TARZAN’S DOUBLE IS SWING OF THE JUNGLE
Circus star talent-spotted to do stunts in new blockbuster
IT’S been one of this summer’s blockbuster hits. But Tarzan could not have swung from the vines and leapt between treetops in the latest movie incarnation of the legendary jungle character without a Welsh circus us acrobat.
Augusts Dakteris was Tarzan’s stunt double in the The Legend of Tarzan film – and was approached by the casting team from Warner Bros to pull off the daring aerial feats in the big screen Hollywood blockbuster released earlier this month.
“It happened quite out of the he blue,” said Augusts, who was performing with NoFit State Circus in the Netherlands when he got the he call.
“They were looking for someone who could do the aerial stunts, likeke swinging, and they thought I looked a bit like Alexander Skarsgard.”
Swedish actor Skarsgard, known for his role in fantasy horror series True Blood, stars as Tarzan in the film that follows the hero as he is called back to the jungle after living in London.
Augusts sent the casting team ma a video of him performing and was soon asked to meet with the director.
“It moved very quickly – it was quite surreal,” he recalled.
Augusts travelled to the Warnerner Bros Studios Leavesden in London, where Harry Potter was filmed.
He had a two-day meeting to disiscuss his rigging requirements, during which the team worked out exactly how to set up the ropes for the ambitious stunts.
Augusts also worked with choreographer Wayne McGregor, who was movement director for Harry Potter and choreographed music videos for Radiohead.
A month later, in between work- ing on his own “steampunk fairytale” show called Kinesonic in Cardiff, Augusts went back to the studio for filming.
“I love movies and it was amazing to see behind the silver screen and glimpse into that world,” he said.
“They put me up in a nice hotel and a BMW or Mercedes came to pick me up in the morning.”
Augusts performed on ropes that were set up in front of a green screen in a large studio full of cameras.
“I really had to work on my grip strength for all that one-armed swinging,” he said.
“We were filming from about 5am to 5pm and that’s the longest I’ve ever been hanging in the air from one arm. It was gruelling and my shoulders hated me for it.”
The crew took a 3D image of Augusts’ body and merged his movements with Skarsgard’s body.
Skarsgard was impressed with his stunt double’s performance and told interviewers: “I’m watching the movie of me doing these incredible stunts, swinging through the jungle.
“And I’m thinking: ‘Should I take credit for this?’this? Augusts deserves the credit, for sure.”
The circus performer said it was a “proud moment” when he watched the film for the first time.
Augusts grew up in a village in Lincolnshire, where he worked in fruit packing factories, but always knew he wanted to be a performer.
Aged 21, he moved to London and started working in clubs as a stilt walker and fire breather, before seeing Cardiff-based NoFit State Circus perform their show Tabu in 2009. He joined the tour as a volunteer, working behind the bar, selling programmes and cleaning the toilets, while starting to build up his strength and flexibility. A year later, he got a place at the National Centre for Circus Arts, where he learnt skills like the fly- ingtrapeze, be-fore specialising in aerial straps.
“I always had dreams about flying,” said Augusts, who wanted to be a pilot as a child.
“I just love the feeling of being able to leave the ground and soar through the air.”
He graduated in 2012 and has since toured with NoFit State’s show Bianco, which has taken him all over the world, as well as starting his own company, Vagabond’s Hat.
Augusts will be performing in Bianco at London’s Southbank Centre from November 23 until January 22. For more information, visit www.southbankcentre.co.uk