15 Actors Who Didn’t Need Stunt Doubles To Do Their Dirty Work
Some actors are perfectly happy to let a stunt professional handle the dangerous stuff. Others would rather jump off the building themselves. Tom Cruise has made a career out of terrifying insurance companies, but he’s hardly the first performer to take that approach. Long before Hollywood had digital doubles, Buster Keaton was standing beneath falling buildings, and Jackie Chan was risking serious injuries for shots that lasted only a few seconds. Plenty of modern stars still insist on getting involved, sometimes after months of training. They don’t necessarily perform every stunt, but the scenes they tackle themselves can be pretty remarkable. Here are 15 actors who took on some of their toughest action scenes personally.
Tom Cruise Really Jumped Out of That Plane
For Mission: Impossible – Fallout, Tom Cruise trained for a HALO jump from 25,000 feet. The skydiving sequence involved 106 jumps to capture the necessary footage.
Jackie Chan Took the Shopping Mall Shortcut
Jackie Chan slid several stories down a pole covered in electric lights during Police Story. The stunt left him with burns and other injuries.
Michelle Yeoh Rode a Motorcycle Onto a Moving Train
Michelle Yeoh performed the motorcycle jump in Police Story 3: Supercop herself. She had only learned to ride a motorcycle a few weeks before filming.
Buster Keaton Stood Under a Falling House
In Steamboat Bill, Jr., Buster Keaton stood perfectly still as a building facade collapsed around him. An open window was positioned to miss him by inches.
Zoë Bell Rode on the Hood of a Speeding Car
Zoë Bell played herself in Death Proof, which made the car chase particularly convincing. She performed the hood-riding sequence with a professional driving and stunt team.
Charlize Theron Handled Most of the Stairwell Fight
Charlize Theron spent weeks preparing for Atomic Blonde. Director David Leitch estimated that she performed around 95% of the demanding stairwell sequence herself.
Jason Statham Hung From a Helicopter
While filming Crank, Jason Statham fought another actor while hanging from a helicopter thousands of feet above Los Angeles. A safety wire was his main protection.
Tony Jaa Put His Martial Arts Skills to Work
Tony Jaa performed the demanding acrobatics and fight choreography in Ong-Bak, using his martial arts background instead of relying on wire-assisted action.
Margot Robbie Fought While Wearing Roller Skates
Margot Robbie performed her roller-skating sequences in Birds of Prey, including a tricky moment on a rotating carousel. The cast trained for months before filming.
Henry Cavill Did Nearly Everything Except the Big Jump
Henry Cavill handled most of his action in Mission: Impossible – Fallout. He desperately wanted to perform the HALO jump, too, but the production wouldn’t allow it.
Angelina Jolie Jumped Between Moving Trucks
Angelina Jolie performed the vehicle-jumping sequence in Salt, using safety harnesses while moving between trucks. Stunt coordinator Simon Crane confirmed she made the leaps herself.
Keanu Reeves Took on Most of Those Endless Stairs
Keanu Reeves performed much of the exhausting stairway action in John Wick: Chapter 4. He left the particularly dangerous fall down the steps to a stunt professional.
Halle Berry Trained the Dogs for Her Own Fight Scenes
Halle Berry learned to handle the Belgian Malinois featured in John Wick: Chapter 3. She performed fight choreography while giving the dogs their commands on camera.
Sammo Hung Still Did His Own Fighting
Sammo Hung handled his martial arts sequences in Ip Man 2, despite having recently undergone heart surgery. The demanding fight choreography resulted in several injuries.
Brigitte Lin Didn’t Want a Double Either
Brigitte Lin reportedly chose to perform a fall over a table in Police Story herself. The stunt went badly, leaving her injured during filming.