美国国家公共电台 NPR After Living Dozens Of Lives, Leading Stuntwoman Mimi Lesseos Has Lessons To Offer

 

SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

Stunt¹ work is a tough trade - almost as tough as writing our theme music like BJ Leiderman does. Stunt people have to know how to take a poke² in the schnoz, get thrown off of buildings and smolder³ in fiery⁴ car crashes. Sure sounds like a job for the young, but about an hour outside of Los Angeles, NPR's Peter Breslow spoke⁵ with a woman who's been at it for decades. We sent Peter out to learn a few tricks of her trade.

PETER BRESLOW, BYLINE⁶: You have to linger a long time in your movie theater seat or on your living room couch before Mimi Lesseos' credit rolls by. But eventually, her name does pop up - a small reward for getting decapitated by a helicopter blade on "Fear Of The Walking Dead" or having her lights punched out in Clint Eastwood's boxing movie "Million Dollar Baby."

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "MILLION DOLLAR BABY")

MIMI LESSEOS: Here's a wall of shame over here (laughter).

BRESLOW: Mimi Lesseos' house sits in a cul-de-sac in Acting⁷, Calif. - a high, desert community full of scrub brush and played-out gold mines. Her walls are covered with movie posters and photos of her with the celebrities⁸ she's known - George Clooney, Clint Eastwood, Cher and some she's pretended to pummel over the years.

LESSESO: Erik Estrada - I was in a movie where I beat up his whole gang, took his drugs (laughter) and then they came and killed me and took the drugs back (laughter).

BRESLOW: Lesseos, who is auburn-haired, sturdy and likes to cackle, figures she's been killed about 30 or 40 times on screen. Today, very much alive, she's dressed in black track pants and a tank top showcasing biceps boasting definition. She entered the fight world young. She says she fled a rough household when she was a teenager. And with a bit of judo⁹ experience she learned from her uncle, she made her way to mud wrestling.

LESSESO: I went to a club and got a job at the Hollywood Tropicana when I was 16 years old and did the whole little dance around, you know, the mud pit and fought another girl almost every night.

BRESLOW: From mud, Lesseos moved to professional wrestling and Magnificent Mimi was born.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

UNIDENTIFIED ANNOUNCER: (Unintelligible) challenger - from Hollywood, Calif., here is the Magnificent Mimi.

(APPLAUSE)

BRESLOW: Along the way, she began performing stunts¹¹ on screen. But even though pro¹⁰ wrestling moves are planned out, Lesseos says your body still takes a beating. So she retired¹² from the ring in 1990 to begin a career writing, directing, producing and acting in her own action films. The first was called "Pushed To The Limit," but she ran out of funds while making that movie. And so she re-entered the ring, this time in Japan where the money was good, but the action was brutal¹³.

LESSESO: They would take out the ropes and put in electrical barb¹⁴ wire. It was - they were crazy. And so when you got kicked, you got kicked into the barbed wire. And you wouldn't - not alone just get shocked but your skin would get stuck onto the barb wire.

BRESLOW: But stunt fighting for film and TV is all about safety, says Lesseos. There are pads for your knees and to guard your spine¹⁵. The moves are precise and there is no contact - usually.

LESSESO: I particularly like a little bit of contact. That's just me, you know (laughter)? It's like hit me a little bit, you know? Come on.

BRESLOW: Lesseos has done her share of car crashes and fires, but her specialty¹⁶, one she's very proud of, is the fighting.

LESSESO: It's like a dance - a choreographed¹⁷, wonderful dance. And it's all in the timing¹⁸. And the other person that you're fighting with has the same feeling. And you've pleased that director so much after you - you're on the floor going - and then you get up. Everybody stands up and claps. You know, I've got chills. It's just - it's - I almost want to cry. I'm sorry.

BRESLOW: But that doesn't mean injuries don't happen. Once while stunting¹⁹ on a TV show, Lesseos had to absorb a car window breaking on her face. The glass was fake, but still, she was bloodied²⁰ by 50 little shards²¹.

