; Stunt coordinator

2017    Wyrm  Short film; Stunt coordinator

2018    Searching        Stunt driver

2018    Almost Home  Stunt coordinator

2019    I Hate Kids      Stunt coordinator

2019    American Bistro          Stunt coordinator

2020    Big America    Stunt coordinator

2021    The Little Things        Uncredited

2022    Tribute Stunt coordinator

 

Actor

Film roles

Year     Title     Role     Note

1982    Cannery Row  Tackle 

1986    Black Moon Rising     Ringer's Man #1         

1987    Number One with a Bullet      Monte 

1987    Death Wish 4: The Crackdown           Henchman At Roller Rink      Uncredited

1989    Licence to Kill            Warehouse Guard      

1989    Cage    Hood #1         

1989    Think Big        Edwards         

1989    Lock Up          Prison Guard   Uncredited

1990    Fatal Charm    Cellblock Officer        Direct-to-video

1991    Eve of Destruction      Trooper Sergeant        

1991    The Perfect Weapon    Man In Alley  

1991    Scissors           Attacker          

1991    Out for Justice Paulie 

1991    Beastmaster 2: Through the Portal of Time    Policeman #2 

1992    Freejack           Bonejacker #3

1992    Far and Away  Italian Boxer  

1992    Death Ring      Pax, Bar Bully Direct-to-video

1992    Rapid Fire       Gunman          Uncredited

1993    Trouble Bound            Ted     

1993    The Hit List     Second Hitman           

1993    Bounty Tracker           Hook   Direct-to-video

1993    Excessive Force          Guard #1        

1993    In the Line of Fire       CIA Agent Collins      

1993    No Escape, No Return            Bouncer At Club        

1994    Forced to Kill  Unknown       

1994    The Fantastic Four      The Thing       Officially starred

1994    Natural Born Killers    Mallory's Guard #2    

1994    The Specialist  Ned's Thug In Hotelroom       Uncredited

1994    Stranger by Night        Hank   Direct-to-video; uncredited

1994    Ring of Fire 3: Lion Strike      Vito    

1995    Night of the Running Man      Thug   

1995    Scanners: The Showdown      Lobby Cop #2 Direct-to-video

1995    Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh       Bartender        

1995    Casino Tony 'Dogs'    

1995    Drifting School           Police #1        

1996    Spy Hard         Thug #1          

1996    The Trigger Effect       Security Guard           

1996    The Undercover Kid   Terrorist #2    

1996    The Assault     Lou     

1997    Con Air           Con #1

1997    Executive Power         Thug    Direct-to-video

1999    BitterSweet      'Puss'   Direct-to-video

1999    The Limey       Warehouse Thug        

1999    Fight Club       Lou's Body Guard      

2000    Traffic  Ruiz's Assistant          

2003    National Security        Stanton           

2003    Wonderland     Hit Man #1      Uncredited

2004    The Whole Ten Yards  Goon #1         

2005    Guess Who      Traffic Cop    

2006    Stump the Band          Guido 

2008    This Life          Man    

2009    From Mexico with Love         Jake    

2009    The Grind        The Punisher  

2009    Wrong Turn at Tahoe  Thug 3

2011    3 Musketeers   Agent Flowers Direct-to-video

2012    The Misadventures of the Dunderheads         Pink Suit Gambler      

2013    Out of the Furnace      Man At Drive In         

2014    The Extendables          A.D.   

2014    Mercenaries     Driver 

2014    Chasing the Past          Zach's Boss (voice)     Short film

2015    Pontiac Angel  John Yoder      Short film

2016    Surge of Power: Revenge of the Sequel         Diamond        

2019    American Bistro          Man #1           

Television roles

Year     Title     Role     Note

1980    The Incredible Hulk (1978 TV series)            Biker   Season 3: episode 15: "Long Run Home" uncredited

1980    The Incredible Hulk (1978 TV series)            Swingtime Patron        Season 4: episode 4: "Dark Side" uncredited

1981    The Incredible Hulk (1978 TV series)            Brad's friend    Season 4: episode 13: "The First: Part 2" uncredited

1984    The Fall Guy   Unknown        Episode: "Baja 1000"

1985    Scarecrow and Mrs. King       Henchman #1  Episode: "A Relative Situation"

1985    Shadow Chasers          Thompson       Episode: "Parts Unknown"

1986    Magnum, P.I.   Scott, Second Hitman Episode: "Summer School"

1986    Misfits of Science       Joe       Episode: "The Avenging Angel"

1986    The New Mike Hammer         Reed    Episode: "Mike's Baby"

1986    MacGyver       Gorman           Episode: "Silent World"

1987    Blood Vows: The Story of a Mafia Wife         Unknown        TV movie

1987    1st & Ten        Mark    Episode: "The Bulls Change Hands"

