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Making his feature debut as a director, Mic Rodgers brings an extensive film background to UNIVERSAL SOLDIER: THE RETURN that includes a cache of stuntwork and second unit directing. Rodgers says the prep work for his directorial bow came from "the past 15 years of going to the film school of hard knocks," which included working with directors such as John Frankenheimer, Mark Rydell, John Badham and Richard Donner. One of Hollywood's top second unit directors, Rodgers worked side-by-side with Mel Gibson on the Oscar-winning epic Braveheart, including the two ferocious battle sequences that are considered some of the best hand-to-hand combat scenes to ever grace the screen. In addition to the second unit work, Rodgers also served as stunt coordinator and as Gibson's double. Citing Richard Donner as his mentor, Rodgers first joined with the director on the original Lethal Weapon, where he doubled for Gibson's suicidal cop, Martin Riggs. Under his tutelage, Rodgers learned the ins-and-outs of moviemaking as stunt coordinator on the remaining Lethal Weapon entries, Scrooged (also as second unit director), Radio Flyer and Maverick (again, as second unit director).

Serving as Gibson's stunt double in the first three Lethal Weapon films, Rodgers has the dubious honor of being the only stuntman to double for a lead in a trilogy. Outside of Donner, Rodgers also cites Gibson as a mentor and important figure in his effort to become a director.

He served as second unit director/stunt coordinator on a number of projects in the 1990s including Volcano (in which 95 percent of the footage he shot made it to the screen), the sci-fi actioner Virtuosity, Year of the Comet and the Ron Underwood comedy fantasy Heart and Souls. He also completed second unit work on Fled and Nothing to Lose, starring Tim Robbins and Martin Lawrence.

As a stunt coordinator, his lengthy resume includes Twister, Point of No Return, Reckless, Cannonball Run II, Frankenheimer's Dead-Bang with Don Johnson, Bird on a Wire, and the Mark Rydell dramas For the Boys and Intersection. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, his stuntwork covered a variety of genres with Birdy, 2010, Beverly Hills Cop, Into the Night, Legal Eagles, Off Limits, Road House and Forever Young.

Prior to UNIVERSAL SOLDIER: THE RETURN, Rodgers served as stunt coordinator and second unit director on Lethal Weapon 4, which included the warehouse fight sequences with martial arts maestro Jet Li, as well as on the recent hit Payback.

Rodgers' stunt debut occurred in the disaster epic The Towering Inferno. In the decade that followed, Rodgers performed stunts on a variety of television shows, including Dukes of Hazzard, Wonder Woman and three seasons of The Incredible Hulk and in features such as Stanley Donen's Lucky Lady, Yes, Giorgio, D.C. Cab and The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai (serving as Peter Weller's double).

Rodgers is currently looking over projects for his sophomore directing effort. In the meantime, he spends time in Los Angeles with his wife and races motorcross when he gets the chance.

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