Leslie Hoffman

Leslie Hoffman is a stuntwoman, actress, and stunt coordinator who worked between and as a regular stunt performer on and . She was one of the regular stunt doubles for Roxann Dawson and doubled several guest actresses. In addition, Hoffman was an assistant stunt coordinator for Dennis Madalone and also responsible for the stunt safety on set.
== Early life and career ==
=== 1970s ===
Hoffman was born in , and attended the Saranac Lake Central High School, where she played at the William Morris Playground and took ballet and gymnastic classes at the Sokol Gymnastic Training Camp and at the Fokine Ballet. She studied acting at the and the in , where F. Murray Abraham and Whoopi Goldberg also learned their profession. During her time at the studios she decided that acting was too slow for her and she needed more action, a decision which brought her into the world of stunts.
Hoffman, a great niece of composer Bernard Green, moved to in 1974, where she trained her skills, including high falls and fight techniques, at Paul Stader's gym in . The gym was a famous location in the stunt business and many stunt performers trained there, including Star Treks Dick Durock, Bob Minor, George Wilbur, Dennis Madalone, Tom Morga, and Brian J. Williams. Resettled in Los Angeles, her first union job was the thriller in 1976. 
The following years, Hoffman performed stunts in the television series and The Hardy Boys/ Nancy Drew Mysteries, doubled in the comedy series , in Fantasy Island, starring Ricardo Montalban, and portrayed a stunt nurse in the episode "The M*A*S*H Olympics" (1977), which features David Ogden Stiers. On The Love Boat, Hoffman and 's stunt double Dick Ziker jumped 78 feet together and landed a few feet apart from each other in the water. This is one of the stunts Hoffman found particularly dangerous. She appeared as a high school student in the 1977 horror film in a stunt scene involving several horses, doubled actress in ' comedy (1978), performed in Corey Allen's action film Avalanche (1978) on which she first worked together with Dennis Madalone, and (1978). Hoffman was as a stunt Indian on the mini series Centennial (1978), did a fire stunt on the television horror film (1978), doubled in the series B.J. and the Bear, and appeared in the science fiction thriller (1979).
While performing stunts on 's war comedy (1979), Hoffman and another stuntman David Cassidy had "nearly been killed" during a stunt involving a motorcycle sidecar that involved a jump into the back of a truck. A mechanical flaw cause the sidecar to run out of gas thus carrying herself on top and David in the sidecar flying into the truck's bumper. She later recounted how, despite the incident, they had to return and do the stunt again, the following day. 
=== 1980s ===
During this time, Hoffman was the first "voted-in" member of the "Society of Professional Stuntwomen", a newly-formed group of the top stuntwomen in the movie business, including Julie Ann Johnson, , May Boss, Regina Parton, Jean Coulter, Debbie Evans, Stevie Meyers, and Stephanie Epper. In 1981 she was the first stuntwoman who was elected to the Board of Directors as Chair of the National Stunt and Safety Committee and Co-Chair to the Young Performers Committee, where she served for two years. She also served on the Local and National Board and was the first stuntwoman who joined . It was also the time Hoffman started to do seminars and giving lectures in stunt safety and labor laws. She testified on SAG's behalf in Sacramento in child labor laws because of The Twilight Zone incident and wrote the safety section in the AFTRA/SAG Young Performers Handbook.
In the '80s, Hoffman was busy doing stunt work for film and television. She doubled actresses Jo McDonnell in (1981), in the comedy series Private Benjamin (1981-1983, co-starring Robert Mandan and Joel Brooks) and (1986), in (1983-1987) and (1989), Kellye Nakahara in (1985), and in (1986).
Also in the '80s Hoffman worked on two movies she is probably best remembered for. In (1984), she portrayed the School Hall Guard which was one of the incarnations of the main character, . Her line, "Hey Nancy, No running in the hallway!" were later replaced by 's voice. In the 1988 comedy The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!, she doubled actress who portrayed in this movie. Hoffman's stunt was, beside several punches, the legendary slide over the banquet table.
