A touch of Hollywood at Harper

Chris Daniels may not be an actor, but you've seen him in countless movies and TV shows.

As Tobey Maguire's stunt double, the 31-year-old Florida native also has played the web-slinging super hero in all three "Spider-Man" movies.

On Wednesday night, he comes to the Harper College campus in Palatine to show how stunt guys defy death to entertain audiences.

Here come 10 questions:

1. How did you get the Spider-Man gig?

"I heard about an audition for a model for the Spider-Man suit. I got the job over 50 guys, so I became the body of Spider-Man, the one the wardrobe department used to build the suit off.

"Later, I got the name of the stunt coordinator on the film and told him I'd be interested in being Tobey Maguire's stunt double. So nine other guys and I were up for the job, and the director said since we could all do everything the job required, he let wardrobe pick the stunt double. Since I'd been working with them for weeks, they said I should be the main guy with two other guys as backups."

2. What's been the most challenging job in your stunt career?

"I would have to say the 'Spider-Man' movies. Not only are you in this Spandex suit all the time, but you also have to wear this harness underneath the suit. So, I'm in that all day. Not only is that physically draining, but mentally draining. Usually after the show, I take a couple of weeks off to recuperate.

"On normal jobs, you do a couple of stunts and go home. On 'Spider-Man,' it's a full year, three to four months of rehearsals followed by actually shooting, and you're in this harness and the Spandex suit all the time. It's a one-piece costume, so once I'm in it, I'm locked in."

3. What was your scariest moment while playing Spider-Man?

"That happened in 'Spider-Man 2' when I jumped off a building about 200 feet on a wire and fell into a clothing line. That was the scariest, diving 200 feet and trusting that the rig was going to work. The first time I did that, I went, 'What am I thinking?' But then by the second time, I was just having fun with it. I did it another 28 times."

4. How do you stay in shape as a stunt man?

"On Monday, Wednesday and Friday, I lift weights. On Tuesday and Thursday, I do cardiovascular workouts. On Saturday and Sunday, I will go to the beach. I'll do some running or volleyball, you know, fun cardio."

5. Are you married?

"Not even engaged yet. I have a girlfriend of two years."

6. Does she work in the business?

"No, not at all. I would never date in the business."

7. What did you do in "You Don't Mess With the Zohan"?

"I run to Adam Sandler and take a couple of punches and fall out of frame."

8. What did you do on "Live Free or Die Hard"?

"I doubled for Justin Long. I didn't do too much but ride around in a car. I didn't do a whole lot of the hard physical stuff."

9. What was your first movie job as a stunt man?

"It was the HBO series 'From the Earth to the Moon.' Shot in Orlando. First day on the job, I'm in an astronaut's suit. I open up the capsule on a wire, and I act like I'm floating up out of it, and Tom Hanks was directing me. I had an earpiece and he has telling me what do to: come out slow, raise your right arm, do this, do that. So, my first job was being directed by Tom Hanks."

10. Despite the dangers, it sounds like a cool job.

"It's basically just being a big kid in a playground. I get paid to play every day."