Marvin Walters: Pioneer stuntman

Humans of Galveston had the pleasure to meet Marvin Walters, a pioneer stuntman in the Hollywood entertainment industry. He’s known for his work on “Armageddon” (1998), “RoboCop2” (1990), “Glory” (1989), “Blazing Saddles” (1974) and “Magnum, P.I.” television series, among others.

He shared his thoughts about his life and Galveston Island. Here’s what he had to say:

Humans of Galveston: What brought you to Galveston?

Marvin: I came to Galveston and did not know Galveston was an island. I came here to do a movie. I was directing second unit and stunt coordinator on a movie called “Keaton’s Cop” with Lee Majors and Don Rickles. When I came to Galveston in April 1989 I was amazed at all the people that were living here, and I really got to know a lot of people and really began to like the people that were here. I stayed in Galveston for two years when I first came here.

Humans: How long have you been in the movie industry?

Marvin: I’ve been in the movie industry since 1966 as a stuntman, stunt coordinator, second unit director.

Humans: What are some of the stunts that you’ve done?

Marvin: I’ve done horses, car chases … I’ll do anything except motorcycles. I trained a lot of guys, and when I came to Galveston I didn’t bring any stuntmen from Hollywood. Everyone I used was from the Houston-Galveston area, to give them a chance to learn about the industry.

Humans: Have you done any other movies in Galveston?

Marvin: We filmed “The Gambler” with Kenny Rogers. We filmed that right down on The Strand. The whole street was converted and you could not tell it was not Fort Worth, Texas. They brought sand in and fill the street up with dirt, brought cattle in and it was amazing. It was a pretty good script.

Humans: What is it like to be in the film industry?

Marvin: It’s a lot of fun but it’s a lot of work. You have a big thing now about blackface on TV. They’ve been blackening people out to do movies since I got into the business. I filed 32 EEOC charges and the Coalition of Black Stuntmen that I founded changed Hollywood for all minorities.

Humans: For people who are thinking about locating to Galveston, what do you think they need to know?

Marvin: Come to Galveston, because many people don’t know realize that it’s an island. When you come and you meet the people, you’ll find the people here are authentic people. It’s so for real. The majority of people who have been here all of their lives are for real. Most of them are honest and it’s just great to see that.

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Published by Bobby Stanton