Bond stunt co-ordinator Paul Weston meets fans in Canada

He’s been blown up and killed off too many times to count, but it seems Paul Weston will only be more than pleased to tell you about each and every one of them, if you’d take the time to listen.

The stunt coordinator and/or stunt man for some of the world’s most recognizable movies — James Bond, Superman, Indiana Jones, and Star Wars to name a few — sat in the corner at Newfoundland’s West Coast Con (Canada), the first sci-fi convention in Corner Brook, signing autographs and getting his photo taken with adoring and amazed fans. He had a collection of photographs spread over the table, depicting aliens and other science fiction creatures that was either really him in costume or some of his work - reports The Western Star.

While the saying goes, a picture tells a thousand words, Weston had no trouble filling in the thousand words either.

“Do you see that man engulfed in flame? That’s me,” he told a couple of young boys looking at the pictures.

“That picture there,” he said, pointing to an alien being of some sort. “Do you recognize him?” he said, with a big smile on his face.

Weston has been special guest at sci-fi conventions all over the world — throughout Europe, the United States, and Asia — yet, there he was in Corner Brook, Newfoundland helping to raise the profile of a first-time convention.

“I love travelling and I love meeting the fans,” he said. “I didn’t know to much about this and they told me it was a first convention, so I was pleased to come along.

“It’s a nice, friendly, small beginning and the people here are so enthusiastic. I am looking forward to next year already, to come back, and hopefully it will be even bigger, with more actors and stars.”

The stunt coordinator takes great pride in being able to share his personal experiences with others, helping fuel their science-fiction interests.

“I think these conventions are great for people like myself, who are in the movies, we have so many stories and it’s great to relate them to people who are as keen as we are on the film industry or the TV industry - whether it be sci-fi or classic dramas or Bond films,” he said. “I think we all enjoy meeting the people and they have a purpose in their lives, an interest, that starts as children.”

Of course, it is always a special treat for the local fans to meet a guy who at one time was working on the sets of smash hits Superman and Star Wars at the same time — doubling as Superman for flying scenes and later switching his focus to the battles of the stars.

“It’s a great industry and as performers, whether it is actors or stunts or any involvement in the films we create, to be able to have that appreciated on a face-to-face basis with enthusiastic people is great,” he said.

He also gave a lecture on stunts and what their role is within the industry.
Weston remains quite busy, outside of the convention atmosphere, having just completed a television series called “A Touch of Frost” and continues to work on “Waking the Dead.”

He is looking forward to remaining quite active in the industry, but not too busy. He enjoyed his first trip to Newfoundland, so much so, he would like to come back when he has more free time to be able to be more of a tourist.

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