Leslie Hoffman

Last updated
Leslie Hoffman
LeslieHoffman.jpg
Hoffman in 2010
Born
Leslie Gail Hoffman [1]

OccupationFormer stunt performer
Former stunt coordinator
Permanently disabled due to continuous physical trauma as a stuntwoman
Former Labor Leader
Years active19762002
Website www.stuntrek.com

Leslie Hoffman (born 21 January) is a former American stunt performer, stunt coordinator, and actress.

Contents

Career

Hoffman's early education and training included gymnastics, ballet camps, the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and Herbert Berkoff Studios in New York. [1] She was inspired to pursue stunt acting on seeing a Universal Studios Tour stunt show. She traveled to California to study at stuntman Paul Stader's stunt gym. [1]

She began stunt work in the 1970s with the film Two-Minute Warning (1976), [1] and several television series, including Police Story and M*A*S*H . She performed a 78-foot high fall into water for The Love Boat , and did some work on Fantasy Island and Charlie's Angels. [2] [3] She was the double for the six-foot tall Lainie Kazan in a circular stair fall for Columbo . [1] She also stunt doubled for Doris Roberts in the TV series Remington Steele . Film acting work included Avalanche (1978), [4] Deadly Friend (1986), [5] Trust Me (1989) and Naked Gun (1988). [6]

Hoffman played the Hall Guard (Krueger) in Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), [6] [7] and performed stunt work in I Wanna Hold Your Hand (1978), Motel Hell (1980), Resurrection (1980), Clue (1985), Alien Nation (1988), Mars (1997) and Mystery Men (1999). She served as stunt coordinator for, and acted in, the ABC After School Special Me and My Hormones (1996). [6] She performed as the stunt-double for Laurie Metcalf in Scream 2 (1997).

Union Involvement

Hoffman was the first stuntwoman elected to the Screen Actors Guild Board of Directors, where she served from 1981 to 1984. As a director, she advocated for stuntwomen and stuntpersons of color, advocating for equal work and representation in the union. [8] She served as the Co-Chair and the Chair on the National Stunt and Safety Committee. She was the Chair of the Stuntwomen Committee under the Stunt National Stunt and Safety Committee. Being interested in the safety of young Actors, she was the Co-Chair of the Young Performers Committee. The Screen Actors Guild, along with Barrie Howard the Chair of the Committee, sent them up to Sacramento told talk about the Twilight Zone accident.

She lost her bid for re-election in 1985. [9]

Hoffman was also the first stuntperson elected to the AFTRA Los Angeles Local Board and the AFTRA National Board. With the help of Frank Maxwell, AFTRA President and Howard Caine, AFTRA Board Member, the category of Stunts was created.

From the 1990s onward, she worked as a stunt coordinator and rigger on several films, as well as continuing to double for several actresses in feature films and television. Her work includes stunt acting roles in multiple episodes of the Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine television series. Hoffman provided stunt coordination for student film productions for USC, Loyola Marymount University [10] and UCLA. [11]

Leslie became disabled in 2002, ending her career as a stuntwoman and stunt coordinator. Now on Social Security Disability due to trauma to her body doing stunt work, Hoffman advocates for fair treatment for disabled stunt performers. [12]

In 2021 Hoffman is running for the Los Angeles Local Board and also to be a Delegate at the SAG-AFTRA Convention

SAG Pension & Health lawsuit

Hoffman has been involved with a lawsuit against the Screen Actor Guild Pension and Health Plan for over 8 years. [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] Her most recent victory came against the Plan, January 4, 2019, when the 9th District Court overturned a Lower Court ruling against her for the second time. [18]

November 2019, two Lower Court Judges either ruled against her or did a Summary Judgement. Then two 9th District Court Hearings have overturned the Lower Court decision, stating that the Judge "erred" Now the third Lower Court Judge appointed to the case has chastised the Screen Actors Guild Pension for all the violations they did, but unfortunately wants the Trustees to review the case.

On January 4, 2019 the 9th District Court of Southern California overturned Judge Manuel's Summary Judgement and sent it back down to the Lower Court. . It was then ignored by Judge Real until Hoffman's Attorney sent a motion to Real. Real then decided that the case should go to arbitration. Real died before the Arbitration Judge could hear it and the arbitration date was removed from the schedule.

Judge Gary Klausner was then appointed to the case and the SAG Pension and Health Lawyers asked that the arbitration happen, which was approve. No settlement was reached so Judge Klausner had to make a decision on a case that had already been overturn twice by the 9th District Court. He ruled in favor of Leslie Hoffman by remanded it back to the SAG P&H Trustees for a decision.

