Biography

From brave and humble beginnings, Darko’s father left what was then called Yugoslavia in 1968 and moved to Australia to seek a better life for his family. 12 months later, at 8 years of age, Darko (with his mother and sisters) immigrated from Croatia to Australia with English as a second language and later became Australian citizens in 1979. Attending Oakleigh Technical School in Melbourne until year 9, Darko then began working in the meat works as a boner/slicer.

Training martial arts from the young age of 12, Darko continued his training and at the age of 28 was invited to attend a two-day stunt selection. He was one of 15 selected from 125 people to begin a 10-week stunt course. It was here Darko’s stunt journey began with New Generation Stunts run by Stunt Coordinators Chris Anderson and Mitch Deans. Successfully graded, he began his stunt career in 1989 with his first role as a soldier on the Mission Impossible TV series. Within 12 months he was graded as a Stunt Actor and selected as the lead stunt double on a U.S co-production television show and personally developed a futuristic form of martial arts for the production. In 2001 Darko became a Stunt Coordinator, managing stunts and safety risk assessments on both a national and international level.

Key achievements in Darko’s career to name a few:
• Worked on over 140 feature films in 35 years
• Member of the Queensland State Grading Committee for five years
• Board member of the Media Entertainment Arts Alliance, National Stunt Grading Committee for 23 years
• Chairman of the M.E.A.A, N.S.G.C for 8 of the above years
• Screen Actors Guild award for best stunt ensemble in a feature film for “Unbroken”
• Developed a film fight syllabus for Actors and Stunt Performers
• Developed a women’s self-defence program for the “Women’s Crises Centre”
• 9th Dan Hanshi Professor/Grand Master Instructor of International Standing
• Selected for Australian Stunt Hall of Fame
• Order of Australia nominee

Darko’s career is a pillar of iconic and well-known stunts. Renowned for creating and simplifying extreme and complex sequences, Darko has performed and co-ordinated difficult feats, not without the occasional knock out. With two examples being when he jumped out of a sea plane; tumbling on the ocean; was knocked out on first impact and finishing face down in the water. Another example was when he was knocked out in the subway sequence in “The Matrix”, which resulted in a full set shut down. Despite the many career credits, Darko holds “The Matrix” close to heart as one of the most memorable. Playing one of the key stunt doubles for Keanu Reeves; with two stand out moments including hanging under a helicopter and the rebirth sequence. Another iconic film in Darko’s career was “The Thin Red Line”, working with Stunt Coordinator Glenn Boswell.

In 1993, Darko was required to perform a fireball chase explosion running out of a mining tunnel. Unfortunately, no one had realised the venturi affect that would occur and he was engulfed within the fireball, receiving burns to 35% of his body; requiring skin grafts to both shoulders and down his back. Chris Anderson so kindly brought a packet of BBQ chips to Darko while in hospital, renaming him ‘Mr Crispy’.
After surgery and a long recovery, Darko made the conscious decision that no Stunt Performer would be at risk of experiencing the injury he sustained. He invested himself heavily as a Safety Supervisor/Stunt Coordinator, to study every potential risk of fire burns and torches, while in the process becoming a specialist in the area. Darko went on to develop new safety procedures and a unique fire gel (patent pending) that was significantly safer and more controllable; burning 100 degrees cooler than previous products. As a member of the National Stunt Grading Committee, Darko contributed to re-developing the grading procedure for new stunt performers/safety supervisors and stunt coordinators in 2010 and again in 2023 as well as contributing to Australia’s National Guidelines for Screen Safety in 2021.

With a passion to contribute and help others in the industry, Darko has taught a great number of emerging stunt performers for over 35 years, with some becoming Stunt Coordinators in Australia and Internationally. He endeavours to constantly improve industry skills, safety standards and uphold professionalism for both national and off-shore productions coming to Australia. With safety being his focus and specialty, he proudly represents the Australian stunt and film industries when consulting internationally being invited as a guest speaker at the Pula Film Festival 61; running stunt and safety workshops in Croatia from 2014-2017 and consultant for the managing board of the Croatian film society.

Whilst his time and position as Chairman and committee member of the National Stunt Grading Committee at the M.E.A.A has been voluntary for 24 years, Darko continues to give back to his community where possible - volunteering on projects such as ‘the right to imagine’ commercials in conjunction with ‘Act for Kids’ charity for children with cancer. Darko was also privileged to Stunt Coordinate a production for Horse Riding for the Disabled, leading a team of 25 stunt performers and assisting disabled children performing sword fights, horse falls, drags and stunt doubled for a paraplegic child. These shows bring much laughter and confidence to so many children in a unique way.

Despite his achievements on paper, it is teaching and the achievements of others in the safest manner possible that Darko is most proud of.

A personal message from Darko; “From the deepest part of my heart – in this incredible industry that I am a part of, I would like to sincerely and enormously thank Chris Anderson for being a mentor and friend, as well as the many Stunt Coordinators both in Australia and internationally that I have worked with (without naming all of them), I would like to say thank you. For it has been an honour and a privilege to work with you throughout my ongoing career. You have all had a lasting influence in some shape or form. Yours in stunts, Darko.”


Researched & Written by Spike Cherrie