Ronald “Ronnie” Rondell Jr., the veteran stunt performer whose handshake while fully engulfed in flames became the cover of Pink Floyd’s 1975 album Wish You Were Here, died Aug. 12 at age 88 in Missouri, his family announced. He was born Feb. 10, 1937, in Hollywood and entered the business as a second-generation film worker before building a five-decade career as a stuntman, coordinator and occasional director.
Rondell’s defining image was created on the Warner Bros. backlot, where he and a fellow stuntman posed as businessmen clasping hands while one of them—Rondell—burned. The photographer later recalled that an unexpected shift in wind blew flames toward Rondell’s face, singeing his moustache; the pair then switched positions and the final image was reversed in print. The concept, devised by the album’s designers, played on the industry phrase “getting burned” and became one of rock’s most recognizable artworks.
Away from that photograph, Rondell stacked a long list of screen credits, including work on Twister and The Matrix Reloaded, and appeared on camera in films such as Star Trek: First Contact. He also helped shape the business behind the scenes. In 1970–71 he joined peers Hal Needham and Glenn Wilder to form Stunts Unlimited, an invitation-only collective intended to raise safety standards and professionalize an often ad-hoc craft; the group confirmed his death and referred to him as the last surviving co-founder.
Rondell spoke modestly over the years about the Pink Floyd shoot, describing it as “pretty easy to do” thanks to layered protective gear and a controlled partial burn—professional language that belied the risks evident in the final image. His path mirrored Hollywood’s evolving approach to stunt work, from the Western era into large-scale action spectacles that required specialized rigs, pyrotechnics expertise and choreographed safety teams, a shift that organizations like Stunts Unlimited helped codify.
Survivors include his wife, Mary, his son, veteran stunt coordinator R.A. Rondell, and several grandchildren and a great-grandchild, according to the family notice.
