Tom Morga

Tom Morga is a stuntman, stunt actor, and stunt coordinator who holds the record for being the most seen stunt actor/stuntman in Star Trek. Between and he appeared in six feature films and the first four spin-off television series, doubled main actors and guest actors, and played almost every major species. 
Morga also served as assistant stunt coordinator to Dennis Madalone on , and for fourteen years. This position included fight choreography for episodes such as and the creating of props such as the blade weapons in . For the majority of his appearances he received no credit. 
Several costumes worn by Morga were sold off on the It's A Wrap! sale and auction on eBay, including his costumes from the episodes , , , , which was also worn by background actor Michael McAdam, , and and costume parts from his appearance in . The description for the latter costume features the sentence: A sewn in Voyager tag denotes wear by veteran stunt man Tom Morga, a name more known than the one he is doubling for.
== Early life and career ==
Morga was born in Burbank, California. While in college, he worked as a smokejumper, stationed in Missoula, Montana, between 1969 and 1974. Morga's work as a smokejumper landed him his first television appearance when he was featured in an episode of the animal documentary television series Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom. In the episode in which he appeared, his team saved a wild buffalo herd from a forest fire. This experience inspired him to take up a stunt career.
He began his career in the stunt industry in the '70s and performed in several live stunt shows, including the stunt show at Universal Studios Tour. A couple of his first films were, Lucky Lady (1975) where he played a henchman and Airport '77 (1977) where he was one of the Navy Seal Team placing lift bags under the airplane. On television he was the stunt double for in the television series The Man from Atlantis (1977-1978), where he performed alongside Gene LeBell and Hubie Kerns, Jr. under the coordination of the late Paul Stader. His work included doubling for Duffy in scenes outside the water and on the surface. This was also the first time he worked as stunt coordinator for an episode. 
Morga also doubled Duffy in a few episodes of the long-running soap Dallas and landed parts in films such as the three-time Golden Globe-nominated Movie Movie (1978) and the first Star Trek feature film, , in which he doubled for Spock actor Leonard Nimoy, among others for Spock's "space walk" into V'ger. (Return to Tomorrow - The Filming of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, p. 432)
== 1980s ==
In the 1980s, Morga doubled actor on the television series Tenspeed and Brown Shoe (1980), which starred Ben Vereen and was coordinated by Dennis Madalone. He then doubled on Scarecrow and Mrs. King (1983-1987), after which he was actor Ron Perlman's double in the fantasy series Beauty and the Beast (1987-1990). This latter series also featured Armin Shimerman and Tony Jay. 
In 1982 Morga became a member of the "Stuntmen's Association of Motion Pictures". He received screen-time on series such as Dynasty (1989, episode "Blast from the Past" with Joan Collins, Stephanie Beacham, Tracy Scoggins, John D. Gowans, Richard Sarstedt, Spike Silver, and Brian J. Williams), Hart to Hart, MacGyver, The Six-Million-Dollar Man, Matlock, Fantasy Island (starring Ricardo Montalban), Spenser: For Hire (starring Avery Brooks), and the first spin-off Star Trek series Star Trek: The Next Generation. Other actors he doubled for film and television projects include , , , , the late , and .
Besides his television work he was busy on the big screen, as well. He doubled in Ghostbusters (1984) and performed in Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment (1985, with the late David Graf), Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins (1985, alongside Kate Mulgrew, Joel Grey, George Coe, Patrick Kilpatrick, and Michael Pataki), the sequel Jaws: The Revenge (1987), the science fiction film Alien Nation (1988, with Earl Boen, Roger Aaron Brown, Frank Collison, Jeff Kober, Brian Thompson, and Keone Young), and three more Star Trek feature films. 
During this period he stepped into another genre he became famous for: the horror film. Morga played the lead villain, Michael Myers, in the first scenes of Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988). He also played another iconic villain, Jason Voorhees in Friday the 13th: A New Beginning (1985) and appeared in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986).
