Yakima Canutt

Yakima Canutt (1896-1986) was an actor and stunt man in Hollywood movies of the 1920s through the 1950s.

Born Enos Edward Canutt in the rough ranchlands near Colfax, Washington, "Yak" Canutt moved as a young man to Yakima, Washington (the town from which he borrowed his nickname). There he gained fame as a very successful rodeo rider. He met actor Tom Mix at a rodeo in Los Angeles, and was persuaded to work as a cowboy in films.

He had some success as an actor, primarily playing "heavies," but his real talent was as a stuntman and stunt coordinator. He staged some of the most memorable action scenes ever committed to film, including the heart-stopping chariot race segment in the 1959 film Ben Hur.

He has been inducted into the