Tony Epper, Veteran Stunt Performer and Actor
Epper's father and two brothers also worked in the entertainment industry as actors and stunt performers.
Tony Epper, an actor, stuntman and stunt coordinator, died July 20, 2012, at his Idaho home. He was 73.
According to news reports, he had been battling cancer for some time.
Born in Los Angeles on October 1, 1938, Epper was part of a stunts-oriented family. His father, John Epper, was also an actor and stunt performer, as were two brothers, Andy and Gary.
Tony Epper broke into the entertainment business in the early 1950s with uncredited appearances in such films as Carbine Williams, The Story of Will Rogers and Ma and Pa Kettle at Home.
Over the years he performed stunts on many other feature films, many of them high-profile blockbusters. They included Lethal Weapon 2, Thelma and Louise, Patriot Games, Dracula, The River Wild, Waterworld, Money Train, Jingle All the Way, Volcano and Con Air.
His film credits as an actor included The Scalphunters, Valdez Is Coming, The Cowboys, Cutter’s Way, The Beastmaster, The Hitcher, Christmas Vacation and Dick Tracy.
Epper also worked extensively in television. His lengthy TV resume included such series as Bachelor Father, I Spy, The Green Hornet, Daniel Boone, Batman, Gunsmoke, Kung Fu, The Six Million Dollar Man, The Rockford Files, Charlie’s Angels, B.J. and the Bear, Highway to Heaven, Hardcastle and McCormick, The A-Team, Airwolf, Simon & Simon, MacGyver and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
Epper is survived by his wife, two sons, a daughter, two stepdaughters, a sister and other Epper family members who also work in Hollywood.