January 15, 2020 Judge Klausner was replaced by Judge Cormac Carney (no explanation given). Judge Carney has issued a statement that the SAG P&H must pay Ms. Hoffman all back Pension Payments and future ones. Though this seems as a victory the SAG P&H could always appeal this.

March 19, 2021, for the third time the 9th District Court has overturned a Los Angeles Lower Court Judges ruling against Hoffman [19]

Hoffman was won both her Pension Lawsuit by a Judge in 2019. In 2021, a settlement was reached out of court for her Health Plan. She is the only SAG-AFTRA Member that has sued the Producer-SAG Pension and Health Plans and won in both cases [20]


Saranac Lake Walk Hall of Fame

On March 31, 2022, Leslie's Hometown honored her by including her in the Walk of Fame. The Plaque is displayed at Hotel Saranac 100 Main Street

Leslie Hoffman Plaque.jpg

Joy Cranker, a friend of Leslie's took the picture. There is no copyright on this photo.

Related Research Articles

Screen Actors Guild American labor union representing film performers (1933-2012)

The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) was an American labor union which represented over 100,000 film and television principal and background performers worldwide. On March 30, 2012, the union leadership announced that the SAG membership voted to merge with the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) to create SAG-AFTRA.

Gabrielle Carteris American actress

Gabrielle Anne Carteris is an American actress and trade union leader. Her best known acting role was as Andrea Zuckerman during the early seasons of the 1990s television series Beverly Hills, 90210.

American Federation of Television and Radio Artists Former performers union

The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) was a performers' union that represented a wide variety of talent, including actors in radio and television, radio and television announcers and newspersons, singers and recording artists, promo and voice-over announcers and other performers in commercials, stunt persons and specialty acts—as the organization itself publicly stated, "AFTRA's membership includes an array of talent". On March 30, 2012, it was announced that the members of AFTRA and of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) had voted to merge and form SAG-AFTRA.

The Associated Actors and Artistes of America (4As), established in 1919, is the federation of trade unions for performing artists in the United States. The following unions belong to the 4As:

Residuals are financial compensations that are paid to the actors, film or television directors, and others involved in making TV shows and movies in cases of reruns, syndication, DVD release, or online streaming release. Residuals are calculated and administered by industry trade unions like SAG-AFTRA, the Directors Guild of America, and the Writers Guild of America. The word is typically used in the plural form.

Ken Howard American actor

Kenneth Joseph Howard Jr. was an American actor, best known for his roles as Thomas Jefferson in 1776 and as basketball coach and former Chicago Bulls player Ken Reeves in the television show The White Shadow (1978–1981). Howard won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play in 1970 for his performance in Child's Play, and later won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie for his work in Grey Gardens (2009).

Screen Actors Guild Awards Accolade given by the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists

Screen Actors Guild Awards are accolades given by the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). The award was founded in 1952 to recognize outstanding performances in movie and prime time television. SAG Awards have been one of the major awards events in the Hollywood film industry since 1995.

The Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award is presented by the Screen Actors Guild's National Honors and Tributes Committee for "outstanding achievement in fostering the finest ideals of the acting profession." It predates the 1st Screen Actors Guild Awards by over thirty years. The award's first recipient was performer and comedian Eddie Cantor, in 1962. Since then, it has been presented every year except 1963, 1981 and 2021. On two occasions, two people received the award the same year: in 1985, when it was presented to actor Paul Newman and actress Joanne Woodward, and in 2000, when it was presented to civil rights activists Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee. The award was not given in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As of 2021, 59 people have received the award, of whom 39 are men and 20 women. Helen Mirren was announced as the recipient for the 2021 award.

Bobby Bass was an American actor, stunt performer, and stunt coordinator/second unit director.

McComas is an unincorporated community in Mercer County, West Virginia, United States. McComas is 3.5 miles (5.6 km) southwest of Matoaka.

Yale Summers American actor

Yale Summers was an American actor and producer, whose credits included the 1960s CBS television series, Daktari, with Marshall Thompson.

SAG-AFTRA American labor union governing media professionals and entertainers

The Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists is an American labor union representing approximately 160,000 film and television actors, journalists, radio personalities, recording artists, singers, voice actors, internet influencers, fashion models, and other media professionals worldwide. The organization was formed on March 30, 2012, following the merger of the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. SAG-AFTRA is a member of the AFL–CIO, the largest federation of unions in the United States.

<i>The Domestics</i> 2018 American film

The Domestics is a 2018 American post-apocalyptic action horror film directed and written by Mike P. Nelson. The film stars Kate Bosworth, and Tyler Hoechlin.

