COMM: How's this for a unique day job? Randy
Miller from California spends most of his working day fighting off a four hundred pound
predator.
COMM: But don't worry Randy has the last laugh,
he's one of Hollywood's most accomplished animal trainers.
RANDY: "Okay come get her."
COMM: At his predator handling facility, Randy
is setting up for another day commanding dangerous creatures. But the preparation is all worth
it, his skill landed him a top stunt award for his work on blockbuster Gladiator, and
he has countless credits to his name.
RANDY: Uh some of the biggest films I've worked
on, Gladiator, Transformers 2, The Last Samurai.
COMM: But success doesn't always come easy,
and sometimes Randy is injured in the process.
RANDY: If they become serious, one bite could
kill you, one bite. And if you get bit in the neck, you're dead.
COMM: And during the filming of Gladiator
things started to go wrong for Randy.
RANDY: They used a special effects camera,
to put Russell's face over my face, and while doing these attacks, I ended up getting bit
real bad through the wardrobe. It was leather, it was supposed to look like y'know armour.
And she ended up biting through the armour, she started dragging me off the set.
COMM: However, Randy doesn't blame the tiger.
RANDY: I never took it personal, like she
was angry at me and wanted to bite me, it was more about this wardrobe.
COMM: To meet the demands of big name directors,
Randy must risk his life everyday, and even worries his own assistants.
CAT: I know he does have everything under
control but of course there's the still natural "Oh wait, okay y'know he's fine."
RANDY: I've been bit a few times, and I've
done the staged attack hundreds of times, so I think it's really a pretty safe job for
myself. In terms of my family, I think they may worry about it, no-one has asked me to,
to stop and they, they feel that I know what I'm doing. It's really how I wanna spend my
life.
COMM: It's only Randy's unique bond with these
animals that stops him becoming cat food.
02:14 RANDY: "Okay uh, come around, the same routine."
02:16 RANDY: Well if a stranger tried to do this
stunt they would get seriously injured, mauled or even killed.
COMM: There's no doubt he has one of the world's
riskiest looking jobs.
RANDY: It feels like I'm in the Superbowl
getting hit by y'know a professional football player. Even more. She's very powerful.
COMM: And as a final message for any would
be tiger trainers, watch out.
RANDY: These animals only look friendly and
affectionate, only because, I've raised them. I'm their father y'know? If somebody else
were in this position, they would lose control, fast.
RANDY: "Okay, okay, end it."