Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Skyler Mowatt

From projects like Arrow to Superman and Lois, Skyler Mowatt has emerged as one of the most sought-after stunt performers and firearms experts in the industry. Pop Culturalist recently sat down with Skyler for an in-depth conversation about his career.

PC: How did you discover your passion for stunt work?
Skyler: That answer has two parts to it. I grew up loving action movies. The Matrix trilogy had a huge impact on me, as well as Jet Li and Jason Statham movies and so many others.

The second would be when I learned on the set of Stargate Atlantis that stunt work could be a career path. That got me fully fired up to pursue stunt work with everything that I have.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Skyler: The person who’s had the biggest impact on my career is my mentor, Dan Rizzuto. I’ve learned an incredible amount from him over the years in many different areas. He opened my mind to the layers of this business, and that’s something that would’ve taken me far longer to appreciate on my own. He molded my fight choreography performance ability into the essential toolbox that I use to this day and gave me many opportunities to apply that on set. I’m the performer that I am today in large part due to him.

PC: You’ve had a lot of success already in your career. When you look back, is there a particular moment that stands out?
Skyler: Absolutely. The one that stands out most is getting to have a fight scene with Iko Uwais from The Raid. For those who haven’t seen it, drop what you’re doing right now and watch it. It’s a fight movie that has undoubtedly had more of an influence on stunt performers than anything else in recent years. To be able to perform directly with him on Wu Assassins was a surreal dream come true. In addition to being a phenomenal performer, he’s also one of the nicest guys I’ve met. The same is true of his team—just humble and hardworking but also hilariously great fun.

PC: You’ve worked on some of the largest films and television shows. Do you feel any nerves ahead of a stunt? If so, how do you calm those nerves?
Skyler: Nerves and pre-performance stress are things we all learn to deal with in our own ways. You become inoculated to it through being put in those situations often enough and by training hard and putting yourself under stress on your own time. I’ve actually found competitive shooting helpful in this area. It has many of the same attributes. You have detailed instructions to execute on command and under time pressure. Things go wrong, and you problem-solve in the moment. It’s a great complex-task stress simulator. Once I’m on set and I’m about to perform a stunt, I go through something called four-by-four breathing. Four seconds inhale, four hold, four exhale. It’s a tried-and-true technique that I find effective at controlling my heart rate.

PC: In addition to your stunt work, you’ve used your platform to bring awareness to firearm safety within the industry. Why has that been so important to you?
Skyler: The safety aspect of it is incredibly important to me simply because I care about everyone’s safety and it’s an area I’m qualified to shed some light on and feel a duty to do so. Competency with firearms is hugely underrated, not only so you can do some high-speed stuff on camera but also to keep everyone safe around you. If that gun is an extension of your body and not some awkward foreign object, you’re much less likely to do something unsafe on set.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Skyler: Rick and Morty, hands down. I’m not a believer in feeling guilty about liking certain things.

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Skyler: Mandy. One of Nicolas Cage’s best movies in recent years. It’s deliciously weird. I love it.

PC: Favorite book?
Skyler: Such a tough one. I’d have to say Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink. It’s a book that’s had a profound impact on me. I reread certain passages to reabsorb the lessons. It’s a great one for anyone to read.

PC: Favorite play or musical?.
Skyler: At the risk of being cliché, Phantom of the Opera.

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Skyler: I listen to a huge range of things, but I think some might be surprised by my appreciation for classical music: Beethoven, Mozart, Dvorak, Tchaikovsky, and too many more to name.

To keep up with Skyler, follow him on Instagram.

Photo Credit: Richie Lubaton