Posted on: Tuesday, February 22, 2005

Screen Actors Guild urges Oscar for stunt work

Associated Press

An Academy Award category honoring the work of stunt coordinators should be added, the Screen Actors Guild said last week.

"Through incredible skill and daring, stunt coordinators provide critical safety and artistic contributions that must be acknowledged," said SAG president Melissa Gilbert. Gilbert said SAG officials will work with the stunt community to continue lobbying the academy on the issue. Requests for new categories are reviewed by the board of governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences but are rarely successful, said academy spokesman John Pavlik.

The last new categories added were animated feature films in 2001 — and makeup in 1981.

The next meeting of the board is in May.