Gary Alan Epper (December 31, 1944 – December 1, 2007) was an American stunt performer, coordinator and occasional actor. Part of a major stunt family dynasty in Hollywood, he was the son of John Epper, the brother of fellow Star Trek stuntmen Tony Epper and Andy Epper and stuntwoman Jeannie Epper. His family traces its lineage back to "a colonel in Napoleon's army" and his great-grandson, a multi-lingual Swiss who eventually lived in California where he began the family tradition in stunt work and the tradition has passed down from each generation.Chris Nashawaty, "Danger Is Their Middle Name: Don't let the tranquil smiles fool you. You're looking at some of the world's most fearless daredevils. Meet the Eppers, Hollywood's reigning dynasty of stuntpeople. Thrill-seeking is in their genes," Entertainment Weekly (October 19, 2007): 94.
Epper worked on some of the most successful Hollywood blockbuster films and television series of all time, including Lassie (1954), Hawaii Five-O (1968), Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970), Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972), Magnum Force (1973), Starsky and Hutch (1975-1979), Charlie's Angels (1980-1981), Blade Runner (1982), Scarface (1983), Top Gun (1986), The Untouchables (1987), Rambo III (1988), Lethal Weapon 2 (1989), The Hunt for Red October (1990), Days of Thunder (1990), Die Hard 2 (1990), Basic Instinct (1992), Jurassic Park (1993), Demolition Man (1993), Speed (1994), L.A. Confidential (1997), The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997), Armageddon (1998) and Wild Wild West (1999).
As an actor, he is probably best known for playing the assimilated borg Ensign Lynch in Star Trek: First Contact.
Epper died on December 1, 2007, at age 62 in Los Angeles. Epper had five children, Lisa, Danielle, Gary, Madison and Nicole, and five grandchildren, Brie, Skyler, Emma, Maggie and Kate.
Filmography Year Title Role Notes1959 Westbound Boy at Stagecoach Accident Uncredited1965 Shenandoah Church Member Uncredited1972 The Cowboys Rustler 1975 Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze Hood Uncredited1988 The Seventh Sign Jimmy's Guard 1990 Captain America Mr. Erlich 1991 V.I. Warshawski Thug #2 1991 Hook Growling Pirate 1993 Father Hood Trucker 1995 3 Ninjas Knuckle Up Biker #1 1996 Broken Arrow Miller (final film role)
References
External links