A grizzly bear that appeared in the Hollywood film Semi-Pro fatally attacked a trainer during a promotional video shoot in 2008. The bear, named Rocky, was five years old and weighed around 700 pounds at the time.
Rocky was part of Randy Miller's Predators in Action, an animal training facility in California that prepares wild and exotic animals for film and television appearances. The victim, Stephan Miller, was Randy's cousin and an experienced animal handler who had previously worked as a trainer at the company.
Attack During Promotional Shoot
On the day of the incident, Stephan Miller was not training Rocky but was attempting a bear-wrestling stunt for an advertisement. He was expected to pose beside Rocky before staging a choreographed wrestling match, supervised by Randy. Rocky was known for his role as Dewey the Killer Bear in Semi-Pro, a 2008 sports comedy starring Will Ferrell.
During the initial shots, Rocky began the staged attack too early, catching Miller off guard and out of his defensive position. Randy hit the bear with a cane to make him release Miller, but the action reportedly escalated the danger. Rocky then bit Miller once on the neck, piercing his jugular vein and carotid artery.
Fatal Outcome and Aftermath
Randy told The Associated Press the setup was meant to be “playful” and described Rocky as a “loving, affectionate, friendly, safe bear.” He said the attack happened due to a timing mistake that “hit [Miller] in a very vulnerable spot.” He added, “It happened so fast. We did what we had to do to stop the bear. It took a matter of seconds to get him off, but it was too late.”
Miller died from his injuries. The California Department of Fish and Game investigated whether Rocky should be euthanised. Animal rights groups, including PETA, intervened to spare the animal, citing opposition to using wild animals in films.
Restrictions and Later Life
Authorities declared the death accidental and ordered that Rocky live under restrictions: no contact with people other than his trainers and no further film or TV work. A National Geographic documentary, Grizzly Face to Face: Hollywood Bear Tragedy, later chronicled the incident. Randy said he planned to continue working with Rocky and sought to lift the restrictions, stating that was what Miller would have wanted.
In 2012, Randy's legal team said new safety protocols were implemented, and other trainers and experts testified that Rocky was not dangerous. The U.S. Department of Agriculture lifted restrictions, but Rocky remained banned from working in California. The California Fish and Game Commission declined to lift its restrictions that year. In 2022, Rocky was relocated to a large-animal sanctuary in Alpine, California.
Animals trained by Predators in Action have appeared in films including The Island of Dr. Moreau, Gladiator, The Postman, and The Last Samurai, as well as multiple Discovery Channel and National Geographic documentaries.