Other films she worked on, in these years, include (1980), (1980), the television drama Brave New World (1980), (1980), (1981), (1984), (1985), (1985), (1986), (1988), and (1988), which features fellow Trek stunt partner Tom Morga. Television work included the series Walking Tall (1981, with Jeff Lester), The Fall Guy, Strike Force (1982), Cassie & Co. (1982), (starring Dwight Schultz and Melinda Culea), (1983, with Robert Pine and Madlyn Rhue), as stunt double for Lesley Woods in (1987, stunt coordination by Buck McDancer and with Brett Cullen, Dana Sparks, Brian Thompson, Brian George, and Christopher Held), and Rags to Riches (1987).
== Star Trek ==
Hoffman calls herself a Trekkie. She has seen every episode of and is able to name every episode. In 1973 she went to the second ever held Star Trek convention in New York City, took part in the trivia contest and was the third winner. The letter she received with her third place prize was signed by Richard Arnold.
Hoffman's first work on Star Trek was the Deep Space Nine fourth season episode , in which she portrayed a Starfleet ensign and performed a stair fall in Ops. Also in this episode, her character answered "Thanks" when she was handed a phaser. This was a voice which was added in postproduction and was not Hoffman's.
Beside other parts as Starfleet officer and bar patron, she also worked as stunt double on several episodes. These included performing Mila's stair fall in the series' final episode, .
On Voyager, Hoffman was the main stunt double for Roxann Dawson throughout the third through seventh seasons, performing her falls and fight scenes and was also in the orbital skydiving suit for the episode . For the episode , she was originally not planned to appear but Madalone said that a double for Dawson, who wanted to do her own stunt, was required. In the stunt, a full hit by stunt actor Scott Leva, Hoffman fell really hard on the ground and was protected by Ken Lesco, who avoided worse. She filmed this stunt on Friday on Paramount Stage 16 as seen in scenes 44-45. From the final stunt only a very brief sequence was part of the episode. She has also memories about her cliff stunt in the episode . 
In the episode , Hoffman stunt doubled Roxann Biggs-Dawson for the whole fight, this was due to the fact that Biggs-Dawson was pregnant at that time and the studio wanted to protect her. Once Hoffman was doubling her, in the fight, there are no cuts. The way it was filmed was that the camera stayed on the Klingon played by stuntman Tom Morga, Hoffman stepped out and Biggs-Dawson stepped in. Then the camera swings back onto Biggs-Dawson. In the entertainment industry this is called a "Texas Switch". (Source: Leslie Hoffman)
For the fifth season episode "Extreme Risk", Hoffman filmed her stunt scenes on Friday and on second unit on Tuesday on Paramount Stage 16.
Hoffman was also on set as stunt double for Roxann Dawson during the production of the fifth season episode . According to the call sheet, she was up to double Dawson in scenes 21-25 set in engineering and filmed on Monday on Paramount Stage 9. In the final episode however, no stunt double was used during the clash with Jeri Ryan.
Beside her regular work on screen, Hoffman was one of the assistant stunt coordinators for Dennis Madalone along with Tom Morga and George Colucci, she attended Production Meetings to discuss the Stunt Department Budget and the needs for the stunt sequences. There were also times that Dennis would have her as a Stunt Coordinator on the set.
Hoffman provided her own coonskin cap to the production of the episode , in which she also had a small appearance and served as stunt coordinator for. Her cap was held by James Darren during the opening dialogue of the episode.
Two of Hoffman's costumes were sold off on the It's A Wrap! sale and auction on eBay; her costume as double for Roxann Dawson in the episode for US$470.00 and her costume as double for Julianna McCarthy (Mila) in for US$130.50. 
== Later career ==
=== 1990s ===
During her time on Star Trek, Hoffman also worked on several other projects. She performed stunts in the comedy The Misery Brothers (1995, under coordinators B.J. Davis and Ed Anders), the horror film (1995), (1995, starring Christopher Lloyd), the action film For Life or Death (1995, along with Rick Avery), and the video game Maximum Surge (1996).
