The stuntman was best known for his work on the Star Wars and Back to the Future movie franchises.
Deadline reports that Hollywood stunt performer Bob Yerkes passed away at the age of 92. According to a statement by fellow stunt performer Darlene Williams Bostock, the former acrobat died Tuesday morning in his Northridge, CA home. She shared “I am horribly sad to hear that my mentor and stunt coach Bob Yerkes passed away this morning in Northridge, California. Bobby opened the door to his home and backyard to everyone that either needed a place to stay or to train for a job… I would not have had a career in stunts without Bob Yerkes.”
Yerkes was born in Los Angeles on February 11th, 1932. He began tumbling as a child, which led him to join the circus at the young age of 15. When Yerkes returned to Los Angeles, the acrobat began doing stunt work, making his on-screen debut in 1948’s Julia Misbehaves.
Yerkes would go on to have an illustrious career, doubling for actors such as Paul Newman, Robert Duval and Arnold Schwarzenegger to name a few. His work can be seen in classic films, such as Airport (1970), Earthquake (1974), The Towering Inferno (1974), Return of the Jedi (1983), Ghostbusters (1984), Back to the Future (1985), Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986), Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988), Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989), Hook (1991), Batman Forever (1995) and Poseidon (2006).
Yerkes would also take on the role as a mentor and a teacher to many stunt performers, spreading his knowledge at his backyard bootcamp in Los Angeles.
Bostock, who was a former student of Yerkes, also shared “There will never be another Bob Yerkes! My heart is broken. I am proud and honored to have known him. He was a true legend!”