Hollywood actors who did their own stunts: Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, Angelina Jolie, Tom Cruise and more |
An action scene feels different when you know the actor on screen is actually taking the hit, jumping from the car or hanging off the side of something very high. Hollywood productions still rely heavily on professional stunt performers, and for good reason. But some stars have spent years training to handle much of their own action. A few have even turned it into part of their screen identity. From Jackie Chan’s dangerous practical stunts to Keanu Reeves’ John Wick training and Charlize Theron’s fight sequences, these stars have pushed their bodies to make action scenes look as real as possible.Here are some Hollywood stars who have become known for doing a significant amount of their own stunts.
Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan as Chan Ka-kui in Police Story 1985(Image credit: Screen Grab from Youtube)
If there is one name that belongs on any list about actors doing their own stunts, it is Jackie Chan.Chan has performed countless dangerous sequences throughout his career, from the clock tower fall in ‘Project A’ to the shopping mall fight in ‘Police Story.’ He also built his own stunt team, allowing him to choreograph action around what he and his performers could safely do.Chan has never claimed to do absolutely everything himself. In a 2003 interview with Philstar, he explained that he uses doubles when a stunt falls outside his abilities.That honesty is part of what makes his stunt career so impressive.
Tom Cruise
Mission Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015) Ethan Hunt, played by Tom Cruise(Image Credit: Screen Grab from YouTube)
Tom Cruise has arguably made doing his own stunts part of his brand.The Mission: Impossible star has climbed the Burj Khalifa, hung from an aeroplane, completed a HALO jump and ridden a motorcycle off a cliff. He has also broken bones while filming.Cruise’s approach isn’t simply about performing a stunt once. He trains for months so that the action can be filmed repeatedly and from different angles.His dedication has even earned him Guinness World Records recognition for his stunt work.
Keanu Reeves
Speed (1994) Officer Jack Traven, played by Keanu Reeves(Image Credit: Screen Grab From YouTube)
Keanu Reeves may not be throwing himself off buildings like Cruise, but his ‘John Wick’ work is still seriously physical.For the franchise, Reeves trained extensively in martial arts, firearms handling, driving and tactical movement. Much of the close-quarters action is performed by Reeves himself, helping give the fight scenes their unusually long and fluid takes.Stunt performer Daniel Bernhardt has even described Reeves as doing around 99 percent of his own stunts for ‘John Wick.’The actor’s commitment is especially noticeable in the franchise’s gun-fu sequences, where choreography, movement and camera timing all have to line up.
Charlize Theron
The Old Guard (2020) Andy (Andromache of Scythia), played by Charlize Theron(Image Credit: Screen Grab From YouTube)
Charlize Theron has spent years proving that she can handle much more than a glamorous action pose.For Atomic Blonde, Theron trained for months in strength, Muay Thai and wrestling before filming the movie’s brutal fight sequences. She performed almost all of her own stunts for the film, including the exhausting stairwell fight.Theron has also been open about the downside of doing this kind of work. During an interview with ‘The Howard Stern Show,’ she recalled seriously injuring herself while filming ‘Æon Flux.’Her action career has continued regardless.
Jason Statham
Mechanic: Resurrection (2016) Arthur Bishop, played by Jason Statham(Image Credit: Screen Grab From YouTube)
Jason Statham’s action persona has always depended on making his fights and physical sequences look convincing.The former competitive diver has performed much of his own stunt work throughout films including ‘The Transporter,’ ‘Crank’ and the ‘Fast & Furious’ franchise.One particularly wild example came from ‘Crank’, where Statham performed a sequence involving a real helicopter rather than leaving the entire scene to a double.Statham has also been vocal about the importance of stunt performers, despite being one of the actors who regularly takes on their work himself.
Angelina Jolie
Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005) Jane Smith, played by Angelina Jolie(Image Credit: Screen Grab from Youtube)
Angelina Jolie has never been shy about getting physical for an action role.She performed a large portion of her own stunt work in films including ‘Lara Croft: Tomb Raider,’ ‘Mr. & Mrs. Smith,’ ‘Wanted,’ and ‘Salt.”The difference can be seen in the way Jolie approaches her characters. Rather than simply learning a few movements for the camera, she has repeatedly undergone extensive physical training to make the action look natural.Her work in ‘Salt,’ in particular, required her to handle fights, falls and chase sequences while playing a character who spends most of the movie running from one dangerous situation to another.
Michelle Rodriguez
Michelle Rodriguez has spent much of her career in action-heavy films, from ‘The Fast and the Furious’ to ‘Resident Evil.’
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023) Holga Kilgore, played by Michelle Rodriguez(Image Credit: Screen Grab from YouTube)
She has spoken about performing her own physical work whenever productions allow her to. Insurance restrictions, however, can determine what actors are permitted to do.Rodriguez has also used her platform to highlight stunt performers, including narrating the documentary ‘Stuntwomen: The Untold Hollywood Story.’So while she doesn’t claim to do every stunt, she has made it clear that she wants to be involved whenever she can.
Zoë Bell
Game of Death (2010) Floria, played by Zoë Bell(Image Credit: Screen Grab from YouTube)
Zoë Bell’s story is slightly different because she started as a stunt performer before becoming an actor.She worked as Uma Thurman’s stunt double in ‘Kill Bill’ before Quentin Tarantino cast her as herself in ‘Death Proof.’ That film gave audiences one of the clearest examples of Bell’s stunt background, particularly in the sequence where she rides on the hood of a moving car.Bell later continued combining acting and stunt work, making her one of Hollywood’s rare performers who genuinely understands both sides of the camera.
Harrison Ford
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) Indiana Jones, played by Harrison Ford(Image Credit: Scree Grab from YouTube)
Harrison Ford has been doing physically demanding action work for decades, and age hasn’t completely stopped him.Ford has performed plenty of his own physical work throughout the Indiana Jones films, from fights to falls and other demanding sequences. His commitment became particularly notable during the later films, when he continued performing physically demanding action well into his 70s and 80s.Of course, like virtually every major action star, Ford has worked with stunt doubles when a sequence requires it.The point is less about doing every stunt and more about how much of the physical performance Ford has continued to take on himself.
Daniel Craig
Daniel Craig as James Bond from the 2006 film Casino Royale(Image Credit: Screen Grab from YouTube)
Daniel Craig brought a noticeably physical edge to James Bond.Throughout the Bond films, Craig performed a significant amount of his own physical action work, including demanding fights and chase sequences. His tenure also became known for being particularly hard on his body.Craig has suffered injuries during Bond productions, but continued returning to the physical demands of the role.His Bond was less about looking untouched after a fight and more about making the audience believe every punch actually hurt.
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