Chuck Hayward
Encyclopedia
Charles B. Hayward was an American motion picture stuntman
and actor
. He was associated particularly with the films of John Wayne
. He doubled for most of the great Western and action stars of the 1950s-1980s.
, about sixty miles east of Hayward's birthplace in Alliance. He spent his early youth working cattle, then, at 16, left home to join the rodeo
circuit as a bronc rider and horse trainer. In 1947, he arrived in Los Angeles
and sought work as a wrangler on motion pictures. He began doing stunts in 1949 on The Fighting Kentuckian
, doubling John Wayne. The two became pals and Hayward subsequently stunted and doubled Wayne on nearly two dozen of the latter's films. Excelling at all sorts of horseback stunts, Hayward doubled most stars of the period who found themselves in Westerns or otherwise astride a horse, including Marlon Brando
, Yul Brynner
, Steve McQueen
, and Gregory Peck
.
He graduated into stunt coordination, arranging the stunts on films such as The Deadly Companions
(1961) and the TV series The Rat Patrol
. He played small roles in numerous films and TV shows, and his appearance often served as an accurate predictor of an upcoming fight scene. He retired from stunt work in 1981, and from acting in 1989. Hayward was a member of the unofficial John Ford Stock Company
, a lifetime member
of the Stuntmen's Association of Motion Pictures
and an inductee into the Stuntmen's Hall of Fame. He died from Hodgkin's Disease at his home in North Hollywood, California, in 1998. He was married twice, to Ellen Powell, by whom he had a daughter, and to Carol Lynn Shepherd.
He had two children with Carol Lynn Shepherd. They were divorced in 1982. He married Sally Pape Callaghan Oct 30, 1982.
Stuntman
A stuntman or stunt performer is someone who performs dangerous stunts.Stuntman may also refer to:*The Stunt Man, a 1980 film starring Peter O'Toole*Stuntman , a 2002 video game**Stuntman: Ignition, its sequel...
and actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
. He was associated particularly with the films of John Wayne
John Wayne
Marion Mitchell Morrison , better known by his stage name John Wayne, was an American film actor, director and producer. He epitomized rugged masculinity and became an enduring American icon. He is famous for his distinctive calm voice, walk, and height...
. He doubled for most of the great Western and action stars of the 1950s-1980s.
Biography
His parents, Bert and Hazel Hayward, were cattle ranchers on a farm near Hyannis, NebraskaHyannis, Nebraska
Hyannis is a village in Grant County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 287 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Grant County.-Geography:Hyannis is located at ....
, about sixty miles east of Hayward's birthplace in Alliance. He spent his early youth working cattle, then, at 16, left home to join the rodeo
Rodeo
Rodeo is a competitive sport which arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain, Mexico, and later the United States, Canada, South America and Australia. It was based on the skills required of the working vaqueros and later, cowboys, in what today is the western United States,...
circuit as a bronc rider and horse trainer. In 1947, he arrived in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
and sought work as a wrangler on motion pictures. He began doing stunts in 1949 on The Fighting Kentuckian
The Fighting Kentuckian
The Fighting Kentuckian American comedy action film starring John Wayne and Oliver Hardy. The movie was written and directed by George Waggner and made by Republic Pictures...
, doubling John Wayne. The two became pals and Hayward subsequently stunted and doubled Wayne on nearly two dozen of the latter's films. Excelling at all sorts of horseback stunts, Hayward doubled most stars of the period who found themselves in Westerns or otherwise astride a horse, including Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando, Jr. was an American movie star and political activist. "Unchallenged as the most important actor in modern American Cinema" according to the St...
, Yul Brynner
Yul Brynner
Yul Brynner was a Russian-born actor of stage and film. He was best known for his portrayal of Mongkut, king of Siam, in the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical The King and I, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Actor for the film version; he also played the role more than 4,500 times on...
, Steve McQueen
Steve McQueen
Terrence Steven "Steve" McQueen was an American movie actor. He was nicknamed "The King of Cool." His "anti-hero" persona, which he developed at the height of the Vietnam counterculture, made him one of the top box-office draws of the 1960s and 1970s. McQueen received an Academy Award nomination...
, and Gregory Peck
Gregory Peck
Eldred Gregory Peck was an American actor.One of 20th Century Fox's most popular film stars from the 1940s to the 1960s, Peck continued to play important roles well into the 1980s. His notable performances include that of Atticus Finch in the 1962 film To Kill a Mockingbird, for which he won an...
.
He graduated into stunt coordination, arranging the stunts on films such as The Deadly Companions
The Deadly Companions
The Deadly Companions is a 1961 Western. It was directed by Sam Peckinpah and starred Maureen O'Hara, Brian Keith, Steve Cochran and Chill Wills. The film is based on A.S. Fleischman's novel of the same name. The film was Peckinpah's motion picture directorial debut...
(1961) and the TV series The Rat Patrol
The Rat Patrol
The Rat Patrol is an American television program that aired on ABC during the 1966–1968 seasons. The show follows the exploits of four Allied soldiers who are part of a long-range desert patrol group in the North African campaign during World War II...
. He played small roles in numerous films and TV shows, and his appearance often served as an accurate predictor of an upcoming fight scene. He retired from stunt work in 1981, and from acting in 1989. Hayward was a member of the unofficial John Ford Stock Company
John Ford Stock Company
The John Ford Stock Company is the name given to the large collection of actors used repeatedly in the films of American director John Ford. Most famous among these was John Wayne, who appeared in twenty-four films and three television episodes for the director...
, a lifetime member
of the Stuntmen's Association of Motion Pictures
Stuntmen's Association of Motion Pictures
Founded in 1961, the Stuntmen's Association of Motion Pictures is an honorary society of motion picture stunt coordinators, stuntmen, and second unit directors. The society is not to be confused with an industry union, such as the I.A.T.S.E. The current president is Steve Kelso....
and an inductee into the Stuntmen's Hall of Fame. He died from Hodgkin's Disease at his home in North Hollywood, California, in 1998. He was married twice, to Ellen Powell, by whom he had a daughter, and to Carol Lynn Shepherd.
He had two children with Carol Lynn Shepherd. They were divorced in 1982. He married Sally Pape Callaghan Oct 30, 1982.