E Gene LeBell - EMinutes even age could slow down Gene LeBell’s adrenaline-fueled career. In...
1
How many hours a week do you work? It depends on the season and the work load at any particular time. Right now we’re going into our busy season. I try not to put in more than 40 hours, though. Why not retire? I really like what I do and by now I’m pretty good at it. Over the years, I have developed some warm professional relationships. Staying in touch with those clients and still being able to help their businesses grow and prosper is very satisfying to me. Does your wife want you to retire? No. My wife is a busy psychotherapist and we both lead full lives by continuing with our respective professions. Best part of working past 80? Age brings wisdom as well as experience. Worst part of working past 80? There isn’t a worst. Being able to work at the age of 83 is a joy. My mother was forced to retire from her job at 65 and I remember she really didn’t like that. Are you up to date on technology? Do you use email, cellphones or social networking? Yes. Eminutes has invested well over $1 million on technology. So you can see we prioritize it in a very substantial way. Plus, using technology early on actually made it easier for me to extend my career and continue practicing law. What’s the best advice you ever got? Find a career or work that makes you happy and validates who you are as a person. What advice would you give to people who want to work well past 65? Embrace technology. It can really help you become more efficient while taking much of the effort out of what you do. And the newest tech- nology is really fascinating to boot. Pun intended. What’s the secret to staying healthy and active? Be interested in people, in the arts and in the world. Being in love with and married to the same woman for 56 years is a huge asset. We started taking yoga classes recently, and that’s making us both feel younger and more flexible. Do you work as much as you used to in your 40s and 50s? I would say that I work a lot smarter now. It’s allowed me to slow down a bit and to enjoy other parts of my life, too. How has your work routine changed? I have been developing a second career as a working actor and I enjoy that very much. So when things are going well my routine gets interrupted a lot, with auditions and jobs. What do you miss most from when you were young? I grew up in Los Angeles so I miss the Helms truck, the Red Car line, the original Angels Flight, being able to drive from downtown to the beach without traffic. And that particular vibrancy that comes with youth. What do you see in the future? I subscribe to Popular Science and read sci- ence-fiction in general, so I think much of what I see in those articles and read about is going to be in our future. JANUARY 14, 2013 LOS ANGELES BUSINESS JOURNAL 27 PHOTOS BY RINGO H.W. CHIU/LABJ N OT even age could slow down Gene LeBell’s adrenaline-fueled career. In addition to teaching, the 80-year-old martial arts instructor still performs stunts in movies, referees boxing and martial arts matches, test drives motorcycles and sells martial arts clothing. LeBell said that he’s busier now than when he was younger because he doesn’t worry about the paychecks. He can pursue what really interests him instead of having to focus on finances. “I spread myself thin,” he said. “I spend my time with anything that interests me. I don’t need the money.” LeBell began boxing at the age of 6. His mother, Aileen, a boxing promoter, owned Olympic Auditorium in downtown Los Angeles, which hosted regular bouts featur- ing legendary names including Joe Frazier and Sugar Ray Robinson. In his 20s, he won several judo champi- onships as well as participated in some pro wrestling and boxing competitions. LeBell parlayed his strength and agility into a career in movies, working as a stunt- man with martial arts greats such as Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris. Since the 1960s, he has worked in more than 1,000 television shows and movies, including “The Planet of the Apes” and “Raging Bull.” LeBell said the best advice he got early in his career was from his mother, who told him: “The harder you work, the lucki- er you get.” LeBell still follows that advice today, teaching once a week at the Hayastan MMA Academy in North Hollywood and continuing to do stunt work. LeBell’s wife, Midge, shares his love of adventure. She still watches him referee competitions. They used to race motorcy- cles together when they were younger. LeBell noted that one of the perks of working into his 80s is lifetime insurance with the Screen Actors Guild. “If I fall down and get a bloody nose, they’ll wipe it off for free,” he said. He acknowledged that his body can’t handle some of the stunts that he was once capable of. Instead of rolling cars or crashing bikes like he did in his prime, he jokes that he sticks to easy stunts such as falling down stairs and being set on fire. How does LeBell stay so spry in a career that demands a lot from his body? He said the secret is staying active and doing some- thing that he enjoys. “If you don’t use it, you lose it,” he said. “I’ve got to be doing one thing or another. When I get on a motorcycle, it makes me feel young.” – Natalie Jarvey ‘If you don’t use it, you lose it. When I get on a motorcycle, it makes me feel young.’ GENE LEBELL Harold I. Gould | 83 | Of Counsel, Eminutes, legal services firm ‘Embrace technology. It can really help you become more efficient.’ HAROLD I. GOULD Gene LeBell | 80 | Martial arts instructor, Hayastan MMA Academy – Compiled by Tom Dotan, Howard Fine, Jacquelyn Ryan, Jonathan Polakoff 23 27_80s_0107.qxp 1/10/2013 11:42 AM Page 27
Transcript of E Gene LeBell - EMinutes even age could slow down Gene LeBell’s adrenaline-fueled career. In...
How many hours a week do you work?It depends on the season and the work load atany particular time. Right now we’re going intoour busy season. I try not to put in more than40 hours, though.