== 1990s and beyond ==
In the 1990s he continued his work in feature films, appearing in Hudson Hawk (1991), Child's Play 3 (1991, starring Brad Dourif), (1992, again with Dennis Madalone, and with Chris Doyle and Patricia Tallman), (1994, with Bill Bolender, Brian Brophy, Clancy Brown, Jude Ciccolella, Bob Gunton, Don McManus, Mark Rolston, William Sadler), (1995, with René Auberjonois and Ed Begley, Jr.), Independence Day (1996, with Brent Spiner), Deep Impact (1998, with James Cromwell and Denise Crosby), and The Mask of Zorro (1998). He again doubled Jeff Goldblum in the sequel The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997) and performed in the sixth Star Trek feature, .
He also continued appearing on television shows, including NYPD Blue (starring Gordon Clapp and Sharon Lawrence), Babylon 5 (starring Andreas Katsulas, Bill Mumy, and Star Trek stunt partner Patricia Tallman), Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, She Spies, Dragnet, and as stunt double for on Seinfeld (co-starring Jason Alexander).
In 2001 he doubled Keith Carradine in the film Cahoots and appeared in Dr. Dolittle 2. He acted in Dennis Madalone's music video "America We Stand as One" (2002), on which he was also assistant director.
His additional credits include (2002) alongside Spice Williams and starring Kirsten Dunst; the short film Jennifer is Dead (2002), with Pat Tallman, Dennis Madalone, and Lynn Salvatori, (2002); Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003, with stunts by Craig Jensen), National Treasure (2004, starring Christopher Plummer); Star Trek Nemesis, and the first three Pirates of the Caribbean films (2003, 2006, and 2007), with Lee Arenberg and fellow stunt performers Brian J. Williams, Theo Kypri, Christopher Leps, Dana Dru Evenson, Alex Chansky, and Jay Caputo.
In 2006, Morga served as co-producer for the television documentary UFO: The Greatest Story Ever Denied and was interviewed for the television special Halloween: 25 Years of Terror, which also featured interviews with J.C. Brandy, Kim Darby, Chris Durand, and George P. Wilbur.
In 2007 he was part of the stunt team that was awarded with a Taurus World Stunt Award for best fight sequence in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. He shared this award with Mark Aaron Wagner, Thomas DuPont, Lisa Hoyle, Tony Angelotti, Jeff Wolfe, Phil Culotta, Kofi Yiadom, and Jeremy Fry.
Morga worked as stunt coordinator for Corbin Bernsen's horror film Dead Air (2009), which features Bernsen, Patricia Tallman, Justin Rodgers Hall, and Randy Mulkey and for the short comedy The Van Pelt Family (2008), and completed interviews for the television special His Name Was Jason: 30 Years of Friday the 13th (2009), alongside Derek Mears, Kane Hodder, Lawrence Monoson, Peter Mark Richman, Erich Anderson, and David Kagen. He also performed stunts on the comedy Bald (2008, with Michael Durrell) and on the drama series Castle (2010). On the latter one he worked together with Star Trek alumni Dennis Madalone, Chris Doyle, Robert Picardo, and executive producers Rob Bowman and Rene Echevarria.
Also in 2010 Morga worked as stunt coordinator on the episode "Big Time Live" of the musical series Big Time Rush. This episode features Ed Begley, Jr.. Another project as stunt coordinator was the short film Penny (2010, with Don Stark). In 2011 he worked as stunt rigger on the Castle episode "Pretty Dead". This episode featured Michael McKean and fellow stunt rigger Chris Doyle and Dennis Madalone was again the stunt coordinator.
More recently, Morga worked as sword fight choreographer for a sword fight scene in the Academy Award nominated drama The Artist (2011) on which fellow Trek stunt performers Laura Albert, Mark Donaldson and Tanner Gill also performed stunts. Also in 2012, Morga received a Lifetime Membership Award from the Stuntmen's Association of Motion Pictures. 
