In today's episode of the "The Runway Decade Podcast," hosts Bill Bush and Pete Bush, advisors at Horizon Financial Group talk with Michael Papajohn, a former LSU baseball player who over the last 36 years has appeared in numerous Hollywood productions. He talks about his wonderful journey as a stuntman and actor.

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Episode Highlights

• 01:18: Bill and Pete talk about their upcoming book signing event.
• 01:48: If people want to bring the book they already bought or buy one there and have them sign it, there will be food and drink and it will be awesome.
• 04:30: Bill and Pete talk about the foundation teams during the 80's.
• 05:07: Michael, grew up in Alabama and then he went to the State Hills High School, played for Sandy.
• 08.43: Michael shares how he got chances in a movie production house.
• 10:58: Michael talks about the fledgling broadcast career.
• 13:13: Whatever you decide to do, if you focus, get great mentors and coaching and look for the best and do what you did at LSU be a team player, give 110%.
• 15:23: Michael started out as a stunt double and later he is batting against Kevin Costner as Sam Tuttle.
• 17:42: Michael talks about the big franchise and stars that he has worked with.
• 21:08: Technical advisors are so important now because if you don't buy the home run, if you don't buy the Hollywood catch, then you don't buy the movie.
• 22:14: Most movies aren't shot in California; they are shot in tax incentive states.
• 22:23: Michael shares how production houses save money by filming outside New York and hiring local actors.
• 25:46: Michael talks how important relationship building is and how it has helped him in California because it is so competitive.
• 28:33: Michael gives detail insights of his work and how no one took more football hits than him in Hollywood.
• 30:13: Michael speaks about his most memorable on-screen line.
• 34:24: Everybody thinks when they graduate, they will go to California or New York, and they forget what they have in Louisiana, says Michael.
• 37:05: Michael shares how his dad was always healthy and always in the supplementation and always talked to them about what they ate at the table.
• 39:43: Michael shares how he watches actors get older and their life and how they come out in different ways and performances.
• 42:40: Michael has heard things are going to pick up in Louisiana after the first quarter, but that is part of the business.
• 44:16: Michael advises getting on a movie set even as an extra or production assistant. You are not going to get paid a lot of money, but a lot of times if you are a production assistant, you get to see the departments and how they work and going.
• 49:29: Michael shares what his first baseball memory was.

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Three Key Points

1. Michael talks about the fateful event that launched him into the movie business.
2. Michael talks about his wonderful journey as a stunt man and actor and how he has worked in some of the big franchises.
3. Michael shares details of productions happening in Baton Rouge and surrounding area.

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Tweetable Quotes

• "Let's think of the talent that enjoyed playing together…guys that are still great friends to this day, know that they still spend as much time off the field together as we did." – Pete
• "I played basketball up until my freshman year in high school, but I narrowed it down to football and baseball and I always just felt like I could go farther with baseball." – Michael
• "I was just a daredevil type of guy that just like to catch and run ..shocker… and LSU football actually talked to me about coming out and being a part of LSU football and returning kicks and punts." - Michael
• "I just remember being 22 hustling that extra job on Baywatch and what I was doing right is I was playing stuntman softball and I was meeting a lot of people really fast that knew I was athletic, and I wasn't a jerk and that really helped me a lot and the industry." - Michael
• "If I die in between action and cut, then I am living my life the way I want to." - Michael

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Resources Mentioned

• runwaydecade.com
• Michael Papajohn IMDB
• https://michaelpapajohn.com/

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