Yesterday, a video that went viral first on Instagram and then on Twitter caused a huge uproar on social media. In the video, a man resembling Harrison Ford was seen stepping onto a platform, wearing a grey suit and holding a sign. Suddenly, he set himself on fire, and the shocking scene unfolded as he started burning.
The viewers witnessing this incredible scene were both terrified and astonished as the man's clothes caught fire while he continued to wave the sign he was holding. For a moment, everyone thought he was the famous actor himself, and their hearts skipped a beat. Those who watched in fear weren't entirely wrong because the man who set himself on fire was none other than Harrison Ford's stunt double, Mike Massa. The sign he was holding was also one of the banners prepared for the SAG-AFTRA strike, the Hollywood actors' union strike.
Mike Massa, the 55-year-old who has worked in numerous movies in Hollywood for years, also serves as an assistant director. However, the main duty and expertise of the experienced Hollywood worker are stunt doubling. In other words, Mike Massa steps in for the big stars in dangerous scenes in movies and plays their roles, taking significant risks in their place. Mike Massa, one of the most experienced stunt doubles in the industry, also serves as the coordinator for these scenes, providing training in stunt doubling; in other words, he is the master of this craft. Having worked on numerous movies for years, Mike Massa is Harrison Ford's stunt double. Resembling the star actor, Mike Massa looks like the famous actor's twin with the makeup done for the movies.
Amidst the applause from his colleagues and actors who came to show support, as well as the fearful glances of the curious onlookers unfamiliar with the situation, Mike Massa's fiery act lasted only 18 seconds.
However, Mike Massa spoke to The Washington Post newspaper about this action, which seemed like a long and dangerous scene from a film to the viewers. He said, "We wanted to make a statement, and I accepted the union's proposal. In films, we put our lives on the line. We wanted to show something similar while fighting for our rights and prove how determined we are about the strike."
