Leigh Hennessy was raised in the heart of Cajun Country, surrounded by a family who shared a passion for sports. Her father, Jeff Hennessy, was the US National Trampoline coach from 1964 to 1980, teaching at the University of Southwestern Louisiana, now the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, while coaching more World Trampoline Champions than any coach in the country. This exposure to the world of trampolining led Leigh to become one of the best in the sport.
Throughout her career, Leigh represented the United States in numerous international competitions, winning titles in individual trampoline, synchronized trampoline, and double mini-trampoline, as well as earning two world titles. Her love for trampolining took her all over the world, and she continued to excel in the sport until she decided to pursue a new passion.
After completing her Master's degree at UL and working on Capitol Hill as a staffer for Congressman James A. Hayes, Leigh transitioned into a film career as a stunt woman and actress. Her first feature film was Bad Boys, where she doubled Tea Leoni, performing a daring stunt involving a speeding car. Her big break came when she doubled Demi Moore in G.I. Jane, performing a range of military-style stunts and fight scenes with Viggo Mortensen. She also had to shave her head to match Moore's.
Leigh's impressive stunt work continued with her doubling Lucy Liu in Charlie's Angels and Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, performing a record-breaking fall of over 90 feet. In the first Charlie's Angels movie, she was part of a trio of extraordinary stunt women who performed the historic fall together. Her work in the opening scenes of The Guardian, with Kevin Costner, earned her a nomination for a World Stunt Award in 2007.
In recent years, Leigh has expanded her skills to include stunt coordinating and has also ventured into publishing. Her first book, a labor of love, was completed in tribute to her brother, Jefferson Hennessy, who passed away before he could finish his first book. The book, The Day of the Cajundome Megashelter, tells the story of the extraordinary efforts of her hometown, Lafayette, Louisiana, to house thousands of evacuees who became homeless after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Her second book, Don't Get Stuck on Stupid, was written with Lt. General Russel Honore and her husband, Dr. Mark B. Robson, and is published by Acadian House Publishing in Lafayette, Louisiana.
