Jackson Burns
Encyclopedia
Jackson Burns is an American stunt performer
, stunt coordinator
, writer
, and actor
.
Born July 29, 1956 in Poteau, Oklahoma
. He is part Native American
. Worked on Walker, Texas Ranger
; The Con; and Fingerprints
. His fire drag stunt from a vehicle at 246 feet totally engulfed Burns in flames at one point and damaged his Nomex
fire suit ; Burns took 22 squib
hits at once, 22 total in 15 seconds; and as stunt double for George Kennedy
on the motion picture The Man Who Came Back
, was dragged from the back of a horse for a total distance of 282 feet. Jackson, was hit by a car at 17 mph as stunt double for James Gandolfini
on the motion picture Dance With The Devil. This is considerably faster than normal stunt car hits and Burns broke the windshield, flew over the top of the car and rolled off of the back, without a scratch. He later performed a car hit for the same actor and movie, of which he launched himself from an 18 wheel truck
into the windshied of a passing pickup truck and then rolled to the ground. Gandolfini is said to have based his stuntman character in Get Shorty
on Jackson.
Jackson was born in an economically depressed region, known to be the poorest in the state of Oklahoma (Little Dixie
). Only child of Luther Jackson Burns and Ermaline Delora Lockhart. Father is of French, Scot-Irish and Cherokee heritage and mother is of English, Scot, Irish and Choctaw heritage. His father Luther, quit school in 6th grade to help work and take care of his sharecropper parents (also of very limited education) and his siblings. His mother Delora finished high school. Jackson finished high school and graduated in the Class of 1974, Heavener High School, Heavener, Oklahoma
. Jackson also attended Northeastern State University
at Tahlequah, Oklahoma
for a short time. Jackson has said that never finishing his education is what has been his most damaging point in his life.
Burns has worked in many fields including lumberjack
, pipeliner, heavy equipment operator, hydrostatic tester, private investigator
, Olan Mills
portrait photographer, karate
instructor, motorcycle racer, door installer, salesman and amusement park
supervisor until he broke into the movie stunt business.
His work on movies and television has won much acclaim and many awards and Burns is now working on a longtime passion through a character that he is developing for a television project called The Redneck Archaeologist. In this character Burns travels the world finding unknown historical and archaeological sites and artifacts
His work as a community activist and precinct chair has been recognized by the Mayor Bill White of Houston, his work on elections was recognized by a resolution in his name issued by Harris County
Commissioners Court.
Married to the Mexican actress/model Nelly Castrejon, they have one son.
Stunt performer
A stuntman, or daredevil is someone who performs dangerous stunts, often as a career.These stunts are sometimes rigged so that they look dangerous while still having safety mechanisms, but often they are as dangerous as they appear to be...
, stunt coordinator
Stunt coordinator
A stunt coordinator, usually an experienced stunt performer, is hired by a TV, film or theatre director or production company to arrange the casting and performance of stunts for a film, television programme or a live audience...
, writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, and actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
.
Born July 29, 1956 in Poteau, Oklahoma
Poteau, Oklahoma
Poteau is a city in Le Flore County, Oklahoma, United States. It is part of the Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 8,520 at the 2010 census, ranking fifth in the Greater Fort Smith Area. It is the county seat of Le Flore County...
. He is part Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
. Worked on Walker, Texas Ranger
Walker, Texas Ranger
Walker, Texas Ranger is an American television action crime drama series created by Leslie Greif and Paul Haggis, and starring Chuck Norris as a member of the Texas Ranger Division. The show aired on CBS in the spring of 1993, with the first season consisting of three pilot episodes. Eight full...
; The Con; and Fingerprints
Fingerprints (film)
Fingerprints is a 2006 film by Harry Basil starring Leah Pipes, Kristin Cavallari, Josh Henderson, and Andrew Lawrence. The cinematography is inspired from the "Sixth Sense".-Plot:...
. His fire drag stunt from a vehicle at 246 feet totally engulfed Burns in flames at one point and damaged his Nomex
Nomex
Nomex is a registered trademark for flame resistant meta-aramid material developed in the early 1960s by DuPont and first marketed in 1967.- Properties:...
fire suit ; Burns took 22 squib
Squib (explosive)
A squib is a miniature explosive device used in a wide range of industries, from special effects to military applications. It resembles a tiny stick of dynamite, both in appearance and construction, although with considerably less explosive power...
hits at once, 22 total in 15 seconds; and as stunt double for George Kennedy
George Kennedy
George Harris Kennedy, Jr. is an American actor who has appeared in over 200 film and television productions. He is perhaps most familiar as the convict Dragline in Cool Hand Luke , airline troubleshooter Joe Patroni in the Airport series of disaster movies from the 1970s and...
on the motion picture The Man Who Came Back
The Man Who Came Back
The Man Who Came Back is a 1931 American drama film directed by Raoul Walsh, starring Janet Gaynor and Charles Farrell. The movie was adapted to screen by Edwin J...