In 1996, she worked as stunt coordinator for the ABC Afterschool Specials episode "Me and My Hormones", the directorial debut of . She also portrayed a wrestler in this episode and acted alongside fellow DS9 co-star Courtney Peldon. The following year, she worked on several episodes of the drama series Melrose Place (1997) and doubled actress 's stair fall in front of the court house. She appeared in the family series Step by Step (1997, with Michael Kagan) and the short drama Safe Journey (1999, with Scott Allen Rinker), for which she also served as stunt coordinator. Hoffman was the stunt coordinator for the short film Mulligans! (1997) and performed stunts in the science fiction thriller Convict 762 (1997), the science fiction film Mars (1997), and the television drama Bella Mafia (1997).
In , she doubled actress 's fights and falls and in the superhero comedy (1999), she worked as stunt driver and portrayed a "stunt granny".
Also Hoffman with Tom Morga and Brian J. Williams performed stunt shows at Star Trek Conventions where in several of the conventions were joined on stage in a skit with J.G. Hertzler and Robert O'Reilly.
=== 2000s ===
Since 2000, Hoffman has appeared rarely on screen. She portrayed a casino patron in the Nikki episode "I'll Kick Your Ass" in 2001 and a dinner guest along with Spice Williams in the comedy sequel (2000). On the latter production, she also worked as stunt double for actress Joan Collins.
More notably, Hoffman worked as stunt coordinator. Her credits include the comedy Ophelia Learns To Swim (2000, with Hilary Shepard Turner), The Innocents Mission (2000, on which Tom Morga worked as stunt rigger), (2000), the short drama Never Land (2000, again along with Tom Morga), the documentary Daybreak Berlin (2001, with Diana Cignoni and Tom Morga), the short comedy Father Xmas (2001), the thriller Love Leprosy (2001), the comedy My Friend's Love Affair (2001), working as stunt rigger for the horror film Dead Above Ground (2002).
Shortly before 8 August 2008, Leslie Hoffman, having been living in Los Angeles since 1974, was joined there by her nephew, Ritchie Hoffman, an actor himself. Following his move, Leslie Hoffman excitedly commented that she felt like she and her nephew were in "Hoffman: The Next Generation", excitedly implying that she was proud that her nephew was carrying on certain family traditions. Her nephew Alexander Hoffman has also been working for DreamWorksTV as a writer, director, and producer.
More recently, Hoffman was interviewed for the 2010 documentary Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy. Fellow Star Trek alumni Kane Hodder, Michael Bailey Smith, Robert Rusler, Brannon Braga, Lisa Wilcox, Brooke Bundy, Fran Bennett, Mark Shostrom, and R. Christopher Biggs were also interviewed. 
Hoffman has been disabled since 2002 due to a traumatic brain injury and the physical wear and tear that a stunt person goes through years of stunt work. She had originally applied for her occupational disability and health plan and was denied, only being given the disability plan by the Screen Actors Guild – Producer Pension and Health. It has been discovered that they fear that other stuntpeople might start applying for this plan (that should be given to SAG members that have had career-ending injuries on the set). Since 2010, she has been going through the United States court system but has been "stonewalled" by the SAG Pension and Health lawyers and a specialized law called that was established by the US Federal Government in 1974. 
As for being disabled, Hoffman had a workers compensation case settled in her favor, that she was indeed disabled. Also she was awarded SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance) from the Federal Government since 2002, because they ruled her disabled. SAG Health continues to refuse to submit paperwork to the courts. A second lawsuit had to be filed based on SAG Health violating ERISA laws by refusing to review why they took away her disability pension. A petition was started demanding that SAG Health gave her back the disability pension and that they give her the occupational disability pension and health for which she qualifies. As of 2016, Hoffman lost her disability pension. 
Hoffman has been interviewed in numerous Star Trek podcasts along Dennis Madalone and Tom Morga.
On 4 January 2019 Hoffman won an appeal in the 9th District Court against the SAG Pension and Health Plan. 
In 2021, for the third time, the 9th District Court overturned the Los Angeles Judge's ruling in her eleven year lawsuits against the SAG Pension and Health Plan. 
On 31 March 2022, Hoffman's hometown honored her with a plaque on their Saranac Lake Walk of Fame. 
