Stefan Zürcher (Behind The Scenes)

By: Anders Frejdh

Published:
2013-12-27

Location manager for four James Bond films from 1977 to 2008 and much more

I was fortunate to meet and chat to Stefan Zürcher during the launch of Bond World 007 at Schilthorn (Piz Gloria) in June 2013 where he was reunited with George Lazenby, John Glen and Terry Mountain. (I first saw him in 2008 on the set of Quantum of Solace in Bregenz, Austria, when I was working as an extra over two weeks.)

"In 1965, when I was 20 years old, I moved to North America. I'd always enjoyed extreme skiing and soon got a job as an instructor. And not long after, I started skiing for commercials and decided that films were where my real calling lay. One thing led to another and in 1969 I worked as stuntman/skier on On Her Majesty's Secret Service, the first of seven Bond films I've been fortunate to be involved in."

A few years ago, Mr. Zürcher spoke to Michael G. Wilson about staging film stunts and finding the appropriate location. Mr. Wilson had said: "It must be awful."

Zürcher replied: "There's a bunch of 'nuts' sitting around a table coming up with one crazy idea after another and you're the guy who's got to make it all happen!"

And that's precisely what he's been doing for the past 30 years after he decided to go into the business of producing action movies: landing from a ski jump on a moving car, arranging for James Bond (in GoldenEye) to catch up with an aircraft in free fall, climb into the cockpit and fly away, plus a host of other daredevil stunts.

For more information about Stefan's career, check out the official website for his production company: http://www.alpine-films.com

Stefan Zürcher's credits in the Bond films from 1969 to 2008:
1969: >On Her Majesty's Secret Service (Stuntman/Skier)
1977: >The Spy Who Loved Me (Unit Manager/Stuntman Skier)
1985: >A View to a Kill (Location Manager 2nd Unit)
1987: >The Living Daylights (Location Manager/Skiing Cameraman)
1995: >GoldenEye (Production Manager 2nd Unit in Switzerland)
1999: >The World Is Not Enough (Ski Consultant / Skiing Cameraman 2nd Unit)
2008: >Quantum of Solace (Local Assistant Director in Bregenz)

Other cast & crew from OHMSS that we've met:
>Bernard Horsfall as Shaun Campbell
>Bill Weston (Stuntman)
>Catherine Schell as Nancy
>Desmond Llewelyn as Q
>Diana Rigg as Tracy Di Vicenzo
>George Lazenby as James Bond
>George Leech (Stuntman)
>Gordon McCallum (Dubbing mixer)
>Jenny Hanley as The Irish Girl
>Joanna Lumley as The English Girl
>John Barry (Film soundtrack composer)
>John Glen (Second unit director/Editor)
>Lois Maxwell as Miss Moneypenny
>Michael Reed (Director of Photography)
>Monty Norman (Composer of the James Bond theme)
>Rocky Taylor (Stuntman)
>Sylvana Henriques as The Jamaican Girl
>Terence Mountain as Raphael
>Terry Richards (Stuntman)
>Vic Armstrong (Stunt double for Lazenby)

Photos below:
(top and middle) Stefan Zürcher at Bond World in Switzerland, June 2013. © From Sweden with Love.

(bottom) Stefan Zürcher in action with Pierce Brosnan during the filming of The World Is Not Enough in Chamonix, France. © 1999 Danjaq LLC. & Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). All rights reserved.

Text written and published by Anders Frejdh in December 2013

Tags:

#behind_the_scenes

Tag Cloud

Stefan Zürcher (Behind The Scenes)

Tag Cloud