August 23, 2008 Rocky, a 5-year-old male grizzly bear featured in the comedy movie Semi-Pro, killed one of his trainers at the Predators in Action training center in Big Bear, CA. The bear was working with handlers when it bit 39-year-old Stephan Miller, cousin of the training center owner Randy Miller, in the neck. Emergency medical personnel were unable to save Miller.
Randy Miller has been training animals for 25 years and has worked with his animals in feature films such as Gladiator, Two Brothers, The Last Samurai and Black Knight. His work with a trained tiger as Russell Crowe's stunt double in Gladiator earned him a World Stunt Award. Miller also doubled for Will Ferrell in Semi-Pro in the scene in which the bear, Rocky, wrestles the actor.
The accident is under investigation. There were no reports of unusual behavior prior to the bear's attack. Predators in Action specializes in training exotic animals including lions, tigers, leopards, cougars, wolves and grizzly bears for TV, movies, commercials, and photo shoots. The Predators in Action website stated the training center had a "perfect safety record with absolutely no accidents or mishaps" as of April 16, 2008.
