Kent Shelton, a multifaceted individual with a storied career, has been involved in a wide range of activities, including acting, stunt work, jouster, wrangling, and fight choreography.
As a founding member of the Hanlon-Lees Action Theater, a renowned Chicago stunt company, Kent was instrumental in developing the original three-act theatrical Renaissance Festival joust. He graduated from the North Carolina School of the Arts in 1978 and received his certification from the Society of American Fight Directors in New York City in 1979.
Throughout his career, Kent has worked on numerous film, television, and theater productions, both on- and off-Broadway, as well as at the Metropolitan Opera, where he was responsible for wrangling horses during live performances. By day, he worked as a carriage driver in Central Park.
Kent's work extends beyond the screen, as he continues to write, direct, and perform in jousts at Renaissance Festivals and Wild West shows across the country.
In his downtime, Kent resides on the 20-acre Knights' Rest Ranch in historic Luther, Oklahoma, where he maintains a vast collection of period wardrobe, tack, armor, and prop weaponry, including several working horse-drawn vehicles. The ranch also serves as a working ranch and "horse hotel," where travelers can board their horses overnight.
Kent's impressive resume includes a stint as a prison snitch for Woody Harrelson, being blown across a barroom by Will Forsythe, and being slammed to the floor by Sylvester Stallone. He has also abducted Sandra Bullock as a secret agent, subdued Sean Astin in a bar fight, and remains the only Chinchilla Wrangler in the history of Saturday Night Live.