LESSESO: You know, we did like 20 takes. And, you know, I was, yeah, I'll do another one, sure. I'm up for another one. You know, you've got to be, you know, the person who is always right there. OK, yes, I'm eager to do it because the director can hire another person. And you want them to say, wow, that stunt girl was badass.

BRESLOW: Stunt work has changed, and women are now prominent in the industry. They've helped end the era when stunt men would throw on a wig²² and a dress and pretend to be an actress. Mimi Lesseos is almost 55 years old, and she thinks it's time to pass on some of her fighting know-how²³. She's just written a memoir²⁴ called "Break The Chain," and she's shopping around a 12-part reality show, "America's Superwoman, Next Action Diva," in which aspiring²⁵ action stars learn how to take a fall and take a punch. But today on her front lawn...

LESSESO: What do you punch with? Are you a righty or lefty?

BRESLOW: I don't punch anyone.

(LAUGHTER)

LESSESO: Are you a righty or lefty?

BRESLOW: Yeah, I'm right handed. Yeah.

LESSESO: OK. So am I.

BRESLOW: She's going to show a graying reporter how to stunt fight. The sequence - a right hook to the jaw²⁶, followed by a backhand to the face, a karate²⁷ kick to the midsection and a toss onto a mat on the ground.

(LAUGHTER)

BRESLOW: This is fun.

LESSESO: It is fun. OK. Do it again.

BRESLOW: Peter Breslow, NPR News.

LESSESO: Yeah - beautiful.

BRESLOW: Are you OK?

LESSESO: Oh, I'm great. I didn't feel a thing. Did you (laughter)?

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

1 stunt   

n.惊人表演，绝技，特技；vt.阻碍...发育，妨碍...生长

参考例句：

• Lack of the right food may stunt growth.缺乏适当的食物会阻碍发育。
• Right up there is where the big stunt is taking place.那边将会有惊人的表演。

2 poke   

n.刺，戳，袋；vt.拨开，刺，戳；vi.戳，刺，捅，搜索，伸出，行动散慢

参考例句：

• We never thought she would poke her nose into this.想不到她会插上一手。
• Don't poke fun at me.别拿我凑趣儿。

3 smolder   

v.无火焰地闷烧；n.焖烧，文火

参考例句：

• The smolder will soon be a flame.闷火很快变为烈焰。
• It can smolder undetected for hours,then suddenly explode in fiery destruction.也有可能好几小时内不被发觉，突然激烈的爆炸。

4 fiery   

adj.燃烧着的，火红的；暴躁的；激烈的

参考例句：

• She has fiery red hair.她有一头火红的头发。
• His fiery speech agitated the crowd.他热情洋溢的讲话激动了群众。

5 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

6 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

7 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

8 celebrities   

n.（尤指娱乐界的）名人( celebrity的名词复数 )；名流；名声；名誉

参考例句：

• He only invited A-list celebrities to his parties. 他只邀请头等名流参加他的聚会。
• a TV chat show full of B-list celebrities 由众多二流人物参加的电视访谈节目

9 judo   

n.柔道

参考例句：

• The judo is a kind of fighting sport.柔道是一种对抗性体育活动。
• Which is more important in judo, strength or techniques?柔道运动中，力量和技术哪个更重要？

10 pro   

n.赞成，赞成的意见，赞成者

参考例句：

• The two debating teams argued the question pro and con.辩论的两组从赞成与反对两方面辩这一问题。
• Are you pro or con nuclear disarmament?你是赞成还是反对核裁军？

11 stunts   

n.惊人的表演( stunt的名词复数 )；（广告中）引人注目的花招；愚蠢行为；危险举动v.阻碍…发育[生长]，抑制，妨碍( stunt的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• He did all his own stunts. 所有特技都是他自己演的。
• The plane did a few stunts before landing. 飞机着陆前做了一些特技。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

13 brutal   

adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的

参考例句：

• She has to face the brutal reality.她不得不去面对冷酷的现实。
• They're brutal people behind their civilised veneer.他们表面上温文有礼，骨子里却是野蛮残忍。

