Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Peewee Piemonte. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Peewee thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

Thank you for having me! My wife and I are both from military families. My father was in the Navy. Her father, the Air Force. We were both raised to respect our Troops and acknowledge their sacrifices. And to honor them in any way we were able.

Along our career paths, we hoped to find opportunity to illuminate those men and women, somehow. Then came a call from my friend and producer/ director Chris Chulack who I worked closely with on a show called SouthLAnd (for which I earned two Emmy Awards). From that conversation, a new collaboration brought us together again on the highly anticipated military drama series, Seal Team. Game On!

Over the course of my involvement as 2nd Unit Director/ Stunt Coordinator of Seal Team, we sought to employ as many military men and women as possible, in all branches of service. This included many Special Forces and Tier One Operators, in addition to hundreds of others. Not only did working in Hollywood open them up to new ways of using their unique skills and talent outside of service, but their contributions and involvement on the show greatly legitimized the authenticity of the story and subsequently elevated performances by the main cast. These were the “Real Deals”!

Ultimately, it was our employment efforts and action design, along with these extraordinary servicemen and women which earned Seal Team its Emmy nomination. Something I’m deeply proud of.

Peewee, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am a Director, 2nd Unit Director and Stunt Coordinator. How did I become a Director? Throught stunt work…and how did I get into stunt work? Great question … I “fell” into it, of course! Actually, my stunt career began at the crossroads of athletics, aesthetics, and rescue.

I already had an athletic foundation and abilities playing football, body building, working as a bouncer in nightclubs, and as a rope rescue instructor. From day one, I launched my stunt career by training, meeting people in the industry, and preparing for those opportunities when they came. And they came!

After several years, I became the Stunt Coordinator. By then, I’d learned how to do most every major kind of stunt (fire, falls, cars, rigging, fights, acting, etc.). This is vital for a Stunt Coordinator in order to create the shots safely when they are needed. I had the experience to insure that the stunt team and the actors all felt safe and able to perform at their absolute best.

I never wanted to recreate the wheel, rather to create things that had never been seen before. Things which made viewers lean forward in their seats and hold their breath. I was honored by the very first Emmy I won. Not only for the award- which in itself is validating and a ‘lil emotional- but as they played my video at the ceremony, I actually heard people in the crowd gasp. That’s when I knew, I had done my job

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

Without a doubt, the most rewarding aspect of my job is giving other people a job!! This industry takes relentless effort and tenacity. There’s nothing better than picking up the phone, dialing a stunt performer, and telling them they’ve been selected to work. Mentorship is a big part of my commitment to this industry as well. Especially to women. This was TEN years ago, when I decided that women were being left behind as stunt coordinators. I was mentored, and If it weren’t for a handful of outstanding stunt coordinators who believed in me at the start, my journey would have turned out differently. I’m happy to pay that forward, by that I mean progressive!

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

In our business, success is predicated on talent, being in the right place at the right time, having the skill set and most of all, the ability to survive attrition. Rejection can be exhausting emotionally and psychologically. You may book 20% of the jobs you are considered for, and that’s great! But the other 80% you cannot take it personally, when it isn’t.

Many decisions which impact your career are made by people you will never meet ,in rooms you will not be seen in. Circumstances change, alliances change, and finances change. The only constant in this business is CHANGE. The best way to navigate these ups and downs is “roll with the punches” and accept that it’s the nature of the business we’re in.

Create forward. And don’t look back. AND, as they say:

“Luck is when preparation meets opportunity”.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.peeweepiemonte.com
• Instagram: @PeeweePiemonte
• Facebook: Peewee Piemonte

Image Credits
Personal photo: Photographer: Paris Helena Peewee and Lance Henriksen – Photographer: Paris Helena Peewee directing – JMP Productions Inc Seal Team – JMP Productions Inc Peewee in Sunglasses – JMP Productions Inc Peewee in Blue behind camera : Photographer: Paris Helena Seal Team: JMP Productions Inc