Iconic Stuntman Immortalized On Pink Floyd Album Dies: RIP Ronnie Rondell, Jr.

Hollywood stuntman Ronnie Rondell, Jr., who became famous for being set on fire for Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here cover, has died. He was 88.

Rondell’s family announced his death in an obituary via Hedges‑Scott‑Millard Funeral Home, writing that he passed on August 12. He worked in Hollywood for decades and began his own company in 1970, named Stunts Unlimited.

“Ronnie was a professional stuntman for many years, and during his career, he was a director and stuntman coordinator,” reads his obituary.

Ronnie Rondell Jr. worked on films such as Thelma & Louise, Grosse Pointe Blank, Twister, The Matrix Reloaded, The Hunt for Red October, and Speed. But he’s most famous for appearing on the cover of Pink Floyd’s iconic album. The photo took 15 attempts. For each, he was doused in gasoline and set on fire.

“It’s dangerous for a man to stand still on fire,” photographer Aubrey Powell recalled Rondell saying about the project, per The Times.

“Normally, you’re running and the fire’s spreading behind you, or you’re falling and the fire is above you, or you can always make out with camera angles that the stunt person is closer to the fire than they actually are. But to stand still…?”

Ronnie Rondell Jr. is survived by his wife of 56 years, Mary Smith, one son and three grandchildren, according to his obituary. He was preceded in death by his son, Ronald, and his parents.