Injured Disney stuntman has no regrets about protecting Indiana Jones audience from 400-pound boulder
Disney stuntman hit by Indiana Jones boulder reflects on incident
When Disney stuntman Robert Herrick put himself in front of a 400-pound boulder, his only thought was, “this can't get to the audience.” Herrick reflected on the Dec. 30 incident, saying he plans to return to the Indiana Jones stage.
When Disney stuntman Robert Herrick put himself in front of a 400-pound boulder prop, his only thought was, "this can't get to the audience."
What we know:
Herrick was injured in December when he positioned his body in front of a 400-pound rubber boulder during a performance at the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular! show at Disney's Hollywood Studios to prevent the boulder from going into the audience.
Now, after the incident went viral, with various videos and reactions circling online, and people wondering what happened, Herrick, and his wife Kim, sat down with FOX 35's Amy Kaufeldt to describe what went through his head in that brief moment.
Disney cast member, Robert Herrick, was hit by a boulder -- a prop in the Disney's Hollywood Studios stunt show, Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular! He shared his experience on Jan. 22.
It was a normal, busy day for Herrick, who has been doing the show for 36 years. The incident took place on Dec. 30, which was a peak period between Christmas and New Year’s.
"We had a high attendance," he said. "We added an extra show to accommodate the guests."
Herrick was playing the role of "Director" – an actor role in the show. The director sits in the tech booth while the boulder scene is happening, Herrick explained.
"I have seen this scene a thousand times," he said.
The boulder has been successfully launched thousands of times over decades without incident, Herrick said.
On Dec. 30, during the 4 p.m. show, the boulder launched and immediately hit the stage wall hard, which propelled it downstage. When the boulder approached the edge of the stage, Herrick jumped into action, saying he knew the boulder had the ability to go off the track and roll off the set.
Disney cast member, Robert Herrick, was hit by a boulder -- a prop in the Disney's Hollywood Studios stunt show, Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular! He shared his experience on Jan. 22.
"Thirty years of experience … knowing that stage, knowing that so well put me in that position to react as quick as I did," he said.
Without thought, Herrick said, he jumped into action to stop the boulder from going in toward the audience.
"It points to our own instinctual impulse to protect people. And, I believe that," he told Kaufeldt.
His only thought, he said, "It cannot make it to the audience."
"If I could be a speed bump for that boulder so that it didn’t make it to the audience, I was going to do that," Herrick said.
At 6-foot-6 and 235 pounds, Herrick was quickly overcome by the 400-pound rubber ball that was bouncing around eight feet in the air. The ball hit Herrick and bounced away from the crowd.
Disney cast member, Robert Herrick, was hit by a boulder -- a prop in the Disney's Hollywood Studios stunt show, Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular! He shared his experience on Jan. 22.
"There was no thought, at any time, what is this thing going to do to me," he said.
Herrick wasn’t knocked out. He was pushed into the downstage wall. His friend told him he was bleeding.
"When I was up against that downstage wall, my head was in a really odd position," he recalled. "My thought was, I don’t want the kids to see me bleeding."
How does the boulder stunt work?
In the temple sequence of the show, the boulder is supposed to roll down a track as the actor portraying Indiana Jones runs in front of it before diving out of the way. The performers then "reset" the scene and explain how the stunt works, including revealing how Indy escapes the boulder and that the boulder is made from a rubber type of material.
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Following the incident, a Disney spokesperson said that the park has modified that element of the show.
"Safety is at the heart of what we do, and that element of the show will be modified as our safety team completes a review of what happened," the spokesperson said in a statement at the time.
What is Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular?
The Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular has been a staple at the park since 1989.
The 30-minute show features reenactments of stunts from 1981’s "Raiders of the Lost Ark," with performers giving audiences a behind-the-scenes look at how those stunts and special effects are made.
In addition to the boulder stunt, the show also features demonstrations of fight choreography, pyrotechnics, special effects and how actors fall from buildings.
Disney Cast Member hurt after boulder prop rolls off track
A Disney World cast member was injured Tuesday when a giant boulder prop went off course at the Indiana Jones stunt show at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
‘Real life Indiana Jones’
"It was real scary," Herrick’s wife Kim said. "I mean, I married a stunt guy, but I didn’t expect, you know, this. … It wasn’t the easiest, but we got through it."
One thing Herrick said is difficult for him, is being called a hero.
"Real-life Indiana Jones. I'll say thank you because I've learned to say that, but I'm uncomfortable with it only because there’s people out there every day – not only the great trauma team, and neurosurgeons and the nurses that are doing this every day – but civilians that are actually running toward burning buildings and overturned cars and doing these things, every single day heroic things," he said. "The only difference is that they don’t have 2,000 people in the audience with cameras on them."
‘I’d do it over again'
What's next:
Despite his injuries, Herrick said he's planning to return to the Indiana Jones stage.
"I'd do it over again, a hundred times over," Herrick said. "Disney has given me the opportunity to make magic for the guests, and I can't wait to get back on that stage. I just gotta get rid of this necktie."
The Source: This story was written with information gathered from an interview with Robert Herrick on Good Day Orlando on Jan. 22 and from previous FOX 35 reporting.