On 27 July 2012, Gary Connery pulled up his tights, adjusted his wig, and put on a dress fit for a queen. The London Olympics opening ceremony was about to get underway and the professional stuntman was all set for the biggest job of his career. With the Queen scheduled to open the Games it was decided she would make a very special, very British, entrance. The idea was that James Bond would chaperone Her Majesty to the ceremony in a helicopter, before they both parachuted into the celebrations.
But selling the illusion to a billion TV viewers around the world depended on the movie making skills of director/producer Danny Boyle and the bravery of a little-known stuntman ready to wow the world.

In 2021, Sky News is marking some of the century’s biggest news events through the personal stories of lives defined by unforgettable moments from the last 21 years.
The Queen's Stuntman is episode 20 of the 21-part series StoryCast' 21.

Credits -

The Queen's Stuntman was recorded by Tom Gillespie.
Production, writing and sound design by Rob Mulhern
Special thanks to our contributors, Gary Connery and Alastair Bruce
Archive, Simon Windsor
TV treatment, Victoria Hudson-Grant
Digital, Tom Gillespie
Head of Radio, Sky News, Dave Terris
Design and graphics, Brian Gillingham
Social media, Sam Gould
Press and Marketing, Alexandra Horton
Email: [email protected]
For more on this story log on to www.skynews/storycast21
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