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In an unexpected revelation on the podcast "Fly on the Wall" hosted by David Spade and Dana Carvey, the skateboarding legend Tony Hawk shared a previously unknown story of how he was once fired as Spade's stunt double in the 1987 film "Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol."
When Tony Hawk met David Spade
Tony Hawk, now 55 and a household name in the United States, talked about his encounter with David Spade on the set of "Police Academy 4," which marked Spade'sHollywood debut.
Spade's character in the movie was a skating delinquent who joined the COP program as punishment for his crimes.
Hawk had already established himself as a professional skateboarder by his high school graduation in 1986, making him the perfect candidate to perform complex skate tricks for the movie.
However, fate had other plans. Hawk explained that between his audition and the start of production, he experienced a significant growth spurt.
The height difference between Hawk, who stands tall at 6'3", and the 5'7"David Spade became an apparent issue.
Hawk explained, "I went through a growth spurt, from the time we tried out [for the movie] to the time we got there, and so for the first week, they were like, 'I think that guy is too tall, and I remember the director saying 'y'know, he's a pretty good skater but he's a bad stunt double!' and so then Stacy [Peralta, second unit director for skateboarding] kept telling me like 'Stay low. Stay low!' And I go... I was trying, and then they just quietly sent me home. Basically, I got fired."
Skating into Hollywood history:
Despite his firing from the film, Tony Hawk's skateboarding skills left an indelible mark on "Police Academy 4."
His skating footage, credited simply as "skateboarder," caused continuity errors when the next stunt double didn't match the skateboarding stance of Hawk or Spade, both of whom rode skateboards "goofy-footed."
Hawk's expertise came to the rescue when David Spade struggled with a stunt. In a memorable moment, Hawk took over, successfully completing a five-step jump on a skateboard.
Reflecting on his Hollywood adventure, Hawk revealed that "stunt bumps" were a valuable lesson learned during the film's production.
Essentially, the more challenging the stunt, the more money they received.
He fondly remembered one instance where they negotiated a $500 dollar bonus for performing a particularly daunting stunt over a fountain.
While Hawk may have been fired from his role as Spade's double, his short-lived Hollywood career remains a fascinating chapter in the life of the skateboarding legend.