Inside the Emmy-nominated stunt performances redefining small-screen action

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Set us as preferred Few moments in television rival the thrill of an action sequence unfolding before your eyes.And unless your name is Tom Cruise, those unforgettable moments are most likely brought to life by a stunt performer.

The Envelope spoke to the teams from five Emmy-nominated series that stood out not just for the action but for how they elevated the story.“The Profligate” (Season 2, Episode 3) Stunt performers: Jeremy Fitzgerald, Tim Soergel Watching a supercharged power armor battle in the postapocalyptic adventure “Fallout” is like witnessing a clash between unstoppable war machines.So when stunt performers Fitzgerald and Soergel stood in for Aaron Moten (Maximus) and Kumail Nanjiani (Xander) during a series-altering battle between machine gun-slinging security robots, they put all the cards on the table.

“Our job is to come up with a lot of options and they’ll pick and choose what they want, time permitting and other factors,” says Fitzgerald.Learning to move, fight and perform in the 100-plus-pound practical suit from Legacy Effects took serious effort.

“It’s really trial and error,” admits Soergel.“We have to watch playback to learn what looks good.” The exoskeleton’s biggest hurdle? Its limited vision.

“When we previs, we have to be clear where everyone is going to be because when we start to throw a fist, there’s no stopping it,” notes Fitzgerald.“There’s a lot of communication to make sure the performances are safe but come off looking real.”“Crusader” (Season 8, Episode 15) Stunt performers: Chris Barnes, Bryce Biederman, Hannah Scott, Adam Shippey When the high-stakes procedural called for an undercover agent to fight an assailant in the trailer of a speeding semi before leaping onto the windshield of a pursuing vehicle, the stunt team knew only practical actio...