For the record, Todd Bradley is not dead. The gunshot wound in his chest just made it look that way as he sank to the bottom of a pool during a scene from last week’s "Hawaii Five-0."
But it definitely capped a memorable 24 hours for the 52-year-old waterman. First he appeared in Alexander Payne’s new feature film, "The Descendants," which had its Hawaii premiere Oct. 23, and then was seen as a murder victim the next night on national television.
Bradley is primarily a businessman and co-owns C4 Waterman, which makes stand-up paddleboards. He’s been a standout canoe paddler for much of his life, and with veteran stuntman Brian Keaulana as a business partner, it was only logical Bradley would end up on camera doing something.
"It’s not my job, just a fun hobby," Bradley said.
Bradley helped film scenes off Waikiki when "The Descendants" shot here last year. He even served as a stunt double for George Clooney in footage that didn’t make the final cut. And he got some face time, too, in a party scene.
His brief appearance on "Five-0" was far more dramatic.
Bradley was duct-taped to a patio chair and tossed into the deep end of the pool at Manoa Valley District Park. The stunt coordinator had packed lead fishing weights into the hollow legs of the chair so that it would sink quickly and, with a bit of luck, land on all four legs, Bradley said.
"I was really nervous the first time," he said. "My wife was really nervous. ‘Brian is there, right? I don’t want him to leave you there to drown.’"
They shot the scene 11 times.
"It took a while to get all the ingredients right," said Bradley, who was required to keep his eyes open the whole time but remain perfectly still.
"It would go all perfect and then it would land, but instead of landing on all four legs, it would land on the front two and I fell on my face."
FANS OF "Five-0" executive producer Peter Lenkov will be excited to see his high-octane action on the big screen when "R.I.P.D." comes to theaters in the summer of 2013.
The film, which stars Ryan Reynolds, Jeff Bridges and Kevin Bacon, is based on a Dark Horse Comics story Lenkov created 13 years ago.
It’s definitely not "Five-0."
The acronym stands for Rest in Peace Department and follows the adventures of undead police officers and a recently murdered cop.
Universal Pictures is shooting the film in Boston, where residents have been treated to incredible location action scenes involving flying and somersaulting cars — which they’ve posted on YouTube.
Lenkov, a producer on the film, was a huge comic book fan when he was growing up and always dreamed of writing one, he said in an email.
"So when I found myself in the offices of Dark Horse Comics talking about a movie project, I shared my passion for comics and told them I’d love to write one someday," Lenkov said. "They asked if I had an idea … and I proceeded to pitch them ‘R.I.P.D.,’ one of two stories I eventually had the opportunity to write for them."
"R.I.P.D." blends science fiction with some of Lenkov’s favorite themes: action, comedy and his love of police procedurals. The world of comics lets him think big.
"Best thing about writing comics is you don’t have to worry about production and budgets," Lenkov said. "You write a big action sequence and the artists draw it."
AND that’s a wrap …
Mike Gordon is the Star-Advertiser’s film and television writer. Read his Outtakes Online blog at honolulupulse.com. Reach him at 529-4803 or email mgordon@staradvertiser.com.
