One aspect of genre television that often goes unsung is the sheer dedication and physical prowess behind the stunt work that brings our favorite action and horror scenes to life. Recently, SciFiPulse had the chance to catch up with Preston Corbell, one of the industry’s most versatile and respected stunt performers. Best known to horror fans as the terrifying Bunnyman from the Cabin Fever franchise, Preston has also worked on everything from superhero blockbusters to supernatural dramas. In this exclusive interview, he opens up about the thrills, challenges, and psychology behind his craft—both on and off camera.
SFP: How did you first get into stunt work and acting? Was it something you always saw yourself doing, or did it take you by surprise?
Preston Corbell: I started modelling as a teenager in small ads. I fell into acting and stunt work by accident. I grew up playing basketball. That was my dream to play college basketball and become a professional player. I was recruited by a Division I school and in my freshman year I ruptured my Achilles tendon. A devasting end to something I spent my entire life working towards. However, once healed I was able to get casted on a show called One Tree Hill because of my basketball background. I was the stunt double for Chad Michael Murray.
SFP: You’ve worked on some pretty iconic shows—Vampire Diaries, One Tree Hill, Heroes, Daredevil, Iron Fist—what would you say were some of your most physically demanding stunts, and how did you prep for them?
Preston Corbell: Working on TV shows has a lot of benefits. We get constant work and can focus on individual characters. The drawback to working on TV is there isn’t a lot of time to prepare for each stunt and the stunts come from all different angles. The most physical stunts include what I call, bumps. I go into the stunt knowing I will take some hits and I need to mentally prepare for that. Some of the more demanding stunts include getting hit by a car, being thrown or propelled at a certain force, fire stunts, and something I specialize in car stunts.
SFP: One of your early credits was the short-lived series Drive, which starred Nathan Fillion and featured high-octane stunt driving. Do you have any standout memories from that project?
Preston Corbell: Drive was so much fun! I grew up racing cars from the age of 13. I love car stunts and when I had the opportunity to do them, I jumped at it! Drive was a dream gig because well… there’s car stunts lol. There was a certain buzz during preproduction and the short-lived run of the show. There was a lot of energy, and the bar of professionalism was raised. I remember a particular scene driving on the highway while chasing Nathan Fillion’s character in a black Camaro with dark tinted windows if I remember. That was a time where I was behind the wheel and was like, man this is pretty cool! As we know some good things must come to an end. But that show was special for the time we had.
SFP: You played the infamous Bunnyman—a pretty unhinged character by anyone’s standards. Did your background in psychology influence how you approach a role like that? Do you ever find yourself thinking about the ‘why’ behind these extreme personalities, even in horror?
Preston Corbell: The Bunny Man was an EPIC experience that helped shape my career. It’s hard to play a character completely covered with no expression. I wanted to bring that creepy element to the character. He’s not there to be a murderous villain but he is that character that needed to be creepy enough for the audience to be like WTF was that! I look up the stunt performer Kane Hodder. He played Jason and that character is also covered with no facial expression. I studied how he made Jason unique and how the audience knew that was Kane Hodder and no other actor behind the mask.
SFP: As someone with a doctorate in psychology, do you think there’s a particular personality type that tends to excel in the stunt profession? Is there a shared mindset among top stunt performers?
Preston Corbell: Personality traits, sure. Most people think of stunt performers as adrenaline junkies but it’s just the opposite. We are there to perform a job and get out of there uninjured. So, we need to remain calm and focused throughout the stunt. If we fail or get injured, we remember to complete the take and go again if we’re able. If something goes wrong, and I get badly injured I’m ok with that because I’m doing something I love. I think what separates stunt performers is the that we know we are putting our bodies on the line, and we do it for the art and passion of film.
SFP: Doom Patrol features some of the most unusual and psychologically complex characters in comics. What characters did you double for in that series, and do you have any fun behind-the-scenes stories from working on such a unique show?
Preston Corbell: Doom Patrol was a unique experience for sure. I didn’t have a lot of experience with DC projects and that world of creativity. The show was special because it was fantasy but there were elements of character development that the audience could personally relate to. I was able to double Brendan Fraser’s character at times and being around him and seeing how humble he was is something that reenergized me.
SFP: What work did you do on Daredevil, and how do you approach translating a comic book character’s movement and style into physical stunt work on screen?
Preston Corbell: Daredevil and Punisher was my first look at the MCU and superhero world. I had focused and was skilled in mostly practical stunts earlier in my career. With a show like Daredevil there is a lot of wire work and green screen. This would force us to have creativity while performing stunts because that world wasn’t always physical when performing. It was a time in my career where I could learn new aspects of stunt work and be emerged into the MCU.
SFP: You mentioned in your email that you’re still working on Daredevil: Born Again and Spider-Noir—the latter starring Nicolas Cage. Is there anything you can share about those projects? And is Spider-Noir based on the Spider-Man Noir comics?
Preston Corbell: Daredevil: Born Again is rocking and rolling. The audience is loving the new adaptation of the series after it left Netflix and found a new home. There will some pretty big twists and turns ahead but that is why everyone loves that action fuelled series. Spider-Noir is a super exciting series to be apart of. I have been such a fan of Nicholas Cage both in front of and behind the camera. However, production and development are locked down for now… so nothing juicy to report just yet. But I can say it has something about it that brings that WOW and excitement back to the scene.
SFP: With all the amazing characters and stories you’ve been part of, is there a dream role or franchise you haven’t worked on yet but would love to?
Preston Corbell: I would love to work with stunt performer Kane Hodder at some point because I have always looked up to him. In the latter part of my career, I’ve been fortunate enough to work with MCU and DC. I want to continue that journey. That style of stunt work excites me, and I would love to continue to learn. As far as acting I would like to play another masked horror character. A character I can bring a lot of charismatic energy to and be a part of another horror franchise with that character.
SFP: Lastly, what advice would you give to someone hoping to break into the stunt industry today? Any do’s or don’ts?
Preston Corbell: Like with anything practice and gain experience. If you are looking to get into stunts, I would suggest focusing on one area like stunt driving, martial arts, wire work etc… become superior at the one thing and that’s something that will make you stand out from the rest. Nothing is going to be handed to you. No one will magically discover you. You need to put yourself out there and do as much work as possible. Get to know the film industry from different positions. Be apart independent projections. If you can’t find any projects, make your own films. The more you know like camera work, editing, lighting, acting etc… the more work you can put on your resume but most importantly you need to make connections. The film industry is not for the weak. To have a long successful career, there is a lot of lows to gets those few highs. But the reward is huge and seeing yourself on that big scene will make you so proud of yourself!
SciFiPulse.net would like to thank Preston Corbell for his time, kindness, and for including us in his journey through the world of stunt work.
