McKay Stewart: Flips, fights and facts A knife, a scarf, and a beat down from Melinda May.

Ming-Na Wen Beat Me Up on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

· McKay Stewart

October 9, 2017. Lunchtime in Los Angeles.

I typed one quick post:

“Just booked co-star role on @AgentsofSHIELD, whoop!!”

This was my second trip into the world of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Back in 2015 I played Scientist #1 in a hazmat suit (that story is here).

This time I got a knife, a scarf, and a fight with Ming-Na Wen.

Spoiler: I lost.

McKay Stewart as Roughneck, in a scarf and tactical vest, standing beside another man in a dark corridor in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. "The Last Day" Me (right) as Roughneck in “The Last Day” (ABC, 2018). Still from Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., from the clip I shared on X.

The role: Roughneck

My character’s name was Roughneck.

The episode was “The Last Day.” That’s Season 5, Episode 8. It aired on ABC on Friday, January 19, 2018.

Season 5 was a wild one. The team got pulled into the future. Earth was broken into pieces. Most of them were stuck on a space station called the Lighthouse.

In “The Last Day,” part of the team crash-lands on what’s left of Earth. Somewhere in that mess, Coulson (Clark Gregg) and May (Ming-Na Wen) run into my guy.

A hometown paper asked me about Roughneck that month. Here’s how I put it:

“He’s a guy that’s in over his head and trying to do what he thinks is right. He gets caught up in a confrontation with actors Clark Gregg and Ming-Na Wen. He doesn’t die though, so maybe he comes back.”

Who made it happen

When I booked it, I gave a shout to the people who helped:

  • Elizabeth Henstridge, who plays Jemma Simmons on the show
  • Tanner Gill
  • Stunts Unlimited, the stunt group I tagged with #theblackandgold

The episode was directed by Nina Lopez-Corrado. In one post I wrote, “thanks for being so awesome Nina!”

Shoot day

October 17, 2017. The day before.

I posted that I’d be an “actor/stuntman on @AgentsofSHIELD tomorrow. Wish me luck.”

So that’s the job. Say the lines. Then take the hits.

The costume was pure end-of-the-world. Worn tactical vest. Gloves. A big tan scarf. A knife.

In my trailer I couldn’t help myself:

McKay Stewart in his Roughneck costume taking a goofy mirror selfie in his trailer, holding the knife from his costume In my trailer as Roughneck, costume knife in hand. Photo: McKay Stewart, shared on X.

Yes, I’m making that face on purpose.

The fight

Here’s the best part. 20 seconds of me with Clark Gregg and Ming-Na Wen.

Watch close. It does not go well for Roughneck.

My scene and fight with Ming-Na Wen in “The Last Day.” Footage: Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., ABC. Shared on X.

When I posted it, I wrote: “Guess who wins.”

You already know. May always wins.

A dark corridor fight in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. as McKay Stewart's character Roughneck lunges in The fight kicks off. Frame from the clip I shared on X. Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., ABC.

Ming-Na Wen as Melinda May grabbing McKay Stewart as Roughneck against orange lockers Ming-Na Wen as May takes care of business. Frame from the same clip. Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., ABC.

That December, I sent Ming-Na a note. I told her it was great fighting her. Then I fixed it: “I mean getting a beat down.”

That’s stunt work. You make the hero look great. You take the fall. You get up and do it again.

Christmas lunch with S.H.I.E.L.D.

December 12, 2017. I got invited back.

Kyle Jewell asked me to come back to S.H.I.E.L.D. I got to watch him work. I called him a “#digitalmaster” and I meant it.

Then came the cast and crew Christmas lunch. It was big:

  • Sashimi
  • Lobster
  • Filet mignon

I saw Nina Lopez-Corrado again. I met directors Garry A. Brown and Billy Gierhart. I saw Ming-Na across the room too, but I didn’t get to say hi.

Air night

January 19, 2018. Show night.

I posted this picture with a big thumbs-up:

McKay Stewart giving a thumbs-up next to a TV showing the Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. logo “Watch me on @AgentsofSHIELD tonight at 9PM on ABC!” Photo: McKay Stewart, shared on X.

My post said it was a “super fun scene w @MingNa and @clarkgregg.” It was.

How many people watched? The episode drew 2.41 million viewers on air night. With a week of DVR viewing, that grew to 4.23 million, per TV by the Numbers ratings cited on Wikipedia.

That’s a lot of people watching me lose a fight.

My first meme

A week later, I made my very first meme.

Still of McKay Stewart as Roughneck holding a knife, with meme text reading "I said, el baño es occupado" “#myfirstmeme.” Still from Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (ABC) with my caption, shared on X.

The arrow points to the knife. In case you missed it.

The hometown paper

Before the episode aired, the Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber ran a story on me. It came out January 16, 2018.

Why Vashon? I lived on Vashon Island, Washington, from 1989 to 1992. I went to Vashon High School.

The story covered a lot:

  • My first acting was in Sheila Jaffe’s English class. She’s one of my best teachers of all time.
  • After Vashon I went to Bellarmine Prep in Tacoma.
  • Then I studied dance at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.
  • I danced in commercials and big musical shows for almost 7 years.
  • Then I started doing stunts. By 2018 I’d worked as a stuntman and actor on close to 70 TV shows and movies.

Some of those: Desperate Housewives, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Million Dollar Baby, and CSI: Miami.

I told the paper I miss Vashon. I played soccer, baseball and tennis. I wrestled. I acted. I learned French. I was on the debate team. It was a rocket ride.

You can read it here: Former islander lands part in ABC series.

Two roles, one show

Years later, in March 2021, I was still smiling about it.

I posted: “I still can’t get over how great it was to work 2 roles on Agents of SHIELD w cast/crew.”

Two roles. Two seasons, three years apart:

  • Scientist #1 in “Aftershocks” (Season 2, 2015)
  • Roughneck in “The Last Day” (Season 5, 2018)

One got me a hazmat suit. The other got me beat up by Melinda May.

Both were so much fun.

The record

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