, was dragged from the back of a horse for a total distance of 282 feet. Jackson, was hit by a car at 17 mph as stunt double for James Gandolfini
James Gandolfini
James J. Gandolfini, Jr. is an Italian American actor. He is best known for his role as Tony Soprano in the HBO TV series The Sopranos, about a troubled crime boss struggling to balance his family life and career in the Mafia...
on the motion picture Dance With The Devil. This is considerably faster than normal stunt car hits and Burns broke the windshield, flew over the top of the car and rolled off of the back, without a scratch. He later performed a car hit for the same actor and movie, of which he launched himself from an 18 wheel truck
Semi-trailer truck
A semi-trailer truck, also known as a semi, tractor-trailer, or articulated truck or articulated lorry, is an articulated vehicle consisting of a towing engine , and a semi-trailer A semi-trailer truck, also known as a semi, tractor-trailer, or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) articulated truck...
into the windshied of a passing pickup truck and then rolled to the ground. Gandolfini is said to have based his stuntman character in Get Shorty
Get Shorty
Get Shorty is a 1990 novel by American novelist Elmore Leonard. In 1995, the novel was adapted into a film of the same name.-Plot summary:...
on Jackson.
Jackson was born in an economically depressed region, known to be the poorest in the state of Oklahoma (Little Dixie
Little Dixie (Oklahoma)
Little Dixie is the name given to the southeast region of Oklahoma, which is heavily influenced by southern "Dixie" culture, as it was settled chiefly by Southerners seeking a start in new lands following the American Civil War...
). Only child of Luther Jackson Burns and Ermaline Delora Lockhart. Father is of French, Scot-Irish and Cherokee heritage and mother is of English, Scot, Irish and Choctaw heritage. His father Luther, quit school in 6th grade to help work and take care of his sharecropper parents (also of very limited education) and his siblings. His mother Delora finished high school. Jackson finished high school and graduated in the Class of 1974, Heavener High School, Heavener, Oklahoma
Heavener, Oklahoma
Heavener is a city in Le Flore County, Oklahoma, United States. It is part of the Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 3,201 at the 2000 census.-Heavener Runestone:...
. Jackson also attended Northeastern State University
Northeastern State University
Northeastern State University is a public university with its main campus located in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, United States, at the foot of the Ozark Mountains. Northeastern's home, Tahlequah, is also the capital of the Cherokee nation of Oklahoma...
at Tahlequah, Oklahoma
Tahlequah, Oklahoma
Tahlequah is a city in Cherokee County, Oklahoma, United States located at the foothills of the Ozark Mountains. It was founded as a capital of the original Cherokee Nation in 1838 to welcome those Cherokee forced west on the Trail of Tears. The city's population was 15,753 at the 2010 census. It...
for a short time. Jackson has said that never finishing his education is what has been his most damaging point in his life.
Burns has worked in many fields including lumberjack
Lumberjack
A lumberjack is a worker in the logging industry who performs the initial harvesting and transport of trees for ultimate processing into forest products. The term usually refers to a bygone era when hand tools were used in harvesting trees principally from virgin forest...
, pipeliner, heavy equipment operator, hydrostatic tester, private investigator
Private investigator
A private investigator , private detective or inquiry agent, is a person who can be hired by individuals or groups to undertake investigatory law services. Private detectives/investigators often work for attorneys in civil cases. Many work for insurance companies to investigate suspicious claims...
, Olan Mills
Olan Mills
Olan Mills, Inc. is a privately owned company founded in 1932 by Olan Mills Sr. and Mary Mills headquartered in Chattanooga, Tennessee that provides portrait photography and church directories through its two main corporate divisions: Olan Mills Portrait Studios and Olan Mills Church Division.Its...
portrait photographer, karate
Karate
is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
instructor, motorcycle racer, door installer, salesman and amusement park
Amusement park
thumb|Cinderella Castle in [[Magic Kingdom]], [[Disney World]]Amusement and theme parks are terms for a group of entertainment attractions and rides and other events in a location for the enjoyment of large numbers of people...
supervisor until he broke into the movie stunt business.
His work on movies and television has won much acclaim and many awards and Burns is now working on a longtime passion through a character that he is developing for a television project called The Redneck Archaeologist. In this character Burns travels the world finding unknown historical and archaeological sites and artifacts
His work as a community activist and precinct chair has been recognized by the Mayor Bill White of Houston, his work on elections was recognized by a resolution in his name issued by Harris County
Harris County, Texas
As of the 2010 Census, the population of the county was 4,092,459, White Americans made up 56.6% of Harris County's population; non-Hispanic whites represented 33.0% of the population. Black Americans made up 18.9% of the population. Native Americans made up 0.7% of Harris County's population...
Commissioners Court.
Married to the Mexican actress/model Nelly Castrejon, they have one son.