It has been a busy year for International Falls native John Nordlum, who has spent his last 30 years as a stuntman.
Nordlum reflected on his past year with The Journal last week and shared his anticipation of a second season of a television series he has connection to, his involvement with a stunt association, and being featured recently in Hawaiian Airlines magazine.
The stuntman, who refers to himself as “the invisible man,” worked beside the late Jack Lord on the 1968-1980 “Hawaii Five-0” television series, doubling for the character “Steve McGarrett.” After his 12-year run with that series, he doubled for actor Tom Selleck as “ Thomas Magnum” on the 1980-1988 series of “Magnum, P.I.”
Last year, CBS came out with a remake of “Hawaii Five-0” and Nordlum declined a job offered to him by producers of the show. As progress was made on the show, however, Nordlum did find himself involved — but behind the scenes.
Nordlum said he has become acquainted with the producer of the show and has sent him suggestions for how to develop the character of the young Steve McGarrett for the show’s second season which is slated to air in September.
“We don’t even know who he is and he is the star of the show,” Nordlum said of McGarrett’s character with a chuckle. “I’m not a screenwriter...but I do develop the character quite a bit.”
Nordlum also discussed a certain symbol of the original series that is back in front of cameras for the remake. The iconic “Five-0” car — a 1974 Mercury Marquis — that now belongs to Nordlum is on the set and ready for action. The car was a gift from Lord whose face for 12 seasons, was, and still is associated with the long, black machine.
“They’ve used the car three times in the first season and I was kind of disappointed because I thought they would use it more,” explained Nordlum, who has continued to drive the classic car all these years.
Nordlum said the Mercury was featured in the pilot of the remake series and in the first season’s final episode, McGarrett’s son escapes his own police department “in his daddy’s car.”
Nordlum hopes with the second season gearing up that the car he is so fond of makes its way to more of a focal point of the show.
Nordlum also discussed his role in founding the Hawaii Stunt Association.
“It’s worked out quite well. We train people to do their own stunts,” Nordlum said of the organization. “Before the Hawaii Stunt Association, there were no stuntpeople at all in Hawaii, and now we have some.”
He continued that Hawaii has “specialty guys” and the young actors are really eager to do their own stunts.
“They love it,” Nordlum said.
The veteran stuntman was recently featured in a magazine, “Hana Hou!” in a section highlighting “Hawaii’s fearless and much-in-demand stuntpeople.”
“The magazine’s title means encore or one more time,” said Nordlum, who spoke highly of the periodical in which he was featured.
“I’m called the pioneer of stuntpeople and that probably is a correct title because when I started, there were no stuntpeople in Hawaii and my whole purpose was to create some stuntpeople because I knew they had the ability,” Nordlum said.
