THE stunt team that brought the world the thrills and spills of Mad Max: Fury Road is the world’s best after being honoured at the annual Screen Actors Guild awards.

The 100-strong team had more than 25 Gold Coast stunt actors and picked up the Best Stunt Ensemble gong at the awards in the US yesterday.

media_camera Gold Coast stuntman Nathan Lawson worked on the Mad Max Fury Road movie. The movie just won Screen Actors Guild award for it stunt ensemble. Picture by Scott Fletcher

Among those recognised was Hope Island stuntman and industry veteran, Nathan Lawson.

The 41-year-old, who spent 10 months in Namibia shooting the Australian epic, got to live out his childhood dream of being Mad Max himself, doubling for star Tom Hardy during the high-intensity final chase sequence.

media_camera Nathan Lawson (right) in costume as Max with film fight legend Richard Norton on the set of Mad Max: Fury Road in Namibia.

“I grew up watching the original Mad Max, and The Road Warrior in particular is amazing so to double as Max was a career highlight,” he said.

During the scene, Max is seen hanging precariously from poles, a scene which took the heavily Gold Coast staffed team years of work to develop.

media_camera Gold Coast stuntman Nathan Lawson worked on the Mad Max Fury Road movie. The movie just won Screen Actors Guild award for it stunt ensemble. Picture by Scott Fletcher

“Having such large group from the Gold Coast is pretty incredible and shows how much talent we have here in the city,” he said.

“It is really great to be recognised at awards time, especially at the SAG which are the only ones to recognise a stunt ensemble.

“This was definitely one of the most challenging films of my entire career but everyone came through safely.”

media_camera Namibia — Mad Max Fury Road film still Pic: supplied

The Australian film beat out fellow action juggernauts Furious Seven, Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation, Jurassic World and Everest.

In coming weeks Fury Road will be up for 10 gongs at the Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Visual Effects and Cinematography.

Other prominent Gold Coasters involved were action unit stunt co-ordinator Keir Beck and action unit director Guy Norris, who also played Max during the film’s dramatic opening sequence.

media_camera Namibia — Mad Max Fury Road film still Pic: supplied

In the scene, Max’s iconic Pursuit Special V8 Interceptor was destroyed during a chase.

It was a full-circle moment for Mr Norris, who as a young man, worked on Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior and drove the Interceptor during that film’s opening scene.

media_camera Gold Coast stuntman Nathan Lawson worked on the Mad Max Fury Road movie. The movie just won Screen Actors Guild award for it stunt ensemble. Picture by Scott Fletcher

Both are filming overseas and were unavailable for comment but Mr Lawson paid tribute to Mr Norris work during the film.

“He also crashed the doof rig into the war rig at the end which let him finish his performing career with that,” he said.