Stunt actors Giedre Jackyte and Ermar Alexander have spoken out about the threat artificial intelligence poses to their profession, admitting the acting industry is "in danger" as production companies look to cut costs. Their comments come as their new film, Bad Day at the Office, embraces old-school filmmaking techniques with a 22-person stunt team and no camera trickery.
The film, directed by Chee Keong Cheung, was shot entirely in point-of-view (POV), with camera operators wearing large rigs to capture stunts and shootouts from a first-person perspective. Drawing inspiration from Hardcore Henry and Crank, the thriller stars John Hannah and Radha Mitchell and follows an amnesiac who wakes up beside a corpse and must untangle a conspiracy while evading police.
AI 'in danger' warning from stunt performers
Giedre Jackyte, who stars alongside Ermar Alexander, told Express.co.uk that performers face uncertainty as AI technology advances. "In terms of being a performer, you are, in a way, in danger," she said. "[Before] for a massive scene, they would probably have hired a lot of stunt performers, which provides a lot of work opportunities. Now, they can pick a group of people and just multiply them."
She acknowledged that fighting the trend is futile: "But I don't think you can fight against it. They're developing more and more advanced technology, so we can't escape it. Production is always going to cut the budget and get more for less, which is understandable."
Ermar Alexander, who previously appeared in Marvel movies, noted that the film used more than 100 stunt performers and said it makes sense for big studios to seek cost savings. He also revealed he uses AI himself: "I use AI myself. At the moment, I'm helping AI Claude to grade a short film we shot two years ago. I'm trying to make it more impactful, and the AI gives me information. I'm using it as a teacher, as a tool."
Training with the POV rig and weapons
The actors advised peers to adapt. Giedre said: "You have to up your skills and find different ways to be useful to production. You have to think, 'How can I better survive in this changing climate?'" She added that while some are "really against" AI, "the more you deny the fact, the more you're going to be left behind."
Both performers entered the stunt industry almost by accident. Ermar moved to the UK from the Philippines at age eight, earned a black belt in martial arts by 21, and opened a private gym in London after a graphic design career. He trained a stunt double on a Batman film and was encouraged to enter the industry himself. Giedre grew up in Lithuania, moved to London with £300, and landed her first job as an extra on Jurassic World.
Ermar admitted to imposter syndrome working with established actors: "Working with John Hannah, Radha Mitchell and Tamer Hassan – these guys are massive pros at acting, and we're nobody, telling them how to act in front of a camera." He praised the cast for making it work "really well."
Hands-on experience at Hybrid FMA
The reporter tested the POV rig at Ermar's gym, Hybrid FMA near Harlesden, along with four content creators. The rig involves wearing a large camera on the head with a battery pack on the back, requiring constant awareness of hand positions and careful movement to avoid damaging equipment. Weapons training with Redd Nicholson and Ty Hopkins of Dark Roc covered prop Airsoft pistols and rifles, which simulate recoil with a gas-powered system.
Redd has worked on productions from Coronation Street to Rivals, while Ty has been on the stunt crew for Fast X and starred in Kraven the Hunter. The day ended with a hostage scenario where the reporter, wearing the rig, rescued a hostage while engaging armed adversaries.
Bad Day at the Office releases in cinemas on October 30.
