Doug Taylor poses with ÒBrody the Wonder Dog.Ó

Pine River native Doug Taylor's youthful athleticism made a surprising trasition into an adventure of Hollywood stunts and animal training - meeting actors and getting a taste of living on the east coast.

While in high school, Doug Taylor was a force to be reckoned with, earning 134 career wins. An outstanding athlete who lettered in baseball, track and football, he went to state as a wrestler - not once - but twice, placing sixth as a junior. Taylor was on his way to state as a senior, but an injury forced him out of the tournament.

Then Doug went to Hollywood-acting, doing stunts, training animals, and doing a number of behind the scenes operations. Pine River to Hollywood - how was that possible?

"I went to Northern Arizona to visit my mother, "stated Taylor. " I found myself visiting the college at Flagstaff - working on props, sets, and enjoying the work." It was then off to Hollywood for a year getting an agent and being in the background of "90210" and "Diagnosis Murder" with Dick Van Dyke.

"Coming from Pine River and finding myself in L.A. was a culture shock. So I went back to college, Golden West in Huntington Beach," Taylor explained. "I asked if I could try out for wrestling and was told by the coach that the team members were all recruited, but they would show me a few moves." Doug subsequently went undefeated and was 13-0 before getting hurt. He was rated first in state Division III schools at his weight.

Taylor then followed his sister Candice to Northern California to finish college. He went to the American Academy on a scholarship, working with many actors who are in the business today. "The classes were not easy. I had to learn new monologues all the time, learn songs, dance, and would have to write up reviews," said Doug. Taylor met Jeff Cory (famous director and acting coach) and studied under him. Cory has worked with some of the Hollywood greats. He taught James Dean in "Giant," and Jack Nicholas in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest."

It was then on to making a living. "Making a living as a novice actor is difficult," Taylor said. "So I started work training horses and doing stunts. I worked on special effects on 'The Last Samurai.' I got to see how Tom Cruse worked and became a fan. He was a 'get this done' kind of a person."

I also was on the set of "Catch Me If You Can" and met Tom Hanks."

Taylor also worked on a Vogue photo shoot set with Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. Taylor was out in the desert and worked the fan to build up a sand storm. He also harnessed Angelina to hang on an old Indian motorcycle from a boom truck. Angelina noticed Doug's watch and asked if she could wear in for the shoot.

Taylor found work making commercials and working in small parts, mostly finding himself handling horses. Many times he would be riding off on a horse as a double for the star of the movie. He found working with horses his calling. One of his horses he trained was the black horse in the movie "Jesus VS Satan at the Apocalypse" shown on the History Channel.

Taylor's dog, "Brody the Wonder Dog," has been in a number of movies. Brody can ride horses and can also climb up a 30-foot ladder.

Baby Boomers will remember Robert Horton the scout on "Wagon Train." He was recognized at the Golden Saddle Awards - awards presented to cowboys of the silver screen. Doug Taylor was asked by Robert Horton to accompany him to the ceremony.

On one occasion Doug escorted actress Ann Francis to an award's dinner. A friend had referred Doug; Ann needed an escort and Doug found her interesting. "Even though she was in her 70s she enjoyed my company because she said I was not like the Hollywood type," Taylor recalls.

In 2005 Doug started "Hollywood Handyman." Fourteen friends and celebrity craftsmen make up Doug's crew. They are set carpenters-stuntmen-actors and other Hollywood handy men who, when finding themselves between jobs, would hire on with Doug to work on various projects. A number of celebrities have used his services. "I hire these hombres for my ranch and apartments," stated Morgan Woodward. Remember Woodward? He is the guard with sunglasses who shoots Paul Newman in "Cool Hand Luke." Morgan also did more guest roles on "Gun Smoke," than any other actor. He became Doug's mentor and friend. Doug's crew has also done work for the Spencer Tracy family, Robert Horton and Alex Cord. His company also built an old west saloon for Phil Spangenberger, a historical consultant who has taught Tom Selleck and Kevin Costner the ways of the west. Most of the work was done for friends of the movie industry and the crews did the work mostly to keep busy.

Doug learned to be a handyman up in Alaska. Taylor spent five summers in Alaska working with legendary Bill Brody. The work ethic learned from this man followed Doug into Hollywood.

When I first met Doug, after he came back to Pine River, I asked him why he had left the clamor of Hollywood. He replied, "My mare is having a foal and I am camping out in the pasture with her. I can hear the birds and the frogs; I can hear nature." In L.A. all you hear is the cars, a steady hum." He also said that life was getting too much - that he wanted to get back to his roots. And the people who are in the movie industry don't really live in the LA area. "It was good to get back home."

This winter Taylor has been giving hay rides through his company "Taylor Novelty Livestock." His team of Percherons-Belgiums not only pulls his hay wagons, but Doug also uses them to pull his fancy white carriage for weddings. He has nine horses with one large stallion standing close to 18-hands high. Doug still has the movie rights to horses that he trained out in Hollywood.

This coming summer Doug plans to produce an action play out at the Pine River Riding Stable. Mark Bedell, a famous award winning stunt coordinator who works in Hollywood, has written a script for Doug. Doug and Mark plan to act and do stunts, similar to the stunts and falls that are seen in TV and movie westerns. The play will be live action with animals and special effects. Current plans call for performances three days a week.

Doug Taylor plans to stay in the Pine River area. "I want to live in this area, but still have the desire to act, do stunts, and work with animals. My summer play will give me a chance to do just that, and to see what unfolds."