Morga was interviewed for the 2013 documentary Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th, again along with Kane Hodder, Derek Mears, Peter Mark Richman, Michael Buchman Silver, Lawrence Monoson, Douglas Tait, Brannon Braga, Erich Anderson, and Whitney Rydbeck. In 2014 he completed filming on the Wayne Bauer action film Dogmike (2014) where he played Morgan Blackstone and worked opposite Lynn Salvatori. 
== Tom Morga: Alien Stuntman ==
In Morga made an interview for the newly digital remastered and with new special features endowed DVD box . In this about four minutes long interview he told that he is probably the person who holds the record for playing the most different aliens on Star Trek, including Klingons, Romulans, Vulcans, Borg, Nausicaans, Cardassians, and Jem'Hadar. He also told that the beauty being on Star Trek is that your face is never used up so he was able to have fights in one episode and probably die but also to appear on the next episode.
Morga told that the Klingons were a challenge to play because of the big heavy jackets and the fights he had to do in these jackets. The special feature also showed up with several images of Morga in his roles and costumes during the , including doubling Leonard Nimoy and playing one of the first new Klingons in Star Trek: The Motion Picture for which he was the first person to be measured up for the new uniform, portraying the workman in space in Star Trek II, as Starfleet officer and Klingon in Star Trek III, the ultimately-deleted "Rock Man" from Star Trek V, his makeup sessions and on location shoot on a glacier in Alaska as the Brute in Star Trek VI, and as a Reman in Star Trek: Nemesis.
The production of Nemesis needed thin people to portray the Remans. The costumes were later slightly modified and used for the Xindi in and Morga got a call to portray such a Xindi because of his name tag in the costume. He joked that you should always make sure that your name stays in the costume if you want to be hired.
== Star Trek notes ==
* Morga played a rock monster in , in a climactic sequence that was ultimately scrapped.
* Morga and fellow stuntman John Nowak worked as stunt supervisors on the fourth season episode in . They've trained all seven main cast members during the stunt and fencing rehearsal on Wednesday on Paramount Stage 9.
* While filming a stunt for the episode , Dennis Madalone took a hit in his eye and Morga replaced him to fulfill the stunt sequence. In the final aired version both stuntmen played the holographic Skull warrior in the fight sequence with Michael Dorn.
* Morga filmed scenes as a Starfleet crewman for the episode . These scenes include an explosion in the machine room of the Defiant and Morga performed stunts as a Starfleet operations officer. Although three extras remained in the final aired version, Morga was completely cut from this episode. (source: Tom Morga)
* In 2007, Morga served as fencing coach for George Takei on the fan-made internet series Star Trek: New Voyages episode "World Enough and Time", an episode on which fellow Trek alumni George Takei, Grace Lee Whitney, Majel Barrett Roddenberry, writer and director Marc Scott Zicree, writer Michael Reaves, Doug Drexler, Iain McCaig, James Van Over, Dan Curry, Daren Dochterman, Pierre Drolet, Sam Mendoza, Ronald B. Moore, Lee Stringer, Gregory Jein, Philip Kim, Leslie Hoffman, and Michael Okuda worked.
