Nick Yurick, left, playing Phamer McCoy, punches Ben Stoll, playing Johnse Hatfield, as Kyle Woods’, right, character Randall “Bud” McCoy Jr. looks on Tuesday at Theatre West Virginia’s Cliffside Amphitheatre. Cast and crew were hard at work rehearsing scenes for “Hatfields and McCoys,” which kicks off July 11.
BECKLEY, W.Va. — A Hollywood stuntman who got his start at Theatre West Virginia back in the ’90s has returned to help choreograph the fight scenes for “Hatfields and McCoys.”
Casey Hendershot, who has performed stunts for “Thor,” “21 Jump Street,” “Avatar,” and many more, is lending his expertise to the actors portraying the feuding families this year.
“Stage combat at Theatre West Virginia was my initial toe in the water with stunts,” Hendershot said. “It’s what got me interested in stunts, so these fights are dear to me.”
He grew up in New Jersey and was hired through the Southeastern Theatre Conference, and he started at Grandview in 1992 as a technician.
Hendershot came back the next two years and played
Ellison Hatfield in 1993 and Tolbert McCoy in 1994 and even traveled with the touring group.
He credits Joel Mason for teaching him stage combat at TWV — “I never would have done it without him.”
Aside from what he learned from Mason during his time in Grandview, Hendershot said he gets most of his stunt work by luck … and his height.
“A lot of it’s just luck. They happen to need a big goon,” he said laughing. “I’m 6’-6” and I get work most of the time because of my size.”
That’s how he landed work on the popular 2011 movie “Thor,” portraying a giant.
A certain skill set is also needed to be able to perform certain stunts and his live shows, such as Viking Adventures and Water World, helped prepare him…
