Chad Stahelski


Charles F. Stahelski is an American stuntman and filmmaker. He is considered a highly-influential figure in the action film genre. He first achieved prominence as a stunt performer and coordinator, notably as the key stunt double for Keanu Reeves on The Matrix, and as the martial arts stunt coordinator on its first two sequels. He subsequently directed the 2014 film John Wick, starring Reeves, and its three sequels.

Biography

Martial arts training

Stahelski was born in Palmer, Massachusetts, to Gary and Kathleen Stahelski in 1968. He began training in martial arts from a young age. He studied Jeet Kune Do under Dan Inosanto, and for a time was an instructor at Inosanto's school in Los Angeles.
Prior to his motion picture career, Stahelski competed in kickboxing and mixed martial arts. He was one of the earliest American competitors in Shooto. He fought Manabu Yamada in a 1993 Shooto event, losing in the first round from a kneebar submission.
Stahelski is an alumnus of the University of Southern California.

Stuntman (1993–2013)

Stahelski and fellow stuntman Jeff Cadiente served as stunt doubles for the actor Brandon Lee on the 1994 film The Crow. Accidentally wounded on set on March 31, 1993, by defective blank ammunition, Lee later died in hospital during surgery. Stahelski completed the remaining filming in place of Lee and special effects were used to superimpose Lee's face onto Stahelski.
In 1997, Stahelski co-founded action design company 87Eleven with David Leitch. The company has since split between an action design company and a production company, 87North Productions.
He worked as a stunt double for his future John Wick star Keanu Reeves in The Matrix franchise, and later served as a stunt co-ordinator for the films. Stahelski states that his experience working with martial arts choreographer Yuen Woo-ping heavily influenced his own approach to stunts.
In 2009, Stahelski was second-unit director and stunt co-ordinator on Ninja Assassin along with David Leitch, produced by Matrix directors The Wachowskis.
In 2012, on the set of the film The Expendables 2 for which Stahelski served as stunt coordinator, stuntman Kun Liu was killed by an explosion on set. Liu's family sued Stahelski following the accident.

Director (2014–present)

In 2014, Stahelski co-directed the action thriller film John Wick along with Leitch, based on the screenplay by Derek Kolstad. The film starred Keanu Reeves and Michael Nyqvist, and was released on October 24, 2014, by Summit Entertainment, grossing over $88 million. Stahelski acted as sole director for the film's 2017 sequel, John Wick: Chapter 2, and again for the third film, John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum and fourth film, John Wick: Chapter 4. He also served as the second unit director for the reshoots of Birds of Prey.
In 2021, Stahelski returned to The Matrix franchise for its fourth installment, The Matrix Resurrections, making a cameo appearance as Trinity's "husband."

Upcoming

In March 2023, Stahelski clarified that a remake of Highlander as well as adaptations of Rainbow Six, Ghost of Tsushima, Black Samurai for Netflix, and Shibumi for Warner Bros. were the projects he was currently developing to produce and direct.
In July 2023, Adult Swim announced Lazarus, an upcoming original anime television series directed by Shinichirō Watanabe, with Stahelski designing the action sequences.
In February 2024, Lionsgate appointed Stahelski to oversee the John Wick and Highlander franchises. Stahelski will have creative oversight across film, TV and all multimedia platforms.
Other projects he has been attached to in the past include Analog, and adaptations of Kill or Be Killed, and ''Sandman Slim.''

Personal life

Stahelski was married to fellow stunt performer Heidi Moneymaker, but they divorced in 2018.
Stahelski was a friend of Brandon Lee and worked as his double. They trained together at the Inosanto Academy.

Filmography

Films

Second-unit director
YearTitleDirectorNotes
2009Ninja AssassinJames McTeigueAlongside David Leitch
2011Sherlock Holmes: A Game of ShadowsGuy Ritchie
2012The Expendables 2Simon West
2012SafeBoaz Yakin
2013After EarthM. Night ShyamalanAlongside Jeff Habberstad
2013Escape PlanMikael HåfströmAlongside David Leitch
2013The Hunger Games: Catching FireFrancis LawrenceAlso supervising stunt co-ordinator
2015Hitman: Agent 47Aleksander BachAlongside David Leitch
2016GrimsbyLouis Leterrier
2016Captain America: Civil WarAnthony and Joe RussoAlongside David Leitch
2020Birds of PreyCathy YanAlso stunt coordinator

Stuntwork
YearTitleNotes
1994The CrowBrandon Lee-Stunt Double Credited As Chad Storelson
1996Escape from L.A.
1997Bean
1997Orgazmo
1998Recoil
1998Almost Heroes
1998The HuntedStunts/Stunt Coordinator
19998mm
1999The MatrixKeanu Reeves' Stunt Double
1999Wild Wild West
2000Picking Up The Pieces
2000The Replacements
2000The GiftUncredited stunts
2001Tomcats
2001Ghosts of Mars
2001Rock Star
2001Corky Romano
2003The Matrix ReloadedMartial Arts Stunt Coordinator
2003The Matrix RevolutionsMartial Arts Stunt Coordinator
2004TorqueStunt Driver
2004Van HelsingFight Coordinator/Assistant Stunt Coordinator
2004Spider-Man 2Uncredited
2004CellularUtility Stunts
2005Thumbsucker
2005ConstantineFight Choreographer
2005XXX: State of the Union
2005Mr. & Mrs. SmithUtility Stunts
2005The Dukes of HazzardJohnny Knoxville-Stunt Double
2005SerenityStunt Coordinator
2005Æon FluxUncredited
2005V for Vendetta
2006BeerfestStunt Coordinator
2006300Fight Choreographer
2007Next
2007Live Free or Die Hard
2007Shoot 'Em UpUncredited
2007I Am LegendUncredited
2008Jumper
2008Speed RacerSupervising Stunt Coordinator
2009X-Men Origins: WolverineAction Coordinator
2009Ninja AssassinStunt Coordinator
2010Iron Man 2Utility Stunts
2010The ExpendablesStunt Coordinator
2010Tron: LegacyUncredited
2011Season of the WitchUncredited
2011The MechanicStunt Coordinator
2011ImmortalsFight Choreographer
2012SafeSupervising Stunt Coordinator
2012DreddAction Coordinator
2013G.I. Joe: RetaliationAssistant Stunt Coordinator
2013The WolverineStunt Coordinator
201347 RoninStunt Coordinator
2013Homefront
2014Captain America: The Winter SoldierUncredited
2018Deadpool 2
2024Deadpool & Wolverine

Actor
YearTitleRole
1995Nemesis 2: NebulaNebula
1995Fight ZoneSki
1997Bloodsport IIIMax Omega
1998VampiresMale Master No. 4
1998Homecoming Kulak
2021The Matrix ResurrectionsChad

Other
YearTitleRoleNotes
2025Wick Is PainHimselfAlso executive producer; documentary film