== Star Trek appearances ==
File:Amar first officer.jpg|Klingon executive officer
File:Tom Morga as workman in space.jpg|Workman in space, (stock footage)
File:Enterprise torpedo bay officer trainee 1, 2285.jpg|Enterprise trainee crewman
File:Merchantman alien crewman.jpg|Merchantman crewman
File:Enterprise operations trainee crewman 1.jpg|Starfleet officer
File:Klingon crewman 1, 2285.jpg|Klingon officer
File:Enterprise-A security 7.jpg|Enterprise-A security officer
File:Rock Man 4.jpg|Rock Man(deleted scene)
File:Romulan Guard 2368.jpg|Romulan guard(uncredited)
File:Martia as the Brute.jpg|"The Brute"
File:Bajoran DS9 resident 2.jpg|Bajoran man(uncredited)
File:Cardassian on Celtris III 3.jpg|Cardassian soldier(uncredited)
File:Nausicaan 3, 2327.jpg|Nausicaan dom-jot player(uncredited)
File:Klaestron kidnapper (male).jpg|Klaestron kidnapper(uncredited)
File:Nol-Ennis warrior 1.jpg|Nol-Ennis warrior(uncredited)
File:Bajoran deputy on Jerrado 2.jpg|Bajoran security deputy(uncredited)
File:Killed Borg on Ohniaka III.jpg|Borg drone(uncredited)
File:Holographic Ohniaka III Borg.jpg|Holographic Borg(uncredited)
File:Prytt trooper 1.jpg|Prytt guard(uncredited)
File:Kellerun soldier 2.jpg|Kellerun soldier(uncredited)
File:Cardassian on Dorvan V 1.jpg|Cardassian soldier(uncredited)
File:Klingon assassin at Maranga IV 1.jpg|Klingon assassin(uncredited)
File:Human colonist, Hudson cell 10.jpg|Maquis guard(uncredited)
File:Jem'Hadar 1, 2370.jpg|Jem'Hadar soldier(uncredited)
File:Cardassian spy 1, 2370.jpg|Cardassian soldier(uncredited)
File:Boarding Jem'Hadar 1, 2370.jpg|Jem'Hadar soldier(uncredited)
File:Boarding Jem'Hadar 4, 2370.jpg|Jem'Hadar soldier(uncredited)
File:Jem'Hadar soldier (illusion).jpg|Jem'Hadar soldier
File:Tygarian hologram.jpg|Holographic Tygarian(uncredited)
File:Sanctuary District ghost 3.jpg|"Ghost"(uncredited)
File:Romulan guard 1, 2371.jpg|Romulan guard(uncredited)
File:Klingon alliance officer 3 2371.jpg|Klingon Alliance officer(uncredited)
File:Tom Morga, The Die is Cast.jpg|Romulan bridge officer(uncredited)
File:Warrior with torch.jpg|Holographic Viking(uncredited)
File:Starfleet security officer 1, alt 2372.jpg|Starfleet security officer(uncredited)
File:Klingon monster DS9.jpg|Holographic skull fighter(uncredited)
File:Klingon warrior 7 a.jpg|Klingon warrior(uncredited)
File:Janklow.jpg|Crewman Janklow(uncredited)
File:MP guard 2.jpg|MP guard(uncredited)
File:Soto.jpg|Soto
File:Minnis.jpg|Minnis(uncredited)
File:Klingon officer 4, 2372.jpg|Klingon officer(uncredited)
File:Argrathi guard 2.jpg|Argrathi guard(uncredited)
File:Klingon alliance officer 1, 2372.jpg|Klingon Alliance officer(uncredited)
File:Kazon-Nistrim guard 5.jpg|Kazon-Nistrim guard(uncredited)
File:Clown guard 2.jpg|Clown guard(uncredited)
File:Kazon nistrim 2, 2372.jpg|Kazon-Nistrim(uncredited)
File:Akritirian prisoner 1.jpg|Akritirian prisoner(uncredited)
File:Swarm species alien 2.jpg|Swarm alien(uncredited)
File:Jem'Hadar on Torga IV 1.jpg|Jem'Hadar soldier(uncredited)
File:Holographic Klingon 2, 2373.jpg|Holographic Klingon(uncredited)
