LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – Superhero movies and shows are made with lots of special effects nowadays, which can make it easy to forget they didn’t have that luxury decades ago. They had to rely on stunt doubles to make the action look good.
One of those doubles, Kim Renee, has lived in Las Vegas for decades. She moved here with her family from Niagara Falls, New York, when she was 13. During her final year at Liberty High School, she saw a circus act at the Midway — and realized what she wanted to do with her life.
“I loved the flying trapeze act,” Renee recounted. “They said to me, ‘Do you want to try it?’ I said, ‘Yes, of course.’”
Renee toured with a European circus for several years before coming back home to Las Vegas, where she performed nightly with dolphins in the Hallelujah Hollywood show. Then came a big break from a famous stuntman.
“Bobby Yerkes called me to do Wonder Woman,” Renee remembered.
This offer was for Lynda Carter’s iconic portrayal of the comic book character. At the time, in the mid-1970s, it was the only television show on a major network to feature a woman superhero.
“I practiced stunts and I did them for 30 episodes,” Renee said proudly. “I did my job thoroughly and efficiently, and I practiced every day.”
Renee’s time on the show gave her memories she’ll never forget and exposed her to Hollywood royalty.
“I met Farah Fawcett when she was pregnant,” Renee said wistfully. “I made her a tooth fairy pillow for her baby.”
Renee also did stunts for the movie Con Air and was a blackjack dealer in an episode of Modern Family.
Nowadays, Renee is writing a book about her experience, which, since her speech took a hit a couple years ago due to an illness, is the best outlet to share her stories from her time as the Amazonian hero.
“My nervous system is attacking my muscle system, and my face especially,” she explained. “I write about my life.”
Renee says she’s also very involved in the push to get movie studios built in the valley. A bill in the state legislature that would give tax credits to studios if they build in Vegas is still in committee.
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