Atlanta stunt performer reflects on time performing with Bad Bunny during the halftime show

FAIRBURN, Ga. — Jewelianna Ramos-Ortiz makes a living in entertainment. She’s acted for years as a stunt performer in popular movies like Superman, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. She and her husband, Justin Ortiz, have also starred in Cobra Kai, filmed in Metro Atlanta.

“I started martial arts when I was three,” Ramos-Ortiz said. “My parents and uncles had karate skills. I was basically born and raised on the mats. I’ve been doing stunts for six years here in Atlanta. All the things that make kids’ eyes widen and I think that’s what makes me so proud. I exist to inspire.”

Now, Ramos-Ortiz is teaching the next generation at Action Stunt Bootcamp, an intensive training that introduces kids and young adults to the world of stunt performance. 11Alive caught up with Ramos-Ortiz during the filming of a classic Western brawl scene complete with breakaway glass. The course also teaches mini trampoline techniques, high falls and other stunt skills necessary to make it in Hollywood.

In December, Ramos-Ortiz got the opportunity of a lifetime when she got a chance to perform at the Super Bowl in Bad Bunny’s halftime show with her entire family, who are all from Puerto Rico.

“They needed Puerto Ricans that could do just a multitool of things because they didn’t know what the stunt choreography was going to be,” Ramos-Ortiz said. “It was something that hadn’t existed yet. It was experimental stunt work. Rep our country and do something that cool? We’re in. So we sent our stuff in, and almost immediately, we got word back that they wanted to hire us.”

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Ramos-Ortiz said her husband performed as Bad Bunny’s stunt double falling inside a house and crashing through a table. Their family sat around the table, stunned to see the fall. Ramos-Ortiz and her husband also appeared on one of the power poles during the performance.

“All our family was around it, because they needed the timing and safety to be able to safely take movement,” Ramos-Ortiz said. “We’re just bringing awareness that there’s not a stable electrical grid in Puerto Rico. The fact so many people had forgotten and it’s now back as a trending topic, it feels so powerful and it reminds us that there’s power in sending good, positive messages in this world.”

Ramos-Ortiz said the message of the halftime show was one of love, one that she wanted to shine through all the lights, dancing, set pieces and fanfare. She said while some people may not fully embrace that message, its significance does not dull. 

“You don’t need to change who you are to be loved and accepted here,” Ramos-Ortiz said. “There’s always going to be hate, but the only thing more powerful than hate is love, so go find where you’re loved. Wherever and whoever you are, your most authentic self, show up as that and find your people. Just because there’s hate and negativity out there doesn’t mean you have to listen to it and change.”

Ramos-Ortiz credited Atlanta as a strong hub for the film scene. She said she plans to keep performing, acting, producing and teaching. Through all the praise and criticism, Ramos-Ortiz stays grounded even when she’s flying through the air in her mission to inspire.

“How can I use this story to inspire and if I want to reach the younger generation, I want to show them that dream you had as a kid doesn’t need to go away,” Ramos-Ortiz said. “You just need to learn the next steps on how to get that inner dream goal to become a reality.”