The stunt world has lost a superstar. George P. Wilbur, the prolific stunt performer, coordinator, and double has died at the age of 81. 

Film fans and critics seldom give stunt performers the love they deserve, but as "Once Upon A Time... in Hollywood" showed us, they're often the invisible pillars holding up entire productions. Without their high-octane mix of bravery and precise training, and with a generous dash of daredevil recklessness, we would never have gotten the death-defying, thrill-inducing, price-of-the-ticket justifying action that has made films like "Die Hard," "Escape From New York," and "Total Recall" such rewatchable classics. And Wilbur, whose resume was nearing a stunning 150 credits when he retired in 2013, did stunts on all of them. 

Born at the height of the Second World War in Connecticut, in 1941, Wilbur would go on to enlist in the Navy before eventually finding his way to Tuscon, Arizona, where he worked...