== Star Trek appearances ==
File:Human DS9 ops ensign 4.jpg|Starfleet ensign(uncredited)
File:Terran rebel, 2372.jpg|Terran rebel(uncredited)
File:DS9 cmd crewman 7.jpg|Defiant crewmember(uncredited)
File:Human DS9 female 6, 2374.jpg |Bar patron(uncredited)
File:Bashir 62 casino hologram 1.jpg|Casino patron(uncredited)
File:Female Nakan colonist 3.jpg|Nakan colonist(uncredited)
=== Stunt double appearances ===
File:Leslie Hoffman, Remember.jpg|Stunt double for Roxann Dawson(uncredited)
File:Leslie Hoffman, Blood Fever.jpg|Stunt double for Roxann Dawson(uncredited)
File:Leslie Hoffman, By Infernos Light.jpg|Stunt double for Carrie Stauber(uncredited)
File:Leslie Hoffman, Before and After.jpg|Stunt double for Roxann Dawson(uncredited)
File:Leslie Hoffman, Day of Honor.jpg|Stunt double for Roxann Dawson(uncredited)
File:Leslie Hoffman, Random Thoughts.jpg|Stunt double for Roxann Dawson(uncredited)
File:Leslie Hoffman, Rocks and Shoals.jpg|Stunt double for Lilyan Chauvin(uncredited)
File:Leslie Hoffman, Valiant.jpg|Stunt double for Ashley Brianne McDonogh(uncredited) 
File:Leslie Hoffman, Unforgettable.jpg|Stunt double for Virginia Madsen(uncredited)
File:Leslie Hoffman, Extreme Risk.jpg|Stunt double for Roxann Dawson(uncredited)
File:Leslie Hoffman, Covenant.jpg|Stunt double for Maureen Flannigan(uncredited)
File:Leslie Hoffman, What You Leave Behind.jpg|Stunt double for Julianna McCarthy(uncredited)
== Other Trek connections ==
A list of Star Trek performers who appeared in the same productions as Hoffman.
*Two-Minute Warning (1976, with Brock Peters, Mitchell Ryan, Allan Miller, Freddie Hice, Tom Huff, Glenn R. Wilder, Gary Combs, Branscombe Richmond, and stunts by Jean Coulter, James M. Halty, Hubie Kerns, Jr., and Bennie E. Moore, Jr.)
*The Car (1977, with John Rubinstein, Roy Jenson, Ronny Cox, Don Keefer, and Bobby Clark)
*I Wanna Hold Your Hand (1978, with Troy Melton, Marilyn Fox, Gene LeBell, Ivy Bethune, Jimmy Nickerson, George Sawaya, Rick Sawaya, and Janet Brady)
*Avalanche (1978, with Bill Catching, Freddie Hice, Robert Bralver, Jerry Summers, and Keith Lane Jensen)
*The Fifth Floor (1978, with Earl Boen, Anthony James, Greg Barnett, Michael Berryman, Robert Herron, Tracey Walter, Hubie Kerns, Jr., and Gene LeBell)
*Centennial (1978, with Cliff DeYoung, Brian Keith, Sally Kellerman, Stephen McHattie, Anthony Zerbe, Michael Ansara, Henry Darrow, Clive Revill, James Sloyan, Morgan Woodward, Robert Easton, Nick Ramus, Eric Server, Robert DoQui, Tony Epper, and Glenn R. Wilder)
*Devil Dog: The Hound of Hell (1978, with Ike Eisenmann, Warren Munson, and Bill Zuckert)
*Meteor (1979, with Brian Keith, Joseph Campanella, Michael Zaslow, Bibi Besch, Clyde Kusatsu, Christine Anne Baur, Bill Couch, Sr., Bruce Barbour, Kenny Endoso, and Al Wyatt)
*1941 (1979, with Elisha Cook, J. Patrick McNamara, David L. Lander, Michael McKean, Jerry Hardin, Dick Miller, Whitney Rydbeck, Vince Deadrick, Jr., Dick Durock, Eurlyne Epper-Woldman, Gary Epper, Tony Epper, John Escobar, Robert Herron, Loren Janes, Al Jones, Joyce McNeal, Johnny C. Meier, Jimmy Ortega, Denver Mattson, Regina Parton, Mary Peters, Mic Rodgers, Rick Sawaya, and Ben Scott)
