It’s an iconic scene, a standout even in a movie loaded to the brim with legendary action set pieces, and one they couldn’t easily fake since they were shooting on an actual stone staircase. That didn’t deter Bouillon, who recently talked about filming that scene with the good folks at Empire Magazine, revealing some pretty fun trivia about it, like how they had to film it four times. The first take didn’t work due to a camera issue and on the second take… well, Bouillon kinda connected the back of his head with one of the concrete steps and knocked himself out. Not for long, though, as he was quick to point out:
“Just for one second. Just for a while, everyone was super-scared, even the director. He said, ‘Do you remember your name?’ And I’m like, ‘Yeah, I’m John Wick.’ I remember his eyes at that moment, because he knew I was ready to do it again.”
This was after Bouillon prepared for over a month, getting his body and mind ready for this absurd stunt. All told, the stunt took a single night to film and the end result is a gangbusters sequence that plays almost like a Buster Keaton maneuver, albeit with way more bullets.
And it’s not just action movie fans who appreciate Bouillon’s dedication. Apparently, Keanu Reeves himself was watching the stunt. Afterward, the actor approached his stunt guy and proclaimed “Chapeau,” which is French for “well done.” Chapeau, indeed, Monsieur Bouillon.