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IMDbPro

Kenny Bates(I)

  • Stunts
  • Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
  • Producer
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Having worked on hundreds of feature films, commercials and music videos alongside some of the biggest names in Hollywood, Ken Bates has cultivated a unique visual style as an Action Director.

A native to southern California, Bates was born and raised in the Los Angeles area. Early in his career as a stuntman he broke world records for falling 36 stories on Die Hard, or 45 stories off El Capitan for Star Trek 5.

From his early days as a stuntman Bates earned his way from an acknowledged Stuntman to Co-Producer / 2nd Unit Director / Stunt Coordinator. He's created exciting iconic action sequences for filmmakers and directors such as Steven Spielberg, Jerry Bruckheimer, and Michael Bay.

In 1993 The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences recognized Bates with an award for Scientific and Technical Achievement for his work on the "Bates Accelerator/Decelerator System" The Mechanism, which revolutionized the stunt industry, enabling directors and performers to achieve previously unthinkable action set-pieces.

Bates provides film services globally as an Action Director, Co-Producer, Stunt Coordinator, and Action Advisor, bringing together international action teams. He has supplied action teams and services for films shooting in United Emirates, China, Malta, Morocco, Croatia, Italy, Latvia, Prague, and most of Europe where he is currently based
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Add photos, demo reels
  • View contact info at IMDbPro
    • More at IMDbPro
      • Contact info
      • Agent info
    • Awards
      • 2 wins & 2 nominations total

    Known for

    Publicity Poster
    Pearl Harbor
    6.3
    • Stunts
    • 2001
    Peter Cullen, Shia LaBeouf, and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley in Transformers 3 : La Face cachée de la Lune (2011)
    Transformers 3 : La Face cachée de la Lune
    6.2
    • Stunts(as Ken Bates)
    • 2011
    Peter Cullen, Josh Duhamel, Shia LaBeouf, Mark Ryan, Hugo Weaving, and Megan Fox in Transformers (2007)
    Transformers
    7.1
    • Stunts(as Ken Bates)
    • 2007
    Liv Tyler, Bruce Willis, and Ben Affleck in Armageddon (1998)
    Armageddon
    6.7
    • Stunts
    • 1998

    Credits

    Edit
    IMDbPro

    Stunts



    • Ryan Reynolds, Mélanie Laurent, Dave Franco, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Corey Hawkins, Ben Hardy, and Adria Arjona in 6 Underground (2019)
      6 Underground
      6.1
      • stunt coordinator
      • 2019
    • Saaho (2019)
      Saaho
      5.1
      • action director
      • 2019
    • Akshay Kumar in 2.0 (2018)
      2.0
      6.0
      • stunt coordinator
      • 2018
    • Erik Aadahl and Peter Cullen in Transformers: The Last Knight (2017)
      Transformers: The Last Knight
      5.2
      • gocart driver
      • 2017
    • Mark Wahlberg and Dwayne Johnson in No Pain No Gain (2013)
      No Pain No Gain
      6.4
      • stunt coordinator (as Ken Bates)
      • 2013
    • Tom Cruise, Simon Pegg, Jeremy Renner, and Paula Patton in Mission: Impossible - Protocole fantôme (2011)
      Mission: Impossible - Protocole fantôme
      7.4
      • utility stunts (uncredited)
      • 2011
    • Peter Cullen, Shia LaBeouf, and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley in Transformers 3 : La Face cachée de la Lune (2011)
      Transformers 3 : La Face cachée de la Lune
      6.2
      • stunt coordinator (as Ken Bates)
      • 2011
    • Idris Elba, Chris Evans, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Zoe Saldaña, Óscar Jaenada, and Columbus Short in The Losers (2010)
      The Losers
      6.2
      • stunts
      • 2010
    • Nicolas Cage, Penélope Cruz, Jon Favreau, and Tracy Morgan in Mission G (2009)
      Mission G
      5.1
      • stunt coordinator (as Ken Bates)
      • 2009
    • Peter Cullen, Shia LaBeouf, and Megan Fox in Transformers 2 : La Revanche (2009)
      Transformers 2 : La Revanche
      6.0
      • stunt coordinator (as Ken Bates)
      • 2009
    • Vin Diesel in Babylon A.D. (2008)
      Babylon A.D.
      5.5
      • stunt coordinator (as Kenneth Bates)
      • 2008
    • Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker in Rush Hour 3 (2007)
      Rush Hour 3
      6.2
      • stunts (as Ken Bates)
      • 2007
    • Peter Cullen, Josh Duhamel, Shia LaBeouf, Mark Ryan, Hugo Weaving, and Megan Fox in Transformers (2007)
      Transformers
      7.1
      • stunt coordinator (as Ken Bates)
      • 2007
    • Andrew Bryniarski in Massacre à la tronçonneuse : Le Commencement (2006)
      Massacre à la tronçonneuse : Le Commencement
      5.8
      • stunt consultant
      • 2006
    • Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson in The Island (2005)
      The Island
      6.8
      • stunt coordinator
      • 2005