*The Nude Bomb (1980, with Norman Lloyd, Robert Bralver, Beverly Hart, Nick Dimitri, Dick Durock, Greg Barnett, Doug Coleman, Hubie Kerns, Jr., Jimmy Ortega, and Kym Washington)
*Airplane! (1980, with Jonathan Banks, Marcy Goldman, Gregory Itzin, Cyril O'Reilly, Kenneth Tobey, Jason Wingreen, Janet Brady, Gene LeBell, Mary Peters, and Rick Seaman)
*Brave New World (1980, with Jeannetta Arnette, Casey Biggs, Julie Cobb, Tricia O'Neil, Greg Barnett, Jean Coulter, and Frank James Sparks)
*Resurrection (1980)
*Die Laughing (1980, with Larry A. Hankin, Carel Struycken, Scott DeVenney, Richard E. Butler, and Eurlyne Epper)
*Hero at Large (1980, with Kenneth Tobey, Gary Combs, Gilbert Combs, and Charlie Picerni)
*Motel Hell (1980, with Nancy Parsons, Richard E. Butler, Bill Catching, Gary Jensen, and Sharon Schaffer)
*Blow Out (1981, with J. Patrick McNamara, Rick Avery, and Carey Loftin)
*The Munsters' Revenge (1981, with Joseph Ruskin and Charles Macaulay)
*40 Days of Musa Dagh (1982, with Sid Haig, John Hoyt, and David Opatoshu)
*The Wild Women of Chastity Gulch (1982, with Joan Collins, Paul Carr, and Rex Holman)
*A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984, with David Andrews, Tony Cecere, Kerrie Cullen, and Donald R. Pike)
*Protocol (1984, with Chris Sarandon, Gail Strickland, Ed Begley, Jr., Keith Szarabajka, Cliff DeYoung, Kenneth Mars, Joel Brooks, Grainger Hines, Mary Carver, Jeanne Mori, and George D. Wallace)
*Johnny Dangerously (1984, with Joe Piscopo, Ray Walston, Byron Thames, Scott Thomson, Chuck Hicks, Vincent Schiavelli, Rick Avery, Gene LeBell, Pat Romano, Rick Sawaya, Mike Washlake, and Robert Herron)
*Clue (1985, with Michael McKean, Christopher Lloyd, Jane Wiedlin, and Bill McTosh)
*Death Wish 3 (1985, with Ed Lauter, Gavan O'Herlihy, Marina Sirtis, Alan Oliney, and Rick Seaman)
*Polish Vampire in Burbank (1985, with Brian J. Williams)
*Inside Adam Swit (1985)
*Stewardess School (1986, with Brett Cullen, Earl Boen, Brooke Bundy, Paul Eiding, Richard Lineback, Paddi Edwards, Bill Erwin, Robert Towers, Viola Stimpson, Kym Washington, Bill Couch, Sr., Bill Couch, Jr., Chuck Couch, Lane Leavitt, and Mike Washlake)
*Deadly Friend (1986, with Tony Cecere and Doc Charbonneau)
*Out of Bounds (1986, with Jeff Kober, Kevin McCorkle, Allan Graf, John Vickery, Dick Ziker, Bennie E. Moore, Jr., John Alden, Greg Barnett, Janet Brady, Gary Combs, Gilbert Combs, Jim Conners, Jean Coulter, Eddy Donno, David Richard Ellis, Steve Holladay, Billy Hank Hooker, Tommy J. Huff, Jimmy Nickerson, Alan Oliney, Charles Picerni, Jr., Mic Rodgers, and Scott Wilder)
*The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988, with Ricardo Montalban, Raye Birk, Tiny Ron, Nicholas Worth, Lawrence Tierney, Rick Seaman, Mark Holton, Terry Jackson, Robert Herron, Gene LeBell, Jimmy Ortega, Mary Peters, Rick Sawaya, and Harry Wowchuk)
*Saturday the 14th Strikes Back (1988, with Ray Walston, Rhonda Aldrich, Michael Berryman, and Joseph Ruskin)
