David R. Ellis(1952-2013)
- Stunts
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Actor
Began as an actor in Kurt Russell-Disney Films in 1974.
Made the switch to the Stunt world following a successful career as a
junior pro surfer. Born, bred, and resided in Malibu.
Many, many stunts later, David made the promotion to Stunt Coordinator in
1978 on Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978).
Coordinating TV and films all over the world brought him up to the
position of 2nd Unit Director on Gorky Park (1983).
"Action" movies proceeded to explode along with David's career.
Befriending Harrison Ford, two of David's most notable 2nd units were
Patriot Games (1992) and Clear and Present Danger (1994).
As shown in Filmography, he worked back-to-back until the break from
Disney, offering to 1st unit Direct the feature, Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco (1996).
Directorial debut grossed over $100 Million.
Completed two features for 1997, Desperate Measures (1998) & Sphere (1998) with
Barry Levinson.
