A STUNTWOMAN from Llangollen is the driving force behind a campaign to set up the UK's first-ever awards ceremony for professional stunt actors.

Laura O'Donnell has rubbed shoulders with the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Leonardo DiCaprio, Orlando Bloom and Keanu Reeves during her career to date.

But, as the pandemic first struck in March 2020, the 38-year-old had no other choice but to return home to North Wales.

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The mother-of-five hopes to return to Hollywood in the near future and has just recently released her own book entitled 'Being Laura'.

Now the next mission for Laura, who is also a qualified black belt in marshal arts, is to help get some well-deserved recognition for those who put their bodies on the line for the entertainment of others.

There are currently about 400 qualified stunt performers in the UK, according to the British Stunt Register's member list but there is no dedicated awards ceremony in place for them.

Laura, who says she has been 'frustrated' by the lack of recognition given to the industry, is aiming to change that by forming the 'Valkyrie Stunt Awards'.

The Leader:

PIC: Laura O'Donnell with Arnold Schwarzenegger.

It will be the very first awards ceremony for UK located professional stunt artists/actors. 

Whilst there are several different awards events around the world, there are no stunt-related categories. Currently, only one solo international award ceremony exists.

Laura said: "The Valkyrie Stunt Awards looks to bring about change and awareness for a highly-skilled, and overlooked industry. It is hoped this will lead to the inclusion of stunt-related categories being featured in well-established ceremonies.

"I was surprised and frustrated by the lack of recognition given to the industry. It seemed particularly disproportional for those who regularly risked their lives, faced life-changing injuries to fatalities.

"Let’s shine the spotlight brightly on these incredibly skilled people, inspire future generations, bring awareness to past generations and give a voice to a relatively underrepresented industry."

Laura's love of performing stunts has now been passed down to her five children; Shannon, 19, Malachy, 16, Felicity, 14, Harvey, 13, and Blake, 10.

@extraordinaryodonnells My insane family very talented #training #beach #backfilp #gymnastics #handspring #flips #crazy #horses #stuntfamily #family #talented #stunt #tiktok ♬ Fire - Official Sound Studio

They can often be seen performing their stunts on the 'Extraordinary O'Donnells' accounts on both Instagram and TikTok.

From backflipping and surfing to horse-riding, it's fair to say the kids have taken some great inspiration from mum!

The Leader:

PIC: The multi-talented Laura O'Donnell.

Thinking of becoming a stunt actor?

Well, here are some quick facts on what you will need to do before becoming a professional stunt performer like Laura:

  • You need qualifications and skills across at least six different sporting areas (eg Fighting (which is compulsory), falling, riding and driving).
  • You also need one year's experience in each of your sporting areas
  • You will also need to self-fund coaching sessions, equipment etc which isn't cheap and can cost up to the £20,000 mark.

Laura now hopes the Valkyrie Stunt Awards can take off in the near future, should sponsors be secured for the event. To find out more, click here.

Those in attendance will be very much part of the film industry, coming together to celebrate professional highly skilled stunt men and women from the UK.

There will be a three-course dining experience prior to the event, and plenty of opportunties to meet and network.