Gillard holds the world record for the longest burning man stunt, a record he set while filming Alien3. The stunt, which takes place during the quinitricetyline explosion, involved him being set alight for over two minutes, during which time he had to refrain from breathing completely. More recently, he has achieved recognition for his role as the fight choreographer behind the lightsaber duels in the Star Wars prequel trilogy, a role that has earned him the nickname "The Swordmaster" among fans of the franchise.