Toni Vaz, First Hollywood’s Black Stuntwoman Dies At 101 (image-twitter/SamePassage)
Toni Vaz, an actor-turned pioneering stunt performer had died at the age of 101. A spokesperson total Deadline that Vaz dies October 4 at the Motion Picture Fund campus in Woodland Hill.
She had moved to Los Angeles from the East Coast in the 1950s to pursue a career as an actor and stuntwoman, which may have been a surprising career choice as her mother didn’t allow her to watch movies until she came of age.
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However, her determination paid off with her early role as an extra in Joseph M. Newman’s Tarzan, the Ape Man of MGM. She was also featured in the film released in 1959 in a scene opposite the studio’s MGM’s Leo the Lion.
Later, Vaz had done small roles in Anna Lucasta and 1966’s The Singing Nun, which led to a new career in stunt work.
Paying tribute to the late activist on X, formerly known as Twitter, American actress Yvette Nicole Brown wrote, “Getting to meet the great #ToniVaz thru my work with @mptf was a highlight of my career & life. ICYMI Toni CREATED the @NAACP #ImageAwards & she was set to get her star on the #HollywoodWalkOfFame THIS year. Such a well-deserved honor! #RIPToniVaz”
In addition, Vaz was the first Black woman to find love for stunt work and pursue a career in it accordingly, including her work in Mission: Impossible TV show, where she doubled for Cicely Tyson.
She also worked with Juanita Moore in The Singing Nun and singer and actress Eartha Kitt at one point. Her stunts have included dangling from a helicopter.
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Vaz has appeared in 50 TV shows and movies to her credit and has over 20,000 hours of performance.
She was also known for founding the NAACP Image Awards in 1967 to celebrate the accomplishments of people of colour in media and entertainment and also to honour those who promote social justice through their work.
