Bob Yerkes, ‘Back to the Future’ & ‘Return of the Jedi’ Stuntman, Dies at 92

Prolific stuntman Bob Yerkes, who worked on films such as Back to the Future, Return of the Jedi, and Hook, has died. He was 92.

Yerkes passed away on Tuesday, October 2, from natural causes, according to a Facebook post from friend and fellow stunt performer Darlene Ava Williams.

“I am horribly sad to hear that my mentor and stunt coach Bob Yerkes passed away this morning in Northridge, California,” Williams wrote. “I am so thankful that we got to celebrate Bob Yerkes induction into the Circus Ring of Fame this year for Coach of the Year. I am so happy we got to also celebrate his 92nd birthday with him here in Sarasota.”

“There will never be another Bob Yerkes! My heart is broken,” Williams concluded. “I am proud and honored to have known him. He was a true legend!”

Born on February 11, 1932, in Los Angeles, California, Yerkes began his career in the circus at 15 years old, performing acrobatics. He toured with The Flying Artons as a catcher in a trapeze act and worked for the Ringling brothers.

He later transitioned into movies, taking on some of the most memorable stunts in cinema history. His stunts included sliding down a clock tower cable in Back to the Future, flying as Boba Fett in Return of the Jedi, plummeting from a helicopter through a roof in Breakout, being thrown off a train in Tough Guys, and hanging around the Statue of Liberty in Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins.

He also performed stunts in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Ghostbusters, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, Batman Forever, Commando, Magnolia, Poseidon, and The Back-Up Plan. His most recent stunt came in the 2017 movie Killing Hasselhoff.

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When he wasn’t performing on-screen, Yerkes hosted stunt training days at his home in Los Angeles, where his backyard featured extensive rigging for stunt work.

Yerkes also trained actors for the annual Circus of the Stars CBS specials that aired from 1977-94 and worked closely with the athletes on the 1989-96 competition series American Gladiators.

He was inducted into the Circus Ring of Fame in February 2024, saying in his speech, “The circus was always my first love. I did lot of movies and stunt work, too, but the circus was what I really enjoyed.”