Ryan Shepard, who used to be Eminem’s stunt double, died at the age of 40. His brother has confirmed that the performer died in a terrible accident in Washington at the end of January this year.
Shepard stood in for Eminem on several occasions. He became well-known after he was on the MTV Movie Awards. He also went on tour with the Rap God in 2002. Read on to find out more about his life and work.
Last month, Ryan’s brother Kyle told him that he had been hit by a pickup truck while crossing a street in Washington. He was taken to the hospital, but soon after, he was said to be dead. The tabloid TMZ was the first to report the news.
Ryan not only did stunts for Eminem, but he also filled in for him at a number of events. In the early 2000s, he also stood in for him in photos. At the MTV Movie Awards, he dressed up as Slim Shady’s superhero character Rap Boy. This was his most well-known performance. Ryan was seen in the air at the ceremony, which wowed the crowd.
He went on the rapper’s Anger Management Tour in 2002, and he also went to his concerts in Japan and Europe in 2003. He also played Eminem’s double in the music video for D12’s song “Purple Hills.”
Ryan went into a totally different line of work after he quit his job as a stunt double. Kyle says that his brother was a very smart person who worked as a ride mechanical engineer at Disney. He then became a test automation engineer at Elon Musk’s company SpaceX.
At the time of his death, he was the Lead Animatronics Engineer at Garner Holt Productions in California. On his LinkedIn page, it says that he was also the CEO of RS Robotics, an automation company.
“Creative engineer who is very interested in AI, robotics, and automation. Experienced in both machining and making prototypes. His profile says that he is good at mechanical engineering design and analysis, automation, robotics, and programming. Ryan leaves behind two kids, one who is 7 and the other who is 11.
Some people on social media were sad about the death, but others didn’t understand why Eminem needed a stunt double. “This is extremely bad news. Ryan Shepard has died. “I’m so sorry for your family’s loss,” one user wrote.
Another person wrote on Twitter, “I just found out that Ryan Shepard died about a week ago. In the early 2000s, he was M’s stunt double. He was walking when a car hit him at an intersection and killed him. RIP.”
“Ryan Shepard has died. God bless you. I’m sorry you had to go in such a brutal way,” wrote another. A confused fan tweeted, “Why did he have a stunt double in the first place?” Bro doesn’t appear in any movies.”
Ryan Shepard’s family and friends have our condolences. His soul should be at peace.