Tony McFarr, a stunt performer and actor who doubled Chris Pratt in several films, was reported found dead at his Florida home on May 13, 2024. He was 47. Initial coverage said the cause of death was pending. In August 2024, TMZ reported that documents obtained from the Orange County Medical Examiner listed probable cardiac dysrhythmia due to mitral valve insufficiency as the cause, with alcohol poisoning and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) as contributing factors, and the manner of death as accident.
How the reporting unfolded
The early and later coverage describe different stages of the same case. Keeping the dates straight matters, because the word “pending” applies only to the first reports.
| Date | Source | What it reported |
|---|---|---|
| May 13, 2024 | Initial reports | McFarr was found dead at his Florida home, aged 47. |
| May 16, 2024 | Los Angeles Times | The Orange County medical examiner confirmed the death; the cause was listed as pending. |
| August 21, 2024 | TMZ, citing documents it obtained from the Orange County Medical Examiner | Named a cause and manner of death, along with contributing factors and a blood-alcohol figure. |
This article has not reviewed the autopsy report itself. The medical details below are as TMZ reported them from those documents, and no later official statement from the medical examiner’s office appears in the coverage cited here.
The reported cause of death
Primary cause
According to the reported documents, the cause was probable cardiac dysrhythmia, an irregular heartbeat, due to mitral valve insufficiency, a leak in the heart’s mitral valve. TMZ summarised this in plainer terms as an irregular heartbeat related to a heart-valve problem.
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Contributing factors
- Alcohol poisoning, as listed in the reported documents.
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a chronic lung condition.
The reporting presents alcohol and COPD as contributing factors. It does not describe alcohol as the medical cause of death, and readers should not read the case that way.
Manner of death
The documents reportedly classify the manner of death as accident.
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The blood-alcohol figure
TMZ reported a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.29 percent for McFarr. This is a single case-specific value from the reported autopsy documents. It is not a population statistic and cannot be generalised to other cases.
What the reporting does not establish
Nothing in the coverage cited here connects McFarr’s stunt work to his death, and this article does not suggest such a link. The reporting also does not describe any cardiac history beyond what is summarised above.
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Career: a stunt double for Chris Pratt
McFarr was born Antonio McFarr. He worked as a stunt performer and also appeared as an actor. The Los Angeles Times describes his work as helping bring Pratt’s action scenes to life in Guardians of the Galaxy, Jurassic World and other films. The paper says he first became Pratt’s double on Jurassic World, which premiered in 2015.
Films named in the Los Angeles Times report
| Film | Year | McFarr’s role, as reported |
|---|---|---|
| Jurassic World | 2015 | First film in which he doubled Pratt, per the Los Angeles Times. |
| Passengers | Not stated | Named as one of his credits; the report does not specify his role. |
| Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 | Not stated | Named as one of his credits. The report says he sustained a head injury during work on this film, received several staples, and returned to work. |
| Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom | Not stated | Named as one of his credits; the report does not specify his role. |
The Los Angeles Times list is the main account of his film work. It is not a complete filmography.
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Television stunt credits
A Television Academy biography lists additional television stunt work, including Bones, Banshee, Homeland, The Originals and Resurrection. The list is illustrative, not exhaustive.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Tributes from Chris Pratt
Pratt paid tribute to McFarr in a statement reported from his Instagram Story. He said: “I’ll never forget his toughness.” The Los Angeles Times also quoted Pratt on their time together: “We did several movies together. We golfed, drank whiskey, smoked cigars, and spent endless hours on set.”
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The tributes focus on McFarr as a working partner on set, which is the clearest public record of his professional relationship with the actor he doubled.
Editor’s note: Sources cited are the Los Angeles Times (May 16, 2024), TMZ (August 21, 2024) and the Television Academy biography. Medical findings are attributed to the reported Orange County Medical Examiner documents.
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