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Terry Richards dead: Star Wars stuntman, who featured in over 100 films, dies aged 81

The daredevil famously played the Egyptian swordsman in the first Indiana Jones film, and starred in 9 James Bond films

Jenn Selby
Wednesday 25 June 2014 12:48 BST
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Terry Richards, one of the UK’s leading stuntmen, has died aged 81.

Born as David Terrence Richards in south London, he went into the film industry in 1957 after a friend in the Welsh Guards tipped him off about a production company looking for extras with military training.

He went on to work opposite Kirk Douglas in The Vikings in (1958), before founding The Stunt Register in 1960.

He famously played the Egyptian swordsman in Raiders of the Lost Ark, the first Indiana Jones film, who is comically shot dead by Harrison Ford’s character after a flamboyant display of knife skills.

He also starred in no less than nine James Bond films, and in Star Wars, as well as providing body doubles for Tom Selleck, Christopher Lee and Donald Sutherland throughout his 50 year career.

“He fought Indiana Jones, James Bond, Luke Skywalker and Rambo - there's not many people who can say that,” his son Terry Richards Junior told the BBC.

He retired in 1999 after starring in one last Bond movie, Tomorrow Never Dies, in which he roughed up Pierce Brosnan’s 007 in a recording studio.

Richards died suddenly on Saturday 14 June. His funeral is scheduled to take place in London later today, his family have confirmed.

“He was still in good health but he was more ill than he thought,” Richards Jr continued.

“He'd been dragged behind cars, fallen off buildings, shot, punched. He always used to get up, but this time sadly he wasn't getting up.”

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