Hal Needham
| Hal Needham | |
|---|---|
Hal Needham at the 2011 Texas Book Festival.
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| Born |
Hal Brett Needham March 6, 1931 Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Died | October 25, 2013 (aged 82) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor, Stuntman, Director, Writer |
| Years active | 1956–1996 |
| Spouse(s) | Dani Crayne (1981–1996; divorced) Ellyn Wynne Williams (1996–2013; his death) |
Hal Brett Needham (March 6, 1931 – October 25, 2013) was an American stuntman and film director. He is best known for his frequent collaborations with actor Burt Reynolds, usually in films involving fast cars, such as Smokey and the Bandit, Hooper, The Cannonball Run and Stroker Ace.
Needham was born in Memphis, Tennessee, the son of Edith May (née Robinson) and Howard Needham. He was raised in Arkansas and Missouri. Needham served in the United States Army as a paratrooper during the Korean War, worked as a treetopper, and was a billboard model for Viceroy Cigarettes while beginning a career in Hollywood as a motion picture stuntman.
Needham's first break was as the stunt double for actor Richard Boone on the popular TV western Have Gun, Will Travel. Needham trained under John Wayne's stunt double Chuck Roberson and quickly became one of the top stuntmen of the 1960s on such films as How the West Was Won, The Bridge at Remagen, , The War Lord, and Little Big Man. He doubled regularly for Clint Walker and Burt Reynolds. Needham moved into stunt coordinating and directing second unit action, while designing and introducing air bags and other innovative equipment to the industry. Needham at one time lived in Burt Reynolds' guesthouse for the better part of 12 years.
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