The 2016–2017 video game voice actor strike was a strike started in October 2016 by the Screen Actors Guild‐American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) union against 11 American video game developers and publishers over failed contract renegotiation terms that had been in discussion since February 2015. Principally, the union sought to have actors and voice and motion capture artists that contribute to video games be better compensated with residuals based on video game sales atop their existing recording payments, while the industry companies asserted that the industry as a whole eschews the use of residuals, and by giving the actors these, they would trivialize the efforts of the programmers and artists that are most responsible for the development of the games. In exchange, the companies had offered a fixed increase in rates and a sliding-scale upfront bonus for multiple recording sessions, which the union had rejected. Other issues highlighted by the strike action include better transparency in what roles and conditions actors would perform, more safety precautions and oversight to avoid vocal stress for certain roles, and better safety assurances for actors while on set.

Michael Hodge was an American actor and labor union executive known for his recurring roles on Law & Order and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, where he often portrayed judges and detectives. Hodge was a longtime union activist and board member for the former Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and its successor, SAG-AFTRA, for more than sixteen years.

The 25th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards, honoring the best achievements in film and television performances for the year 2018, were presented on January 27, 2019 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California. The ceremony was broadcast live on both TNT and TBS 8:00 p.m. EST / 5:00 p.m. PST. The nominees were announced December 12, 2018 alongside the announcement of Megan Mullally as the ceremony's host.

Janeshia Adams-Ginyard American entertainment personality

Janeshia Adams-Ginyard is an Emmy-nominated American actress, stunt woman and professional wrestler. She is best known for her role as Nomble, one of the Dora Milaje, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Black Panther and the Disney+ series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and her work as a stunt woman on both Black Panther and Avengers: Infinity War.

The 28th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards, honoring the best achievements in film and television performances for the year 2021, was presented on February 27, 2022 at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California. The ceremony was broadcast live on both TNT and TBS 8:00 p.m. EST / 5:00 p.m. PST. The nominees were announced on January 12, 2022 by Rosario Dawson and Vanessa Hudgens via Instagram Live.

Sondra James American actress

Sondra James was an American sound coordinator and actress.

Jonathan Handel

Jonathan Handel is an American entertainment lawyer, journalist and author.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Rutkowski, Gary (March 10, 2003). Leslie Hoffman interview, Chapter 1 (video). Television Academy Foundation.
  2. Leslie Hoffman at IMDb
  3. Meyer, Norma (May 19, 1977). "Her Secret: Very Carefully - Human Torch Is a Brunette". Los Angeles Times . p. SF1.(subscription required)
  4. "Avalanche cast and crew". Turner Classic Movies.
  5. "Deadly Friend cast and crew". Turner Classic Movies.
  6. 1 2 3 "Leslie Hoffman Filmography". Turner Classic Movies.
  7. del Barco, Mandalit (October 3, 2005). "O.J. Simpson Verdict Leaves Lasting Legacy". NPR.
  8. Saravia, Jerry (May 4, 2011). "SAG's McCarthyism on a Stuntwoman". LaborUnionReport.com.
  9. Bernstein, Harry (November 6, 1985). "Patty Duke Is Elected President of Actors Guild". Los Angeles Times .
  10. "LMU Handbook : Stunts and Coordinators". Loyola Marymount University. p. 65. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-03-22.
  11. Barnett, Peter J. (1997). "Mulligans! Cast and Crew". UCLA.
  12. Robb, David (November 3, 2010). "Disabled Workers of the World Unite!". HollywoodToday.net. Archived from the original on November 8, 2010. Retrieved August 13, 2011.
  13. Robb, David (18 June 2015). "Former SAG Board Member Leslie Hoffman's Toughest Stunt: Getting Her Union Benefits". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  14. Robb, David (24 June 2015). "SAG Pension & Health Plans Strips Disabled Stuntwoman Of Her Pension". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  15. Robb, David (28 October 2016). "Judge Dismisses Stuntwoman's Lawsuit Seeking SAG Disability Payments". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  16. Robb, David (20 January 2017). "Department Of Labor Finds $750,000 Misappropriated From SAG Pension & Health Plans". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  17. Robb, David (21 June 2017). "SAG Records Dispute Claim That Stuntwoman Worked While Receiving Disability Pay". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  18. Robb, David (4 January 2019). "Disabled Stuntwoman Leslie Hoffman Wins Major Appeals Court Ruling In Suit Against SAG Pension Plan". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  19. Robb, David. "Former Stuntwoman Leslie Hoffman Wins Another Round In Her Decade-Long Legal Battle For SAG-AFTRA Pension & Health Benefits".
  20. "End of an Error: Screen Actors Guild Health Plan Finally Settles Stuntwoman Leslie Hoffman's Long-Running Disability Dispute for $125,000 – Concussion Inc. – Author Irvin Muchnick".

Further reading