File:Ajilon Prime Klingon 1.jpg|Klingon soldier(uncredited)
File:Carlson (hologram).jpg|(uncredited)
File:Damaged borg drone 2, 2373.jpg|Borg drone(uncredited)
File:Jem'Hadar on Athos IV 1.jpg|Jem'Hadar soldier(uncredited)
File:Cardassian Empok Nor soldier 1.jpg|Cardassian soldier(uncredited)
File:Kradin commando 2.jpg|Kradin commando(uncredited)
File:Kradin soldier 2.jpg|Kradin soldier(uncredited)
File:Day of honor Klingon 1.jpg|Klingon warrior(uncredited)
File:Voyager holographic Klingon 2.jpg|Klingon hologram(uncredited)
File:Warrior Borg drone 1.jpg|Warrior Borg drone(uncredited)
File:Jem'Hadar on Soukara 3.jpg|Jem'Hadar soldier(uncredited)
File:Cardassian guard 2 2346.jpg|Terok Nor guard(uncredited)
File:Madrat.jpg|Madrat(uncredited)
File:Asylum orderly.jpg|Asylum orderly(uncredited)
File:Jem'Hadar on AR-558 1.jpg|Jem'Hadar soldier(uncredited)
File:Bajoran follower 9.jpg|Bajoran Pah-wraith follower(uncredited)
File:Drone attacking One 1.jpg|Borg drone(uncredited)
File:Yosts species marauder 1.jpg|Alien marauder(uncredited)
File:Borg hologram 1 2375.jpg|Holographic Borg drone(uncredited)
File:Fort Knox Borg drone 2.jpg|Borg drone(uncredited)
File:Klingon Alliance officer 1 2375.jpg|Klingon Alliance officer(uncredited)
File:Breen guard 1 2375.jpg|Breen guard(uncredited)
File:Jem'Hadar on Cardassia 1.jpg|Jem'Hadar soldier(uncredited)
File:Barge of the dead warrior 2.jpg|Klingon warrior(uncredited)
File:Male Nakan colonist 3.jpg|Nakan colonist(uncredited)
File:Borg drone 1, tactical cube 138.jpg|Borg drone(uncredited)
File:Borg invading Unimatrix Zero 1.jpg|Borg drone(uncredited)
File:Nygean security officer 1.jpg|Nygean security officer(uncredited)
File:Coridanite rebel 003.jpg|Coridanite rebel(uncredited)
File:Reman in corridor.jpg|Reman officer
File:Reman boarder 2.jpg|Boarding Reman
File:Osaarian pirate 1.jpg|Osaarian pirate(uncredited)
File:Xindi-Reptilian boarding soldier 1.jpg|Xindi-Reptilian soldier(uncredited)
File:Seleya crewmember 2.jpg|Vulcan Seleya crewmember(uncredited)
File:Xindi reptilian tom morga.jpg|Xindi-Reptilian(uncredited)
File:Illusory Xindi-Reptilian 2.jpg|Illusory Xindi-Reptilian(uncredited)
File:Klingon bop soldier 2, 2154.jpg|Klingon soldier(uncredited)
=== Stunt double appearances ===
File:Tom Morga, The Motion Picture.jpg|Stunt double for Leonard Nimoy(uncredited)
File:Tom Morga, Star Trek III.jpg|Stunt double for Leonard Nimoy
File:Tom Morga, The Last Outpost.jpg|Stunt double for Michael Dorn(uncredited)
File:Tom Morga, Skin Of Evil.jpg|Stunt double for Jonathan Frakes(uncredited)
File:Tom Morga, Conspiracy.jpg|Stunt double for Jonathan Frakes(uncredited)
File:Tom Morga, The Icarus Factor.jpg|Stunt double for Jonathan Frakes(uncredited)
File:Tom Morga, Hollow Pursuits.jpg|Stunt double for Dwight Schultz(uncredited)
File:Tom Morga, Violations.jpg|Stunt double for Ben Lemon(uncredited)
File:Tom Morga, Power Play.jpg|Stunt double for Jonathan Frakes(uncredited)
File:Tom Morga, The Next Phase.jpg|Stunt double for Brian Cousins(uncredited)
File:Tom Morga, Past Prologue.jpg|Stunt double for Jeffrey Nordling(uncredited)
