Ernie Reyes Jr.

Ernie Reyes Jr. is an actor, stuntman, and martial artist who has done stunts for the two Creature Shop movies of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. In the first movie, he was the stunt performer for Donatello while Leif Tilden did most of his other movements. For the sequel, Ernie has been promoted from the stunt performer to a leading role as pizza boy Keno, which he performed and choreographed his own stunts. I never knew that the Creature Shop was capable of hiring an actor who can do both stunts and martial arts to fit the role of a both an animatronic costume and an on-screen actor. Reyes' later works include guest spots on the TV series Charmed and V.I.P., and roles in the films Rush Hour 2, Poolhall Junkies, The Rundown, and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Maybe for all those films he has either been an actor for minor characters or a stuntman. I've read that Ernie's film debut happened when he was 13 in the action comedy The Last Comedy where he played Tai. It sounds like Reyes has done a lot of martial arts training in his youth before he got the job of performing stunts for many feature films. He was also stunt double for Tweedledee in Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland. I wonder how Ernie Reyes has become so great at performing stunts. Maybe the martial arts training he had has made him more flexible like a ninja. Ernie has also written, directed, and even acted in a film about martial arts called The Process. He seems to be more interested in action films rather then those that feature puppetry which both Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles films were. Reyes is another Creature Shop performer to have been a stuntman and probably the only one who is a martial artist. Ernie's still doing some acting and stunts more many feature films today. But I hope that the Muppets will insert him in an acting role for their next film, so not only can he perform/choreograph his own stunts, but it will also make a first for a Muppet film. Maybe during this pandemic, he'll have more practice doing more stunts so he can be ready for more stunt doubling. Reyes should do another Creature Shop film since he's so good at it. Perhaps when this pandemic ends, he could ask if he could perform stunts for another Creature Shop project. Ernie Reyes Jr., I hope you keep on doing stunts for many films and I hope that you'll be remembered by the people who love you. I also wish that you get another chance to work in a Creature Shop film as a stuntman. Ernie Reyes Sr. would be very proud of you for doing all of those stunts for those many films. Keep on doing stunts and martial arts for films Ernie Reyes!