*Alien Nation (1988, with Leslie Bevis, Jeff Kober, Roger Aaron Brown, Brian Thompson, Keone Young, Earl Boen, Frank Collison, Tom Morga, Bruce Barbour, Simone Boisseree, Eugene Collier, Erik Cord, Ralph Garrett, Terry Jackson, Bill McTosh, Troy Melton, Bill Ryusaki, Rick Sawaya, Sharon Schaffer, Rick Seaman, Jim Wilkey, Brian J. Williams, Harry Wowchuk, and Dick Ziker)
*Christmas Vacation (1989, with Miriam Flynn, Nicholas Guest, Natalia Nogulich, Billy Hank Hooker, Tony Epper, Jeremy Roberts, Greg Barnett, Janet Brady, Erik Cord, Steve Kelso, Johnny C. Meier, Noon Orsatti, Charles Picerni, Steve Picerni, Cheryl Wheeler-Dixon, Scott Wilder, Dick Ziker, and Ken Bates)
*All's Fair (1989, with Sally Kellerman, Jennifer Edwards, Zachary Benjamin, Gary Epper, Tony Epper, and Danny Rogers)
*Trust Me (1989)
*The Prophecy (1995, with Virginia Madsen, Jeff Cadiente, Chuck Borden, Ben Bray, Doug Coleman, Scott Cook, Dyanna Lynn, Debby Lynn Ross, Erik Stabenau, and Pete Turner)
*Maximum Surge (1996, with Walter Koenig, Chris Doyle, Michael Champion, John Escobar, Michael Jace, and Spice Williams)
*Melrose Place episode "Great Sexpectations" (1997, with Bruce Gray, Bobby C. King, Phil Morris, and Dey Young)
*Melrose Place episode "Who's Afraid of Amanda Woodward?: Part 1" (1997, with Deborah Lacey, Skip Stellrecht, Christopher Michael, Ken Thorley, Barry Wiggins, and Dey Young)
*Convict 762 (1997, with Yannick Derrien, Ed Anders, Darlene Ava Williams, and Scott Leva)
*Mars (1997, with L.L. Ginter, Jeff Wolfe, Ed Anders, Chuck Borden, Ken Clark, Dustin Courtney, B.J. Davis, Red Horton, Lane Leavitt, Ken Lesco, Scott Leva, Eddie Mathews, Peewee Piemonte, Scott Rogers, and Merritt Yohnka)
*Bella Mafia (1997, with Gina Philips, Paul Eckstein, Michael Kagan, Steve Silverie, Larissa Laskin, and Ben Jensen)
*Scream 2 (1997, with Rebecca McFarland, David Warner, Chris Doyle, Corey Mendell Parker, Ted Barba, Tony Cecere, Chris Durand, Michael Haynes, Al Jones, Hugh Aodh O'Brien, Allen Robinson, Michael J. Sarna, and Nancy Thurston)
*Mystery Men (1999, with Sunny Görg, Elliot Durant III, Christine Anne Baur, Joey Box, Bobby Burns, Jarrid Eddo, Diana Lee Inosanto, Julie Ann Johnson, Gene LeBell, David LeBell, Clint Lilley, Joyce McNeal, James Ryan, and Karen Sheperd)
*The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas (2000, with Joan Collins, David Jean Thomas, John Cho, Kevin Grevioux, Steve Schirripa, Ted Rooney, Jacqueline Case, Joe Davis, Scott L. Schwartz, Joseph Steven, Elle Alexander, Bobby Bass, Mark Chadwick, Max Daniels, Jim Hart, Buddy Joe Hooker, Tommy J. Huff, Joel Kramer, Lane Leavitt, Manny Perry, Steve Picerni, Scott Rogers, Monica Staggs, Ron Stein, Glenn R. Wilder, Spice Williams-Crosby, and Scott Workman)
*Everything Put Together (2000, with Matt Malloy, Alan Ruck, Thomas Prisco, Tom McCleister, Justin Louis, Shelly Desai, and Judy Geeson)
*Nikki episode I'll Kick Your Ass (2001, with Nikki Cox and Brad William Henke)
*Dead Above Ground (2002, with Corbin Bernsen, Chris Freeman, Chuck Borden, George Colucci, Chris Doyle, Charles Grisham, Jim Hart, Hubie Kerns, Jr., Ken Lesco, Chuck Madalone, Dennis Madalone, Tom Morga, and Justin Sundquist)
== External links ==
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