**Eric Morrison** *Body guard to the stars* From terrorist threats and bomb scares to over-zealous fans desperate for a selfie, bodyguard, Eric Morrison, 49, has seen it all. Morrison, at 2m tall (6ft, 6in) encounters some pretty risky situations in his line of work. “Twenty years ago, no one rushed the car to get a selfie,” Morrison said. “You have to be more on your game as people want to get closer and closer to the person you’re taking care of.” And although he has to be ready at all times to put his life before someone else’s, there are some significant perks. Working with the world’s top CEOs, politicians and A-list celebrities means he’s a regular attendee at awards ceremonies like the Grammys and the Golden Globes and has even accompanied French royalty to Monaco. Morrison started out as a college basketball player and began working as a body guard on the side to earn some extra cash, but it eventually turned into a full-time career. He has trained in three martial arts forms (Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Krav Maga and Muay Thai) and has also worked with training facilities across the world to learn how to use long guns like sniper rifles and a variety of handguns. Once or twice a year he encounters situations where a spectator must be physically restrained or blocked from attacking a client. “When you get to that place where you are intercepting a physical event, you just have to assume the worst,” Morrison said. “Once someone becomes obsessed, things can go south fast.” He said the most dangerous part of his job is that degree of obsession. When a potential assailant shows up at a public event and is fixated on harming one of his clients, the situation transitions from simply escorting someone down the red carpet to the protecting them from harm or possible death. For example, someone in jail might send a demo tape to an executive thinking it will be the next hit. Then after the person is released, they might take further action because they feel slighted by the executive. “In a lot of cases I’m hunting the hunter. It’s scariest when you can’t specifically find the predator, but know they might be out there,” Morrison said. (Credit: Courtesy Eric Morrison)