File:Tom Morga, Captive Pursuit.jpg|Stunt double for Scott MacDonald(uncredited)
File:Tom Morga, Vortex.jpg|Stunt double for René Auberjonois(uncredited)
File:Tom Morga, Time's Arrow Part II.jpg|Stunt double for Jerry Hardin(uncredited)
File:Tom Morga, Schisms.jpg|Stunt double for Jonathan Frakes(uncredited)
File:Tom Morga, Suspicions.jpg|Stunt double for James Horan(uncredited)
File:Tom Morga, Second Chances.jpg|Stunt double for Jonathan Frakes(uncredited)
File:Tom Morga, Timescape.jpg|Stunt double forMichael Bofshever(uncredited)
File:Tom Morga, Descent.jpg|Stunt double for Brian J. Cousins(uncredited)
File:Tom Morga, The Siege.jpg|Stunt double for Richard Beymer(uncredited)
File:Tom Morga, Melora.jpg|Stunt double for Peter Crombie(uncredited)
File:Tom Morga, Blood Oath.jpg|Stunt double for William Campbell(uncredited)
File:Tom Morga, Distant Voices.jpg|Stunt double for Victor Rivers(uncredited)
File:Tom Morga, Heroes and Demons.jpg|Stunt double forChristopher Neame(uncredited)
File:Tom Morga, Firstborn.jpg|Stunt double forJohn Kenton Shull(uncredited)
File:Tom Morga, Initiations.jpg|Stunt double for Patrick Kilpatrick(uncredited)
File:Tom Morga, Shakaar.jpg|Stunt double for Duncan Regehr(uncredited)
File:Tom Morga, The Adversary.jpg|Stunt double for Jeff Austin(uncredited)
File:Tom Morga, Flashback.jpg|Stunt double for Jeremy Roberts(uncredited)
File:Tom Morga, Darkling.jpg|Stunt double for David Lee Smith(uncredited)
File:Tom Morga, Hippocratic Oath.jpg|Stunt double for Stephen Davies(uncredited)
File:Tom Morga, To the Death.jpg|Stunt double for Scott Haven(uncredited)
File:Tom Morga, Apocalypse Rising.jpg|Stunt double for J.G. Hertzler(uncredited)
File:Tom Morga, In Purgatory's Shadow.jpg|Stunt double for J.G. Hertzler(uncredited)
File:Tom Morga, By Inferno's Light.jpg|Stunt double for James Horan(uncredited)
File:Tom Morga, A Simple Investigation.jpg|Stunt double for John Durbin(uncredited)
File:Tom Morga, Soldiers of the Empire.jpg|Stunt double for J.G. Hertzler(uncredited)
File:Tom Morga, Sons and Daughters.jpg|Stunt double for Sam Zeller(uncredited)
File:Tom Morga, One Little Ship.jpg|Stunt double for Fritz Sperberg(uncredited)
File:Tom Morga, The Killing Game, Part II.jpg|Stunt double for Mark Deakins(uncredited)
File:Tom Morga, Image in the Sand.jpg|Stunt double for J.G. Hertzler(uncredited)
File:Tom Morga and unknown female stunt double, Field of Fire.jpg|Stunt double forLeigh J. McCloskey(uncredited)
File:Tom Morga, Body and Soul.jpg|Stunt double for Fritz Sperberg(uncredited)
File:Tom Morga, Tacking Into the Wind.jpg|Stunt double for John Vickery(uncredited)
File:Tom Morga, First Flight.jpg|Stunt double for Keith Carradine(uncredited)
File:Tom Morga, The Xindi.jpg|Stunt double for Richard Lineback(uncredited)
== External links ==
* – official site
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* – former official site
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Category:Performers
Category:Stunt performers
Category:Film performers
Category:TNG performers
Category:DS9 performers
Category:VOY performers
Category:ENT performers
Category:Stunt department