1987    The Golden Girls        Black Crow     Episode: "The Housekeeper"

1987    Sledge Hammer!         Sokolsky         Episode: "Comrade Hammer"

1987    Man In Restaurant       Episode: "Vertical"; uncredited

1987    Party Guest     Episode: "Hammer Hits the Rock"

1987    Unknown        Episode: "Hammeroid"

1988    Beauty and the Beast  Hopkins           Episode: "Temptation"

1988    The Incredible Hulk Returns  Barner TV movie

1988    Dynasty           Truck Driver   Episode: "Broken Krystle"

1988    Falcon Crest    Fireman #2      Episode: "Dust to Dust"

1989    Nick Knight    Pure Melrose   TV movie

1989    Falcon Crest    Deputy Sheriff #1       Episode: "Charley"

1989    The Nutt House           Sailor #1          Episode: "The Nutt Cracker Suite"

1990    Voices Within: The Lives of Truddi Chase     Colin   TV movie

1990    The New Adam-12      Gunman          Episode: "211 Cabs"

1991    They Came from Outer Space            Bruno  Episode: "Play Doctor"

1991    Jake and the Fatman    Rick     Episode: "Every Time We Say Goodbye"

1992    Married... with Children         Man     Episode: "Rites of Passage"

1992    Step by Step    Ted Davis        Episode: "Stuck on You"

1992    Baywatch        Riggs   Episode: "Princess of Tides"

1992    Red Shoe Diaries        Biker   Episode: "Double or Nothing"

1993    The Fire Next Time     Claude Miniseries

1993    Walker, Texas Ranger Gergen Episode: "End Run"

1994    Babylon 5        Poker Participant         Episode: "The Quality of Mercy"; uncredited

1995    Family Matters            Arm Wrestler   Episode: "The Substitute Son"

1995    Vanishing Son Unknown        Episode: "Jersey Girl"

1995    The Rockford Files: A Blessing in Disguise   Brother Bob    TV movie

1995    Renegade        Parking Supervisor      Episode: "Another Place and Time"

1995    Walker, Texas Ranger Sanders            Episode: "On Sacred Ground"

1995    Walker Texas Ranger  Computer Chip Dealer            Episode: "Whitewater Part 1"; uncredited

1996    Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman  Garrett Episode: "If You Love Someone..."

1996    Baywatch Nights         Thug #1           Episode: "Thin Blood"

1996    Sisters  Thug #2           Episode: "Dreamcatcher"

1996    Walker, Texas Ranger Bood Holland  Episode: "Lucky"

1997    Dark Skies       Supervisor       Episode: "The Last Wave"

1997    Melrose Place  Security Guard            Episode: "Screams from a Marriage"

1997    Spy Game       Roth    Episode: "What, Micah Worry?"

1997    Walker, Texas Ranger Riley    Episode: "A Woman's Place"

1998    Babylon 5        Drazi Vendor   Episode: "Meditations on the Abyss"

1998    Babylon 5: Thirdspace            Bar Patron       TV movie; uncredited

1998    Seven Days     Cadre Member #1       Pilot: Part 1

1998    The Practice    Officer #3        Episode: "Line of Duty"

1999    Sons of Thunder          Cowboy Guy   Episode: "Daddy's Girl"

1999    Walker, Texas Ranger Murphy           Episode: "Team Cherokee: Part 1"

2000    McKnight        Episode: "Turning Point"

2001    18 Wheels of Justice   Sal Primavera  Episode: "A Family Upside Down"; uncredited

2001    The Practice    Morris  Episode: "Vanished: Part 1"

2002    Alias    Vatican Guard Episode: "The Prophecy"; uncredited

2002    Charmed          Huntsman        Episode: "Happily Ever After"; uncredited

2002    24        Marshall Goren           Episode: "Day 2: 8:00 a.m.-9:00 a.m."

2003    Return to the Batcave: The Misadventures of Adam and Burt           Slim, The Henchman  TV movie

2003    The Agency     Sammy Banachi          Episode: "Spy Finance"

2004    Monk   First Goon       Episode: "Mr. Monk Meets the Godfather"

2006    The Minor Accomplishments of Jackie Woodman     Gunman          Episode: "Turning Manure Into Soy"

2006    Heroes Jumpsuit          Episode: "Chapter Two 'Don't Look Back'"

2007    Day Break       Bus Driver       Episode: "What If It's Him?"; uncredited

2007    CSI: Crime Scene Investigation          Hank Connors Episode: "Leapin' Lizards"

2010    The Forgotten  Eric Boden      Episode: "Patient John"

2011    Mega Python vs. Gatoroid      Billy    TV movie

2011    CSI: NY          Carlo   Episode: "Party Down"

2011    The Mentalist  Officer #1        Episode: "Strawberries and Cream: Part 1"

2011    The Whole Truth         Rikers Guard   Episode: "The End"

2013    Cleaners          'Scarface'         Episode: "It's a Classic"

2014    Extant  Service Truck Driver   Episode: "A Pack of Cards"

2015    Community     Cook #2          Episode: "Modern Espionage"

2015    Ominous          Cook   TV movie

2016    The GPS Zone Randy  TV movie

2020    Shoot from the Hip     The Cooler      Episode: "Rage of the Phantom"

Video game role

Year     Title     Role

1993    Ground Zero: Texas    Card Player #2