14 barb   

n.（鱼钩等的）倒钩，倒刺

参考例句：

• The barb of his wit made us wince.他那锋芒毕露的机智使我们退避三舍。
• A fish hook has a barb to prevent the fish from escaping after being hooked.鱼钩上都有一个倒钩以防上了钩的鱼逃走。

15 spine   

n.脊柱，脊椎；(动植物的)刺；书脊

参考例句：

• He broke his spine in a fall from a horse.他从马上跌下摔断了脊梁骨。
• His spine developed a slight curve.他的脊柱有点弯曲。

16 specialty   

n.(speciality)特性，特质；专业，专长

参考例句：

• Shell carvings are a specialty of the town.贝雕是该城的特产。
• His specialty is English literature.他的专业是英国文学。

17 choreographed   

v.设计舞蹈动作( choreograph的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• There was some carefully choreographed flag-waving as the President drove by. 总统的车经过时，人们按精心编排的动作挥舞着旗帜。
• Achim had choreographed the dance in Act II himself. 阿希姆自己设计了第2幕的舞蹈动作。 来自辞典例句

18 timing   

n.时间安排，时间选择

参考例句：

• The timing of the meeting is not convenient.会议的时间安排不合适。
• The timing of our statement is very opportune.我们发表声明选择的时机很恰当。

19 stunting   

v.阻碍…发育[生长]，抑制，妨碍( stunt的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Objective To report three-year-old twin brothers with speech stunting. 目的报道孪生兄弟同患语言发育迟缓的临床结果。 来自互联网
• No one should talk while stunting except coach or back spotter. 在技巧进行的过程中，只有教练或后保能说话。 来自互联网

20 bloodied   

v.血污的( bloody的过去式和过去分词 )；流血的；屠杀的；残忍的

参考例句：

• his bruised and bloodied nose 他沾满血的青肿的鼻子
• His pants leg was torn and bloodied when he fell. 他跌交时裤腿破了，还染上了血。 来自辞典例句

21 shards   

n.（玻璃、金属或其他硬物的）尖利的碎片( shard的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Eyewitnesses spoke of rocks and shards of glass flying in the air. 目击者称空中石块和玻璃碎片四溅。 来自辞典例句
• Ward, Josh Billings, and a host of others have survived only in scattered shards of humour. 沃德、比林斯和许多别的作家能够留传下来的只是些幽默的残章断简。 来自辞典例句

22 wig   

n.假发

参考例句：

• The actress wore a black wig over her blond hair.那个女演员戴一顶黑色假发罩住自己的金黄色头发。
• He disguised himself with a wig and false beard.他用假发和假胡须来乔装。

23 know-how   

n.知识；技术；诀窍

参考例句：

• He hasn't got the know-how to run a farm.他没有经营农场的专业知识。
• I don't have much know-how about engines.发动机方面的技术知识我知之甚少。

24 memoir   

n.[pl.]回忆录，自传；记事录

参考例句：

• He has just published a memoir in honour of his captain.他刚刚出了一本传记来纪念他的队长。
• In her memoir,the actress wrote about the bittersweet memories of her first love.在那个女演员的自传中，她写到了自己苦乐掺半的初恋。

25 aspiring   

adj.有志气的；有抱负的；高耸的v.渴望；追求

参考例句：

• Aspiring musicians need hours of practice every day. 想当音乐家就要每天练许多小时。
• He came from an aspiring working-class background. 他出身于有抱负的工人阶级家庭。 来自辞典例句

26 jaw   

n.颚，颌，说教，流言蜚语；v.喋喋不休，教训

参考例句：

• He delivered a right hook to his opponent's jaw.他给了对方下巴一记右钩拳。
• A strong square jaw is a sign of firm character.强健的方下巴是刚毅性格的标志。

27 karate   

n.空手道(日本的一种徒手武术)

参考例句：

• Alice's boyfriend knew a little karate.艾丽斯的男朋友懂一点儿空手道。
• The black belt is the highest level in karate.黑腰带级是空手道的最高级别。