The Rad Movie Podcast
The Rad Movie Podcast is centered around the 1986 BMX movie Rad, starring Bill Allen and Lori Laughlin, and directed by Hal Needham. I'm lucky enough to be friends with several members of the cast, and I'll be interviewing them, as well as a variety of other fans, including celebrity fans! You'll hear interviews with Bill, Eddie Fiola, the film's writer Sam Bernard, Hopefully Bart Conner and more. If you love the film, you'll love this podcast, hearing stories of the making of the film and what's happened since, and fan stories.
If you want, there's also a behind-the-scenes audio track called "Rad: Behind The Scenes" available on iTunes and Amazon. Amazon also has the great A Rad Documentary by Chris Phenix.
The Rad Movie Podcast
Episode 8: Jamie Clarke
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In this episode of the Rad Movie Podcast, Tony Donaldson sits down with Jamie Clarke, the actor who played Luke—Cru’s loyal friend and one of the most quoted characters in Rad (yes… “Gnarly!”).
Jamie takes us back to Calgary in the mid-’80s, when Rad rolled into town and he was just a teenager looking for a summer job. What started as a practical hustle—funding future ski adventures—turned into a life-altering moment when he caught the attention of Hal Needham and landed a speaking role that, in Jamie’s words, helped shape the direction of everything that followed.
From there, the conversation weaves through:
what it was like being a 17-year-old outsider on a set split between “Hollywood” and elite BMX riders
the behind-the-scenes reality of riding scenes (including who doubled him and why)
how movie moments like the taco’d wheel were created through classic film “magic”
and why Jamie and Bill Allen have maintained a rare, decades-long friendship that’s still going strong today
Then the interview opens up into something bigger: Jamie shares how the themes of Rad—commitment, risk, belief, and pushing into the unknown—mirrored his real life. Without turning it into a spoiler reel, you’ll hear how he transitioned from acting into entrepreneurship, public speaking, and an extraordinary adventure-driven career, including big-mountain expeditions and the mindset required to keep showing up when outcomes aren’t guaranteed.
If you love Rad history, behind-the-scenes stories, and interviews that go deeper than nostalgia, this one delivers—funny, thoughtful, and unexpectedly motivating.
🔑 Keywords / Tags
Jamie Clarke, Luke Rad, Rad Movie Podcast, Rad 1986, Bill Allen, Hal Needham, Eddie Fiola, BMX movie, BMX culture, cult classic film, 80s movies, Calgary filming, Cochrane Alberta, Helltrack, behind the scenes Rad, ADR recording, “Gnarly” quote, VHS era, Hyper Sapien, adventure athlete, mountaineering, Everest speaker, motivational speaking, entrepreneurship, outdoor adventure, public speaker