Who is Kitty O’Neil? Get to know one of Hollywood’s most prominent stunt drivers
On the 77th birthday of Kitty O’Neil, an American stunt woman who became hearing-impaired from a very young age, Google showcased a doodle of her in a yellow jumpsuit. The doodle is made by a deaf artist, based out of Washington DC, Meeya Tijang.
Who was Kitty O’Neil?
Kitty O’Neil was an American stuntwoman and actor who suffered from an illness in her childhood which affected her hearing capacity to the extent that she became deaf. Despite numerous challenges that she faced since her childhood, she went on to become one of the most recognized stunt performers in Hollywood. Her exceptional talent made her land jobs as a stunt double in several movies such as 'The Bionic Woman', 'The Blues Brothers' and 'Wonder Woman'.
Kitty O’Neil: Early life
Kitty O’Neil was born on 24th March in Corpus Christi, Texas. Her father was an officer in the United States Army Air Forces. He died during Kitty’s childhood in an airplane crash. Her mother’s name was Patsy Compton O'Neil. She was the reason Kitty learned lip-reading after losing her hearing ability. Her mother eventually became a speech therapist and co-founder of a school for visually impaired students.
| Birthday |
24th March 1946 |
| Birthplace |
Corpus Christi, Texas, USA |
| Death day |
2nd November 2018 |
| Place of death |
Eureka, South Dakota, USA |
| Occupation |
Stuntwoman |
Kitty O’Neil: Career
Kitty started her career as a stunt double for movies in the 1970s like The Bionic Woman and Wonder Woman. Also, she became the first woman to join Stunts Unlimited, an organization for top stunt performers in Hollywood.
How did Neil end up becoming a stuntwoman?
Neil joined a swim team when she was twelve years old which eventually developed her interest in diving. She also won a gold medal in place of a substitute driver who didn’t show up. Six months after this event she won the AAU Southwest District Junior meet. In 1962, her family shifted to Anaheim, California, USA to get Neil trained by a nationally recognized driving coach, Sammy lee.
Overcoming the challenges
All the hardships Neil faced since her childhood didn’t stop her from achieving greatness. In 1976, she received the honorable title of ‘fastest woman alive’ for breaking previous records for rocket-powered car drivers. Apart from this, she set a women’s high fall record of 127 feet in his performance as a stunt double in an episode of the Wonder Woman Series. Her story is an inspiration to many. In 1979, her biopic named, Silent Victory: The Kitty O’Neil Story got released.
