CLEARWATER, Fla. —  The K75 Stunt Academy recently opened in Clearwater after actor and co-owner David Siracusa said he could not find a place in the Tampa Bay area that offered movie stunt training.

What You Need To Know

  • The K75 Stunt Academy opened in Clearwater in March

  • Co-owner David Siracusa said he started the business because there was no place in the Tampa Bay area that offered movie stunt training 

  • Fill-in trainer Meg Joyce said stunt skills make actors more marketable 

  • The K75 Stunt Academy offers training three nights per week

“I got into the movie business about 2 years ago,” he said. “I am kind of an athletic guy and I wanted to do my own stunts and there was nowhere to train. I had to go to Atlanta in order to train.”

Siracusa said he and his business partner, Kevin Rego, who’s also the main stunt trainer, decided to lease a warehouse and turn it into an academy. They needed a space with high ceilings and plenty of room.

Siracusa said most people don’t realize the Lifetime and Hallmark movies shot locally need stunt actors.

“Everyone always says Hallmark and Lifetime they don’t do stunts. You don’t think about it, but they do,” he said. “If it’s a woman being abused by her husband and she falls down the stairs, that takes a very special person to be able to fall down hard wood stairs over and over and over again.”

Meg Joyce is a fill-in trainer from Tampa who has been a stunt performer in Florida for the past 6 years.

“I’ve done traveling live shows, I’ve done movies, I’ve done music videos,” she said. “Honestly, most of them local.” 

Joyce said actors want to learn how to do their own stunts because those skills make them more marketable. She first trains actors on how to take a punch or fall.

“It’s such a great starting point here to learn just the basic stuff, fundamentals of stunts and safety,” she said. “You want to look good. That’s why we’re doing this, right? Look comfortable and look good.”

The K75 Stunt Academy opened in March and 15 actors attended the first class. Actor Lexi Bacca, who said she has appeared in more than 30 movies and commercials, drove up from Cape Coral for stunt training in April.

“Being able to be a stunt double really helps you in your acting capabilities and being able to do more roles,” she said. “When I saw that my good friend David opened this, I knew I had to come up and try it out.”

Joyce said she believes the stunt academy will be popular and fills a gap.

“I think it’s definitely needed here in Florida. Especially as the industry grows down here,” she said. “So, if you want to get that on your resume, this is the place to be.”

Siracusa said there’s demand for stunt training, thanks to film incentives offered by Pinellas and Hillsborough counties, which lure production companies to the area.

“We’re very fortunate to be in an area that offers incentives because overall Florida has lost a little bit of their way in the film industry,” he said. “It’s great that Hillsborough and Pinellas are leading the way. That our little corner of the world is saying, ‘Yes, bring those movies here.’”

The K75 Stunt Academy offers training three nights per week.