Ronnie Rondell Jr., the veteran Hollywood stuntman whose fiery presence helped define Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here album cover, has passed away at the age of 88. According to his family, he died on August 10, 2025, at a care facility in Osage Beach, Missouri.
Rondell is best remembered for the daring stunt that became the album’s most iconic image—he stood engulfed in flames, dressed as a businessman, shaking another man’s hand. Photographer Aubrey “Po” Powell later recalled that they attempted the shot 15 times. A sudden gust of wind on the 15th attempt caused the flames to hit Rondell’s face, singeing his mustache and eyebrow—but the image captured was the one they wanted. Powell described Rondell as “very brave,” adding, “I knew I had got a special picture.”
Rondell’s film and TV career spanned decades and included stunt work on films like How the West Was Won (1962), Blazing Saddles (1974), Diamonds Are Forever (1971), Lethal Weapon (1987), Speed (1994), and his final stunt in The Matrix Reloaded (2003), where he worked alongside his son R.A. Rondell, the film’s stunt coordinator.
Born in Hollywood in 1937, Rondell began his career as an extra and gradually transitioned into stunt work. At high school, he excelled in gymnastics and diving, later training as a scuba diver in the U.S. Navy before entering the entertainment industry. In 1970, he co-founded Stunts Unlimited, a prestigious group of top stunt performers.
He hailed from a family deeply rooted in the film industry. His father, Ronald R. Rondell Sr., worked as an assistant director and had acting experience, giving young Ronnie early exposure to movie sets. Unfortunately, tragedy struck the family when his son Reid died in a helicopter crash during a stunt for the TV series Airwolf in 1985.
Rondell is survived by his wife of 56 years, Mary, his son R.A. Rondell, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
