Local woman turns to training after 30 years in the stunt business
Some people know what they want to be from an early age. Some go to school to figure out their calling. Others simply fall into careers, following no other path than the one laid out by their heart and intuition.
Sophia Crawford, then in her 20s, arrived in Hong Kong with her belongings in a plastic bag and adventure in her soul.
She knew not what was in store for her, but she knew she was ready to give it a shot. Luckily for Sophia, that sense of adventure and spontaneity was exactly what she would need for a career in the stunt business. As she walked on set and began her training with the world’s best stuntmen, she had no idea this path would lead her to enough film, TV, commercial and music video projects for a long, happy career. At that point, Sophia was just following her gut.
“I knew I was in search of something, but I didn’t really know what,” she said, recalling her first big break.
Born in London, Sophia’s journey began when she set out on a six-month trek with her sister, traveling the world and ending up in Thailand. Not ready to go home, she began teaching English and eventually fell into modeling. One day, her agency asked her to do some work as an extra, and the crew told Sophia about a need for actors in Hong Kong. At the time, many American action movies were being filmed in Hong Kong, so she packed up her things and headed to the fight film capitol of the world.
“The action business was booming in Hong Kong,and there was a need for Westerners to play villains,” Sophia said. “I had no experience in martial arts, but I absolutely loved it.”
Sophia immediately dove into training, learning from the industry’s best. In five years, Sophia made 30 films without ever leaving Hong Kong. By the time she had her footing in the business, a cult following had grown up around Hong Kong fight films, and they were gaining popularity in the United States.
“After a while, it was the same role one after the other,” she said. “It was fun, but I needed something more challenging. If I wanted to do action films, I had to go to Los Angeles.”
Sophia arrived on the Hollywood scene in the early 90s, and almost immediately, things started happening very quickly. Sophia’s time in Hong Kong had paid off, and she quickly landed a role doubling for Kimberly Hart, the pink ranger, on Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.
“We shot at Castaic Lake and Santa Clarita Studios,” Sophia recalled. “I think about the time we were shooting there and how young we were … I have some great memories of that time.”
As Sophia’s career took off, she doubled for Buffy on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Ana in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, and many music video stars including Madonna, Britney Spears, Shakira and Jessica Simpson.
“I thrived on the activity,” she said. “I loved working out and challenging myself and feeling strong.”
As Sophia built her repertoire of tricks, she ventured into burns, high falls, impact stunts, wire work and more.
“You have to train in everything and be ready for anything,” she said. “You better be sharp in your skills because you could get a call for a 6-month job and have to leave the country the next day.”
And when her husband got in an accident about five years ago, they were ready to handle that, too. After a long break, the couple ended up in Valencia, looking for a new start.
“After many years performing stunts, I wanted to do something for myself,” Sophia said.
After finding her ideal training facility, Sophia decided to launch Sophia-Fit – a fitness and nutrition program. While Sophia works with all kinds of clients, many of her students are training to break into the stunt business or further their careers. She teaches lessons in body awareness and control, basic tumbling, fight skills for the camera, reactions and more. Beyond stunt training, Sophia keeps a focus on fitness, staying true to her lifelong passion.
“Fitness is about how you feel. I want to be able to play tennis when I’m 90 – that’s how I want to feel,” Sophia said. “It’s empowering to feel strong, and I want other people to have that.”
For more information about Sophia, visit www.sophia-fit.com. or call 818-402-1133.
