Wichitan Diandra Milliner transitions from collegiate gymnastics to the big screen

Diandra Milliner’s 18-year gymnastics career ended abruptly upon graduation from Alabama, where she was part of two NCAA team titles, two SEC team titles and an individual NCAA championship in the vault.

And then it was over. Sure, Milliner, a 2011 Maize High graduate, knew it was coming. But her body and mind were still on the schedule of practicing every day, of eschewing family functions or other personal events that interfered with gymnastics.

Now Milliner, 23, has found a home as a stunt double in Atlanta. She has worked on Tyler Perry movies, as well as “Neighbors 2” and has a recurring role on TV’s “The Walking Dead.”

The only reason Milliner’s parents and grandparents went to see “Neighbors 2” on opening night in May was because she was in it.

“We were sitting and cheering and screaming for her,” Traci said. “And then we waited for the credits and then started screaming and cheering some more.”

Milliner’s family knew what scenes she was in — she fell down the stairs and fell from a chandelier — so they were watching for her. There was an additional scene when she was on a bicycle and they could actually see her face.

It was fun to watch her daughter on the big screen, but this is not the career Traci Milliner imagined.

“It’s exciting to see her do something she loves to do,” Traci said. “… She made a comment to me that, if she could vault for the rest of her life, she would. She didn’t want to coach. That wasn’t in her.”

Milliner, who has two sisters, didn’t expect this career, either. But during a tactical weapons workshop for films, she met a friend who showed her the stunt gyms in Atlanta, where she moved last year. Along with training, she began networking.

The transition to a life in stunts has been rife with new challenges.

Milliner has hung out near a movie set in the middle of the night, hoping she would meet the stunt director.

She is learning new skills: boxing and martial arts, training on wires that help you fall through the air, stick-fighting techniques and fight choreography.

“The coordination in gymnastics taught me to be a pretty quick learner and pick up on technique,” she said.

Milliner knows how to fall, but she has had to train to fall without hurting herself.

“At first you practice it on padded surfaces, then they put you on a mat. You do it a couple times there,” Milliner said. “They usually don’t make you do the stunts too many times. When they’re ready to film, you put on a couple pads if wardrobe allows for it, and then you just go for it.”

She has had to lessen the beauty of her body movement. While gymnastics emphasizes grace with pointed toes and straight legs, the opposite is required in an action scene.

“It’s the one struggle I have,” Milliner said. “… I’ve had to unlearn those wonderful habits. You can’t fall pretty when you’re getting hit by a car or falling from a chandelier.”

By delving into stunts, Milliner has had the time to learn more about herself, which was critical after all those years of focusing on gymnastics.

“I was so wrapped up with gymnastics, I had a really hard time figuring out who I was after gymnastics,” said Milliner, who is engaged. “Now I’m trying to figure out how to not wrap myself up in this like I did with gymnastics. I try to let it be what it is. If I get (a part), great. If not, that’s cool, too.”

Breaking into the business isn’t easy. There’s constant networking and training in order to catch directors’ attention.

She might find out today that she is needed for a part tomorrow.

“What’s really helped me is just knowing that if stunts don’t work out, it will be OK,” she said. “In the last couple years of my career, I didn’t have too many failures. I had a great college career, where we won several championships. Even when we didn’t win, we placed in the top four every year. I’d count that as a success.

“I feel like I’m learning from the failures in stunts and the lull periods between jobs. That’s really helped me not become just a stunt person. I’ve kind of invested in other interests that I have and have had time to just kind of learn about myself.”

She is painting with acrylics, something she hasn’t done since she was a child and didn’t have time for it once she started gymnastics.

“Gymnastics coaches want the best for their gymnasts, but they teach us, ‘You have to be at practice every single day. You can’t miss,’ ” Milliner said. “I do wish that I had been able to spend more time with my family. I don’t have many regrets, but I do think I could have been closer to my family than I am.”

This story was originally published July 8, 2016 at 7:07 AM with the headline "Wichitan Diandra Milliner transitions from collegiate gymnastics to the big screen."