If you’ve seen the acclaimed film The Revenant, you are well aware of the scene in which Hugh Glass, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, is mauled by a bear.

Much of the sequence used CGI to represent the bear, and while details of the actual shoot were scant after the film’s release, it became clearer over time that behind the CGI was — what media termed here and here — a “stand-in” for the bear.

Really? A Stand-In?

In truth, the “stand-in” was actually a stuntman — Glenn Ennis — of Vancouver. The Toronto Sun wrote about Glenn and his process in “attacking” DiCaprio.

While Glenn may have served the function of a stand-in for the shoot, stand-ins don’t appear on camera since they work “behind the scenes” in the setup of a shot. Stunt performers occasionally do the work of a stand-in for scenes that involve stunts. But stunt performers also and usually work on camera.

Stand-ins are rarely asked to perform stunts — in most cases, doing a stunt would be a higher pay grade. So, technically speaking, it may be slightly inappropriate to refer to Glenn as the bear’s “stand-in.”

Do you know of any other articles that inappropriately label professionals as “stand-ins”? Post your links below!