Mike Chute was only seven years of age when he decided what he wanted to do with his life. Growing up in Montreal, Canada, he loved watching movies, but it was watching the 1979 action flick The Fantastic 7 when he discovered his calling.
“In this movie there is an actress who is kidnapped and when the authorities decide they won’t rescue her, the movie’s stuntmen decide to go after her themselves. I was hooked and decided that was the job for me,” recalled Chute.
Now, with an extraordinary career spanning decades, Chute is living his childhood dream as an internationally sought-after Stunt Actor. His resume includes highlights such as the iconic 2006 blockbuster 300, the star-studded Nightmare Alley directed by Academy Award Winner Guillermo del Toro, the X:Men franchise, and the upcoming Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, to name a few.
“I have truly been blessed in my career to have been a part of so many successful films. I dreamed of a career in film since I was seven years old and I actually giggle every now and then like a child, when I realize I’m doing what I wanted my whole life…and getting paid quite well for,” he said.
One of Chute’s more recent successes was the 2021 action-horror film Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City. The film exceeded box office expectations, bringing fans of the video game franchise out to the theaters during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the stunt work was a major part of the film’s success due to its heavy action sequences, even taking home an award for stunts at the 2022 ACTRA Toronto Awards, one of the highest honors in the Canadian Film Industry.
“It’s always a boost to morale when a project you work on is successful. Not only is it rewarding to know that all that hard work is appreciated but to see the careers of your friends and peers rise as a result is worth it all,” said Chute.
The Stunt Coordinator, Dan Skene, had worked with Chute previously on several projects and knew he was extremely talented, and approached him about doubling an actor (Pat Thornton) playing a truck driver. As Chute has much experience stunt driving, and is one of few who drives tractor trailers for stunts, he was the ideal person for the role.
Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City was shot in a small suburb north of Toronto, Canada, and Chute describes the experience as challenging yet exciting. Working in close proximity to people and property with a vehicle that weighs in excess of 40,000 lbs., things can go very wrong very quickly, but Chute’s vast experience and talent allowed everything to go smoothly. In one scene, the trucker sees something and comes to a rapid stop, and Chute needed to slide the truck close to a camera and three operators, a very dangerous stunt if Chute were to miss his mark, however, he executed it flawlessly.
“The stunts were obviously very exciting to perform, and I am always happy when my skill levels are challenged. But what made this experience so great were the cast and crew. It was such a good time every single day,” said Chute.
Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City tells the story of the first two video games in the wildly popular Resident Evil franchise. Once the booming home of pharmaceutical giant Umbrella Corporation, Raccoon City is now a dying Midwestern town. The company’s exodus left the city a wasteland… with great evil brewing below the surface. When that evil is unleashed, a group of survivors must work together to uncover the truth behind Umbrella and make it through the night.
“One of my pet peeves in movies is a predictable storyline. This film was anything but predictable,” Chute concluded. “With the wonderful performances from many talented actors and the story, which keeps you on the edge of your seat, how could you not like this movie?”