Why not retire?I really like what I do and by now I’m prettygood at it. Over the years, I have developedsome warm professional relationships. Stayingin touch with those clients and still being ableto help their businesses grow and prosper isvery satisfying to me.
Does your wife want you to retire? No. My wife is a busy psychotherapist and weboth lead full lives by continuing with ourrespective professions.
Best part of working past 80? Age brings wisdom as well as experience.
Worst part of working past 80? There isn’t a worst. Being able to work at theage of 83 is a joy. My mother was forced toretire from her job at 65 and I remember shereally didn’t like that.
Are you up to date on technology? Do you useemail, cellphones or social networking?Yes. Eminutes has invested well over $1 millionon technology. So you can see we prioritize it ina very substantial way. Plus, using technology
early on actually made it easier for me toextend my career and continue practicing law.
What’s the best advice you ever got?Find a career or work that makes you happyand validates who you are as a person.
What advice would you give to people whowant to work well past 65?Embrace technology. It can really help youbecome more efficient while taking much of theeffort out of what you do. And the newest tech-nology is really fascinating to boot. Pun intended.
What’s the secret to staying healthy andactive?Be interested in people, in the arts and in theworld. Being in love with and married to thesame woman for 56 years is a huge asset. Westarted taking yoga classes recently, and that’smaking us both feel younger and more flexible.
Do you work as much as you used to in your40s and 50s?I would say that I work a lot smarter now. It’sallowed me to slow down a bit and to enjoyother parts of my life, too.
How has your work routine changed?I have been developing a second career as aworking actor and I enjoy that very much. Sowhen things are going well my routine getsinterrupted a lot, with auditions and jobs.
What do you miss most from when you wereyoung?I grew up in Los Angeles so I miss theHelms truck, the Red Car line, the originalAngels Flight, being able to drive fromdowntown to the beach without traffic.And that particular vibrancy that comeswith youth.
What do you see in the future?I subscribe to Popular Science and read sci-ence-fiction in general, so I think much of whatI see in those articles and read about is goingto be in our future.
JANUARY 14, 2013 LOS ANGELES BUSINESS JOURNAL 27
PHOTOS BY RINGO H.W. CHIU/LABJ
NOT even age could slow down GeneLeBell’s adrenaline-fueled career.
In addition to teaching, the 80-year-oldmartial arts instructor still performs stunts inmovies, referees boxing and martial artsmatches, test drives motorcycles and sellsmartial arts clothing.
LeBell said that he’s busier now thanwhen he was younger because he doesn’tworry about the paychecks. He can pursuewhat really interests him instead of havingto focus on finances.
“I spread myself thin,” he said. “I spendmy time with anything that interests me. Idon’t need the money.”
LeBell began boxing at the age of 6. His
mother, Aileen, a boxing promoter, ownedOlympic Auditorium in downtown LosAngeles, which hosted regular bouts featur-ing legendary names including Joe Frazierand Sugar Ray Robinson.
In his 20s, he won several judo champi-onships as well as participated in some prowrestling and boxing competitions.
LeBell parlayed his strength and agilityinto a career in movies, working as a stunt-man with martial arts greats such as BruceLee and Chuck Norris. Since the 1960s, hehas worked in more than 1,000 televisionshows and movies, including “The Planet ofthe Apes” and “Raging Bull.”
LeBell said the best advice he got early
in his career was from his mother, whotold him: “The harder you work, the lucki-er you get.”
LeBell still follows that advice today,teaching once a week at the HayastanMMA Academy in North Hollywood andcontinuing to do stunt work.
LeBell’s wife, Midge, shares his love ofadventure. She still watches him refereecompetitions. They used to race motorcy-cles together when they were younger.
LeBell noted that one of the perks ofworking into his 80s is lifetime insurancewith the Screen Actors Guild.
“If I fall down and get a bloody nose,they’ll wipe it off for free,” he said.
He acknowledged that his body can’thandle some of the stunts that he wasonce capable of. Instead of rolling carsor crashing bikes like he did in hisprime, he jokes that he sticks to easystunts such as falling down stairs andbeing set on fire.
How does LeBell stay so spry in a careerthat demands a lot from his body? He saidthe secret is staying active and doing some-thing that he enjoys.
“If you don’t use it, you lose it,” he said.“I’ve got to be doing one thing or another.When I get on a motorcycle, it makes mefeel young.”
– Natalie Jarvey
‘If you don’t use it, you lose it. When I get on a motorcycle, it makes me feel young.’GENE LEBELL
Harold I. Gould | 83 | Of Counsel, Eminutes, legal services firm
‘Embrace technology. It can really helpyou become more efficient.’HAROLD I. GOULD
Gene LeBell | 80 | Martial arts instructor, Hayastan MMA Academy
– Compiled by Tom Dotan, Howard Fine,Jacquelyn Ryan, Jonathan Polakoff
23 27_80s_0107.qxp 1/10/2013 11:42 AM Page 27
![3-5-3 Defense - Alignments Stunts Games - 2008[1]](https://static.fdocuments.us/doc/165x107/577d226a1a28ab4e1e975471/3-5-3-defense-alignments-stunts-games-20081.jpg)
