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It is a common Hollywood policy that the actors do only the simplest stunts, mostly because of the studios’ insurance rules. However, there are certain stars who insist on doing almost everything by themselves, which means dangerous maneuvers without using stunt doubles. Keep on reading and find out who they are.
Jackie Chan has long been regarded as one of the world’s most talented stuntmen, and for good reason — he holds the Guinness World Record for most stunts performed by a living actor. He is probably most well-known for doing his own stunts. The martial arts master made a career for himself by performing all of his own stunts, especially in his early films. Chan later developed a stunt team that often trains other actors to do their own stunt work.
Not everyone knows it, but before taking up acting, Jason Statham was an Olympic diver for the British National Diving Team. Maybe that accounts for his killer physique, and for the fact that he insists on doing the majority of his own stunts in his films. That not only involves combat, but driving too. “The adrenaline is a great rush,” he said in one interview. “I love it, but it is quite stupid.”
There’s a reason Angelina Jolie has emerged as our generation’s most sought-after action heroine. Jolie has been known to do the majority of her own stunt work in her action fare. She has never been afraid to get her hands dirty during filming. In her 2010 film Salt, Jolie did not use a stunt double, instead opting to do all the stunts on her own.
Ford was in his mid-sixties when he filmed Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, but he didn’t let a few creaky joints stop him from doing his own stunts. “I have picked up plenty of bumps, bruises, and cuts over the years,” he’s confessed.
As 11-year-old superhero Hit Girl in the 2010 film Kickass, Chloe Moretz did almost all of her own stunts — aside from the wall-climbing scene. To prepare for the role, Moretz trained with Jackie Chan’s stunt team.
Viggo Mortensen looks rugged in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, but it turns out he actually is in real life. As Aragorn, the most physical of the Tolkein crew, Mortensen performed all of his own stunts. It’s even rumored that the actor carried a real steel sword instead of a fake one to lend more realism to his acting during the fight sequences.
Kristen Stewart recently revealed that she performed most of her own stunts in her film Snow White and the Huntsman. Though the stunts were more minimal in the Twilight series, Stewart, along with the rest of the crew, reportedly pulled their own tricks during the battle scenes.
As Batman, Christian Bale performed most of his own stunts. Unfortunately, Bale was not allowed to follow suit in The Fighter, and was instructed by an insurance company to let a stunt double step in.
Cruise’s career spans just about every genre, but he’s really made his mark as an action star. For the last two installments of Mission: Impossible, Cruise insisted — against the wishes of studio executives — on performing his own stunts. He continued his shenanigans for his film Knight and Day and Oblivion.
Cameron Diaz followed co-star Tom Cruise’s lead in Knight and Day, and did most of her own stunts for the film, including stunt driving. When Diaz attended the Golden Globes during film, she said she was covered in cuts and bruises.
I respect actors, who did the stunts themselves. They risk for the movie sake and for our pleasure. This is what really deserves my admiration. Knew about some names from the article, but some were a true revelation for me.