Stuntwoman Jessie Graff Returns to UNL for masterclass
calendar icon07 May 2014
Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film Alumnus and Professional Stuntwoman Jessie Graff will return to the University of Nebraska–Lincoln on Friday, May 9 for a masterclass.The masterclass will run from 1-4 p.m. in the Studio Theatre, located on the first floor of the Temple Building at 12th and R sts. The masterclass is free and open to the public.
Graff is the Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts’ recipient of the Nebraska Alumni Association’s Early Achiever Award, which acknowledges outstanding young graduates and will be presented on May 8.
Graff, who graduated with her Bachelor of Arts in theatre in 2007, is a stuntwoman in Los Angeles. She has done stunts or performed as a stunt double on such TV shows as “Leverage,” “Sons of Anarchy,” “Castle,” “Modern Family,” “Criminal Minds” and “Southland.”
Her film credits include “Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon,” “X-Men: First Class,” “Bridesmaids” and “Live Free or Die Hard.”
She was part of a group of stunt actors to receive a 2010 Screen Actors Guild Awards nomination for “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.” And in 2013, she was featured on CBS News during its Eye Opening Extremes Week.
Her “Epic Chick Fight” video, which is a live-action parody of the chicken fight from the TV series “Family Guy,” has more than one million views on YouTube.
Graff competed in pole vaulting for the Huskers Track and Field team while at UNL and learned stunts in the Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film.
“I’m absolutely in love with the career of stunts,” Graff said. “It’s just everything I’ve always wanted to do and done for fun in my free time just combined into one job.”
To view Graff's CBS News feature, visit https://go.unl.edu/x4nh.