Paul Lazenby

Paul Lazenby
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Portrays:	Stunt performer
Date of Birth:	June 07, 1968
Date of Death:	Missing required parameter 1=month! ,
Age:	57
Nationality:	CAN
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Paul Lazenby (born June 7, 1968) is a Canadian actor, stuntman, and former combat sports athlete who worked as a stunt performer on Battlestar Galactica.

Early Life and Combat Sports Career

Lazenby was born in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, and began his professional career in the Canadian Armed Forces, spending six months training as an infantry soldier with military bases in Nova Scotia and Ontario in 1988.

Following his military service, Lazenby pursued strength sports, achieving third place nationally as a strongman, second place nationally in powerlifting, and briefly holding a Canadian record in the deadlift. In 1991, he trained at the Hart Brothers pro wrestling academy and subsequently wrestled on tours across Europe and Africa before transitioning to mixed martial arts.

Lazenby became the first Canadian to compete in Japan's Pancrase organization, considered the most prestigious MMA group in the world at the time. His debut fight took place in Tokyo before 10,000 spectators against the number-three ranked fighter in the world. Less than a month later, he fought Pancrase champion Masakatsu Funaki, becoming the only Canadian to face the world champion. Lazenby subsequently lived and trained at the Pancrase dojo in Japan for several months. He held titles as a Canadian superheavyweight MMA champion and heavyweight kickboxing champion.

Film and Television Career

In 2000, Lazenby relocated from Ontario to Vancouver and entered the film and video game industries. His transition into motion capture work began in 2002 when he auditioned for Electronic Arts' video game Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects.

Lazenby has accumulated over 200 stunt credits and 130 acting credits throughout his career. His extensive stunt work includes major films such as I, Robot (2004), Catwoman (2004), Elektra (2005), X-Men 2 (2003), X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010), Deadpool (2016), Deadpool 2 (2018), and War for the Planet of the Apes (2017).

He has served as stunt double for numerous high-profile performers, including WWE champions "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, Goldberg, and John Cena, as well as UFC champion Randy "The Natural" Couture.

Lazenby's television stunt work includes series such as Andromeda, Battlestar Galactica, Eureka, Human Target, Almost Human, Arrow, iZombie, The Magicians, and The 100. His recurring acting roles include appearances on Riverdale (2018-2021), Superman & Lois (2021-2024), where he portrayed Doomsday and other characters, and When Calls the Heart (2021-2022).

In motion capture work, Lazenby is particularly known for his performance as Marcus Fenix in the Gears of War video game series, including Gears of War: Ultimate Edition (2015) and Gears of War 4 (2016). He has described Marcus Fenix as his favorite role due to the character's iconic status and natural fit with his own physicality and mannerisms. Rob Hayter, the first stunt coordinator to work on the Gears series in Vancouver, told Lazenby that after watching approximately 15 seconds of Marcus Fenix footage, he immediately thought of Lazenby for the role. Lazenby approached the role with extensive research, stating he felt an obligation to respect the Gears community and meet their expectations, ultimately finding that the character "fit like a glove."

During production of Gears of War: Ultimate Edition, Lazenby suffered a torn hamstring while performing motion capture work, resulting in him running around the soundstage and kicking performers in the chest while experiencing severe pain. Despite the injury, he noted the remarkable technological advancement in motion capture, describing how recent productions allowed him to see pores in Marcus Fenix's skin and faded scar tissue on the character's face, with his own unique facial tics and mannerisms being captured and translated into the character.

Regarding the evolution of motion capture work, Lazenby observed that early motion capture jobs were physically grueling, recalling that he would leave Electronic Arts sessions feeling severely beaten. However, he noted that modern technology has made the work less physically demanding while increasing the emphasis on acting ability rather than pure physicality.

In 2023, Lazenby expressed interest in participating in a potential Gears of War film adaptation being developed by Netflix, particularly if Dave Bautista were cast as Marcus Fenix. Lazenby revealed he had nearly served as Bautista's stunt double on a Toronto production but was unable to due to scheduling conflicts with work in Vancouver. He stated that Bautista would make an excellent Marcus Fenix and that he would "jump at the chance" to play a character alongside Bautista's portrayal of the iconic character.

Among his stunt work, Lazenby recalled one particularly dangerous day doubling for Steve Austin on the film The Stranger, where he used an air ram—a compressed air-driven catapult capable of throwing performers extremely high and far. The scene involved being launched away from an exploding car parked in a suburban driveway, with Lazenby noting that air rams are extremely dangerous and have caused serious injuries to stunt performers over the years due to the precision required in body positioning.

Personal Life

On September 20, 2004, Lazenby married Marianna Komlos, a Canadian bodybuilder, fitness model, and former World Wrestling Federation performer known professionally as "Mrs. Cleavage." Komlos died from breast cancer six days later on September 26, 2004, at age 35.

Writing Career

In 2015, Lazenby authored When We Were Bouncers: Famous Actors, Athletes and Others Tell Insane Stories Of Their Days Behind The Velvet Rope, compiling over one hundred stories from celebrities about their experiences working as bouncers. The book features contributions from UFC champions Bas Rutten, Don Frye, and Pat Miletich; WWE performers including Adam "Edge" Copeland and Lance Storm; UFC fighter Shayna Baszler; and actors such as Theo Rossi from Sons of Anarchy. Lazenby subsequently published at least two additional volumes in the series.

Drawing from his own experience of over twenty years working as a bouncer and bodyguard in bars, stadiums, nightclubs, and roadhouses across North America, Lazenby also serves as host and executive producer of the When We Were Bouncers podcast and television series, which continues to feature stories from former bouncers who achieved fame in entertainment and sports.