    Second Unit or Assistant Director



    • 1864
      • second unit director: battle sequence
      • In Production



    • Ryan Reynolds, Mélanie Laurent, Dave Franco, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Corey Hawkins, Ben Hardy, and Adria Arjona in 6 Underground (2019)
      6 Underground
      6.1
      • second unit director (uncredited)
      • 2019
    • Saaho (2019)
      Saaho
      5.1
      • second unit director
      • 2019
    • Akshay Kumar in 2.0 (2018)
      2.0
      6.0
      • second unit director
      • 2018
    • Paul Rudd in Le joueur de base-ball était un espion (2018)
      Le joueur de base-ball était un espion
      6.3
      • second unit director: battle sequence
      • 2018
    • Kingsman : Services secrets (2014)
      Kingsman : Services secrets
      7.7
      • second unit director
      • 2014
    • Peter Cullen, Shia LaBeouf, and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley in Transformers 3 : La Face cachée de la Lune (2011)
      Transformers 3 : La Face cachée de la Lune
      6.2
      • second unit director (as Ken Bates)
      • 2011
    • Nicolas Cage, Penélope Cruz, Jon Favreau, and Tracy Morgan in Mission G (2009)
      Mission G
      5.1
      • second unit director (as Ken Bates)
      • 2009
    • Peter Cullen, Shia LaBeouf, and Megan Fox in Transformers 2 : La Revanche (2009)
      Transformers 2 : La Revanche
      6.0
      • second unit director (uncredited)
      • 2009
    • Vin Diesel in Babylon A.D. (2008)
      Babylon A.D.
      5.5
      • second unit director: Czech Republic (as Kenneth Bates)
      • 2008
    • Peter Cullen, Josh Duhamel, Shia LaBeouf, Mark Ryan, Hugo Weaving, and Megan Fox in Transformers (2007)
      Transformers
      7.1
      • second unit director
      • 2007
    • Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson in The Island (2005)
      The Island
      6.8
      • second unit director (as Ken Bates)
      • 2005
    • Andrew Bryniarski in Massacre à la tronçonneuse (2003)
      Massacre à la tronçonneuse
      6.2
      • second unit director
      • 2003
    • Charlize Theron, Mark Wahlberg, Seth Green, Edward Norton, Jason Statham, Yasiin Bey, and Franky G in Braquage à l'italienne (2003)
      Braquage à l'italienne
      7.0
      • second unit director (as Ken Bates)
      • 2003
    • Nicole Kidman, Julianne Moore, and Meryl Streep in The Hours (2002)
      The Hours
      7.5
      • second unit director: USA (as Ken Bates)
      • 2002
    • Promotional Poster
      Bad Company
      5.6
      • second unit director
      • 2002

    Producer



    • Joel D. Wynkoop in Joel D. Wynkoop's 187 Times the Movie (2023)
      Joel D. Wynkoop's 187 Times the Movie
      6.3
      • producer
      • 2023
    • Saaho (2019)
      Saaho
      5.1
      • producer: action unit
      • 2019
    • John Krasinski in 13 Hours (2016)
      13 Hours
      7.3
      • co-producer (as Ken Bates)
      • 2016
    • Missing (2012)
      Missing
      6.9
      TV Series
      • co-producer
      • 2012
    • Peter Cullen, Shia LaBeouf, and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley in Transformers 3 : La Face cachée de la Lune (2011)
      Transformers 3 : La Face cachée de la Lune
      6.2
      • co-producer (as Ken Bates)
      • 2011
    • Peter Cullen, Shia LaBeouf, and Megan Fox in Transformers 2 : La Revanche (2009)
      Transformers 2 : La Revanche
      6.0
      • co-producer (as Ken Bates)
      • 2009
    • Peter Cullen, Josh Duhamel, Shia LaBeouf, Mark Ryan, Hugo Weaving, and Megan Fox in Transformers (2007)
      Transformers
      7.1
      • co-producer (as Ken Bates)
      • 2007
    • Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson in The Island (2005)
      The Island
      6.8
      • associate producer (as Ken Bates)
      • 2005
    • Promotional Poster
      Bad Company
      5.6
      • associate producer (as Ken Bates)
      • 2002
    • Publicity Poster
      Pearl Harbor
      6.3
      • associate producer
      • 2001
    • Liv Tyler, Bruce Willis, and Ben Affleck in Armageddon (1998)
      Armageddon
      6.7
      • associate producer
      • 1998
    • Nicolas Cage, John Cusack, John Malkovich, and Ving Rhames in Les Ailes de l'enfer (1997)
      Les Ailes de l'enfer
      6.9
      • associate producer
      • 1997
    • Nicolas Cage, Sean Connery, and Ed Harris in Rock (1996)
      Rock
      7.4
      • associate producer
      • 1996
    • Class of 2001 (1994)
      Class of 2001
      4.4
      • associate producer (as Ken Bates)
      • 1994

    Personal details

    Edit
    • Official site
      • Official Site
    • Alternative names
      • Kenneth W. Bates
    • Other works
      Theatrical commercial for Los Angeles Times.
    • Publicity listings
      • 1 Article

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Has done stunt work on franchises such as Die Hard, Maniac Cop and Transformers as well as various buddy cop films/sequels/parodies and adult film productions.
    • Quotes
      "I should be proud of the stunts. I'm proud to be alive. My number should've come up a long time ago." (June 2001)
    • Trademark
        Specializes in stunt falls from heights

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