Michael Papajohn
- Actor
- Stunts
- Producer
A native of Birmingham, Alabama, Michael graduated from Vestavia Hills
High School in 1983.
The Texas Rangers drafted him in 1985, but he chose instead to attend
Louisiana State University on a baseball scholarship. He was the
starting center-fielder on the first LSU team to go to the College
World Series in 1986, and again in 1987.
In 1987, _Everybody's All-American (1988)_ came to shoot in Baton
Rouge, and Michael was chosen as
Dennis Quaid stunt double for the football
scenes. He caught the attention and earned the admiration of Director
Taylor Hackford, who encouraged Michael
to pursue a career in stunt work.
While filming Charlie's Angels (2000), Michael was kicked in the jaw
with a stiletto boot. He found himself in an emergency room, insisting
that he was not the victim of domestic violence. The spousal abuse
representatives had a hard time believing that he had been kicked by
Cameron Diaz.
Michael is most widely known as "The Carjacker" in Spider-Man (2002),
whose actions ultimately lead Peter Parker to become Spider-Man.
Michael first met director Sam Raimi when he played Kevin Costner's nemesis in For Love of the Game (1999).
Another notable role was as Guard Papajohn in The Longest Yard (2005)
for producer Adam Sandler. They met
when Michael did all of Adam's stunts in The Waterboy (1998), making
the hard hits as Bobby Boucher. In The Longest Yard, things came full
circle when Michael had his own stuntman.
He has produced one film, Rustin (2001), that went on to win festival
awards.
High School in 1983.
The Texas Rangers drafted him in 1985, but he chose instead to attend
Louisiana State University on a baseball scholarship. He was the
starting center-fielder on the first LSU team to go to the College
World Series in 1986, and again in 1987.
In 1987, _Everybody's All-American (1988)_ came to shoot in Baton
Rouge, and Michael was chosen as
Dennis Quaid stunt double for the football
scenes. He caught the attention and earned the admiration of Director
Taylor Hackford, who encouraged Michael
to pursue a career in stunt work.
While filming Charlie's Angels (2000), Michael was kicked in the jaw
with a stiletto boot. He found himself in an emergency room, insisting
that he was not the victim of domestic violence. The spousal abuse
representatives had a hard time believing that he had been kicked by
Cameron Diaz.
Michael is most widely known as "The Carjacker" in Spider-Man (2002),
whose actions ultimately lead Peter Parker to become Spider-Man.
Michael first met director Sam Raimi when he played Kevin Costner's nemesis in For Love of the Game (1999).
Another notable role was as Guard Papajohn in The Longest Yard (2005)
for producer Adam Sandler. They met
when Michael did all of Adam's stunts in The Waterboy (1998), making
the hard hits as Bobby Boucher. In The Longest Yard, things came full
circle when Michael had his own stuntman.
He has produced one film, Rustin (2001), that went on to win festival
awards.