Why Aidan Gallagher's Body Double Was Used So Much In The Umbrella Academy
It isn't surprising to imagine that a body double is used quite frequently in movies and television shows. From dangerous stunts to questionable fighting skills to even stranger reasons, actors have their doubles appear in scenes quite frequently. Stars have a lot riding on their physical and mental abilities, so their well-being is always a top priority for everyone on set. The need to keep stars safe and unharmed is a major reason stunt doubles were invented in the first place, when previously, all the actors were expected to do their own stunts, like Buster Keaton (via The Guardian).
The creation of stunt doubles led them to fill in for actors for a variety of different reasons, some of which are very reasonable and some of which seem completely bizarre. Regardless, it's nice that they have the right to choose whether or not they want to be in a scene, and while there are always reasons that an actor might choose not to participate in a scene, sometimes the actor is not given a choice on the matter. That's exactly what happened to Aidan Gallagher, who plays Number Five in the popular Netflix superhero series "The Umbrella Academy."
Gallagher was not allowed on set when firearms were being used
The star had quite a few scenes that he was not allowed to be on set for while filming "The Umbrella Academy," due to the child labor laws set in place. At the time of filming Season 1, Gallagher was only 14 years old, and in Season 2, he was about to turn 16 years old (via Teen Vogue). Even while filming for Season 3, the actor was still just 17 years old, so he frequently had to have a double stand in for scenes. The crew and Gallagher had to stick to very strict guidelines about filming times and work hours — especially when he was 14 — and the producers made sure that the rules were being followed.
In an interview with Express.co.uk, star Cameron Britton, who plays Hazel, shared that "Because of the child working laws [Gallagher] wasn't even allowed in the building if a gun was going off! So, we were actually shooting with his body double." Though it makes sense, this is somewhat surprising to think about given Number Five's role in the show. The character can be extremely violent and has many fight scenes, so to imagine Gallagher needing to leave to set that often means that his body double was used quite a lot. Now that the actor has celebrated his 18th birthday, he will no longer have to worry about the restrictions and can stay on set for the inevitable firefight. Let's hope that Season 3 will wow fans enough for "The Umbrella Academy" to get renewed for Season 4, to finally give Gallagher a chance to join in with the rest of his costars.