Frank Orsatti (26 February 1942 – 23 December 2004; age 62) was the stuntman and stunt actor who performed stunts in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier and in three episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation. He received no credit for his television appearances. Orsatti also filled in as stunt coordinator on the TNG third season episode "A Matter of Perspective", coordinating the stunt fight between stunt doubles Dan Koko and John Nowak.
born in Los Angeles, California, he was part of a stunt family. His father was former baseball player for the St. Louis Cardinals and stuntman Ernie Orsatti, his brother was stuntman and stunt coordinator Ernie F. Orsatti, and his nephew is Noon Orsatti, who is also in the stunt industry. His mother was opera singer Inez Gorman. Originally he tried to start a baseball career at the St. Louis Cardinals, but an injury crossed this vision. He then worked for ten years on freighters for the Merchant Marine.
Orsatti started his stunt career in the late '60s and performed in several television series such as The New People (1969), Daniel Boone (1968-1970, alongside stuntmen Charles Picerni, Kenny Endoso, and Richard E. Butler), Mission: Impossible (1971, with William Shatner and Charlie Picerni), The Streets of San Francisco (1972, with Tim O'Connor, Ed Lauter, and Ed McCready), Kung Fu (1973, with John Anderson, Kermit Murdock, and Keye Luke), and Planet of the Apes (1974, with Jay Robinson, John McLiam, and Hubie Kerns, Jr.).
He was also part of many feature films, including Planet of the Apes (1968), Rosemary's Baby (1968, with Elisha Cook), The Jesus Trip (1971), Fuzz (1972, alongside Charlie Picerni and under stunt coordinator Glenn R. Wilder), The Poseidon Adventure (1972, with stunts by Paul Stader, Gary Epper, George Sawaya, and George Wilbur), Soylent Green (1973, starring Leigh Taylor-Young and Brock Peters), the thriller The Towering Inferno (1974), and Marathon Man (1976, with Fritz Weaver).
Between 1978 and 1982 he served as stunt double for Bill Bixby in The Incredible Hulk, in which he also appeared in several other parts and served as director for twelve episodes. Manny Perry and Gene LeBell were also among the stunt cast. Orsatti also doubled actor Burt Reynolds for nine years in several films and television series.
Orsatti continued and performed in The Beastmaster (1982), Matt Houston (1983, with Fran Bennett), First Blood (1982), The 'Burbs (1989, with Wendy Schaal, Dick Miller, Robert Picardo, and Henry Gibson), and Lethal Weapon 2 (1989). He served as stunt double for Arnold Schwarzenegger in The Terminator (1984) and served also as stunt coordinator for projects such as the television film Stark (1985, starring Nicolas Surovy and featuring Denise Crosby), Lock Up (1989), and Highlander II: The Quickening (1991, starring Virginia Madsen).
Further feature films as stunt performer include The Last Boy Scout (1991), Lethal Weapon 3 (1992), Mom and Dad Save the World (1992, starring Terri Garr and with stunt performers George Colucci, Mitchell Danton, B.J. Davis, Chris Doyle, Dennis Madalone, Rosine "Ace" Hatem, Dan Koko, Irving Lewis, Ken Lesco, Tom Morga, and Lynn Salvatori), Nine Months (1995), Heaven's Prisoners (1996, with Teri Hatcher), High School High (1996, with Louise Fletcher), Con Air (1997, with Colm Meaney), and stunt coordination for Frank McKlusky, C.I. (2002).
Orsatti passed away in Sherman Oaks, California, due to acute respiratory failure, in 2004. He was 62 years old and survived by his wife Julie Ann Steinberg Orsatti, daughters Kimberly Ann and Gina Marie, brothers Ernie and Rex, and a granddaughter. [1]
