- 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- IMDb mini biography by: Prague Film Associates
- Specializes in stunt falls from heights
- 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.
- Became an accomplished second unit director and co-producer.
- Does lots of fire stunts and safety prep.
- "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)
- [on preparing to take a stunt fall:] "You're up there with a walkie-talkie, looking down, and your body feels like a big, hollow cylinder. You're so frightened you can hear the blood circulating through your brain. You're wondering if you're going to pass out or throw up. Your eyes tear up and they water. You become very pale." (June 2001)
- [about performing a stunt fall:] "In your mind you're dying, no matter how many times you've done it or how safe you think it is. You relive it a hundred times." (June 2001)
- "I've only been to the hospital twice -- once for a bad case of the flu and the other time for a knee injury. I was being dragged behind a car, and I bounced off a curb. Bumps, bruises, scratches, burns, pulled muscles, cracked ribs. I've been on fire, through walls, hit by cars, through windows, through roofs, on top of cars, landing on buses. Pretty much anything that's ugly, I've had an experience with it. Bruce Willis says I've got brass balls." (June 2001)
- "You look around at your guys, at their faces, and you tell them, 'Everything's cool. This is my deal. This is what I want to do.' You start the count: three, two -- you drop the walkie-talkie -- one -- your foot hits the edge of the building -- go -- you're airborne." (June 2001)
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