Exclusive Interview with Boba Fett Stuntman J.J. Dashnaw

BFFC connected up with J.J. Dashnaw, the main Boba Fett stunt double in “The Book of Boba Fett” plus the show’s overall Stunt Coordinator who — when not doing stunts on other shows — recently had his first public convention appearance

You have a giant career doing stunts. What first drew you into that line of work and what keeps you going?

I actually started doing stunts when I was 8 years old. My first job I was doubling Brian Bonsall on a movie called “Mikey.” He was an adopted 8-year-old serial killer. My mother Tracy Dashnaw was the stunt coordinator and also doubled the mom in the show and I got to stab her in the neck with a piece off glass and we fell together from second story. Pretty uncommon scenario but, yeah, that was my first job. Growing up I always looked up to my mom and dad who are very well respected stunt performers / coordinators and second unit directors. I always got to grow up around legends in the business and always knew I wanted to follow their footsteps.

What was it like being a stunt coordinator for the show? Was there certain philosophy you tried to follow as you developed each scene?

I was first asked to come aboard during “The Book of Boba Fett” for this production. Robert Rodriguez — who I have worked for since I was 18 years old on “Spy Kids 2” — was one of the producers this season and asked me to come aboard. It was the first show back for me post-Covid, so obviously a lot changed in our industry. Dealing with all of that obviously made it very challenging as it was hard to communicate with my performers. But I had a great team and the crew on the show was amazing.

Was working on a Star Wars project different from other projects?

I definitely had a little catch-up to do as everybody had been working together on two previous seasons. There were a lot of rules as far as do’s and don’ts in the Star Wars universe. Overall, it was an amazing experience. I will never forget, and I sure hope to be a part of it for many years to come.

How did it feel getting to wear Boba Fett’s beat-up “post-Sarlacc” armor – and also new “Daimyo” armor?

Being in that suit was pretty surreal, and I am grateful to have been given the opportunity to do it.

You first appear as Boba emerging from the sand around the Sarlacc in Chapter 1. You also share a Boba credit with Eyad Elbitar and Trevor Morgan. What stunts did you do versus those two?

Yes, my first appearance as Boba’s double was an episode one where I had to crawl out of the pit that Boba Fett so famously fell into on the film many years ago.

Eyad did anything in the Desert suit helmet off stuff, and Trevor Morgan did the helmet off fight with the assassin characters. Trevor is a great kid.

In Chapter 3, you again do Boba stunts in addition to Eyad. Which ones were yours?

I believe I did the jet pack flight and landing in front of the Twins as well. I was so long ago trying to keep it straight!

In Chapter 6, you get to play Deputy Scott. How was that playing that role versus doubling?

Working as Deputy Scott was fun to do. I asked Dave Filoni when I was trying to cast that character how old he was and what does he look like and Dave just kind of smiled and pointed at me and he goes, “He looks a lot like you ha ha ha.” So that’s literally how that happened.

You’re in the finale with Din Djarin, specifically Brendan Wayne, for the finale’s giant fight scene. Tell us about the wire work and that team-up?

Episode 7 was definitely a doozy. Yeah getting to do that shootout with Brendan was awesome. We had my longtime director Robert Rodriguez directing us, which is always a blast. I’ve done a lot of awesome stuff with Robert and hope to continue that relationship for a very long time.

You also are the one riding the rancor! How did you put your touch on riding that animatronic?

Getting to ride that rancor… not gonna lie was probably the coolest thing I got to do the whole season. I come from a rodeo background so when we were talking about how to ride it and with or without the saddle, they went from me having two hands holding it, to me just using one hand to look like I’m in way more control. It was like I was riding a horse and then that way I could have my gun in my right hand, ready to fire at all times. I was quite amazed with how well the actual practical rancor worked with the CG version as well. Those guys did an amazing job in post-production cutting that scene together.

Do you have any favorite memories from the “Book of Boba Fett” set with Temuera Morrison?

Working with Tem in that scene was awesome. He gave me some pointers and we had a lot of laughs together before I got him shot, ha ha ha ha ha.

Overall, I would say Boba Fett will always hold a special place in my heart because it was the start of many shows with Lucasfilm. The atmosphere and work environment is next to none and I hope we continue to work for many years to come. Thank you guys for always reaching out, tuning in, and giving us your feedback.