Thell Reed was born and raised in Downey, California. His father worked hard at maintaining a small chain of BB-Q restaurants to afford him the luxury of spoiling his only son. Being a gun enthusiast, he bestowed on him a pair of match Colt .45s and told him to "Make a living with them!" Thell did just that. He began winning fast draw tournaments before he was legally allowed to enter them. But, Thell was always more than just an exhibition shooter. When he was just 13, his Father took him on a hunting trip to Alaska. An attacking Kodiak took the young gunman by surprise, but Thell's dexterity with a bolt action was too much for the bear and he dropped him at his feet.
Gene Autry became aware of the reputation Thell was building and took the young lad under his wing on his Wild West tour. Soon, he was performing for not only Hollywood royalty, but the British crown as well. Before long, Hollywood came looking for Thell to share his skills and coach the biggest names in the business. It began with Gunsmoke (1955), continued into movies the caliber of L.A. Confidential (1997) and now for over 30 years he has been at the very top of his profession. From his specialty of the Wild West with films like Tombstone (1993) and Mort ou vif (1995) to the high powered weapons of today in films like L'échange (2000) and Mémoires de nos pères (2006), Thell brings something special to every film he's involved in. He hasn't slowed down a bit and continues to help the best actors in the business from Russell Crowe to Brad Pitt achieve the kind of realistic gun handling that today's film goers require.
