Stars who risk their lives to film their own stunts

The actress refused to work with stuntwomen in the film 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,' spending hours upon hours hanging from ropes. She also does her own fighting scenes. “For me, it was just totally unacceptable that someone else would do my stunts, it was supposed to be me, so why should anybody else do it,” she once said.

3 / 27 Fotos

Keanu Reeves -

The actor performs the majority of stunts in the action-packed 'John Wick' series all by himself.

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Harrison Ford -

Harrison Ford did many of his own action scenes (and even improvised some!) in the 'Indiana Jones' movies

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Denzel Washington -

The actor did all the action scenes in 'Unstoppable.'

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Jackie Chan -

The Chinese actor was a stuntman early in his career and has already collected some broken bones throughout his filmography. He does not use stunt doubles in his action scenes.

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Gina Carano -

Before becoming an actress, Carano was an MMA fighter so the transition to doing action scenes was an easy one. All punches and kicks come from the actress herself.

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Viggo Mortensen -

The actor did all the battle scenes in 'The Lord of the Rings' without resorting to a stunt double.

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Hugh Jackman -

The actor decided to do most of his action scenes as Wolverine in the 'X-Men' franchise himself.

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Angelina Jolie - The actress jumped over a moving truck while filming 'Salt'. Jolie also performed the action scenes in 'Tomb Raider.'

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Buster Keaton -

In the 1920s, the actor was considered brave for performing all the stunts in his movies.

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Jeremy Renner -

'Hawkeye' star Jeremy Renner insisted on doing his own stunts in action movies like 'Mission: Impossible, 'The Bourne Legacy,' and 'S.W.A.T.' However, it was the comedy movie 'Tag' that left him seriously injured! He suffered a fractured elbow and wrist after falling 20 feet (6 meters).

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Kristen Stewart - The actress performed her own action scenes in both the 'Twilight' saga and in 'Snow White and the Huntsman'.

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Jason Statham -

The British actor admitted in an interview that, since there was no budget to do special effects in green screen or to hire a stuntman, he decided to film all the stunts in his first movie himself.

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Sylvester Stallone -

Stallone refused to use a stunt double to film his action scenes in 'The Expendables'.

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Arnold Schwarzenegger -

Former bodybuilder and action movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger has said no to stunt doubles a few times. In 2013, while filming 'The Last Stand,' Arnie hung on ropes at high altitudes and drove cars at high speed.

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Christian Bale -

Although Christian Bale used a stunt double for the 'Batman' trilogy, he performed all the fighting scenes.

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John Cena -

Professional wrestler John Cena had no problem filming his dangerous scenes in most of his movies.

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Josh Hutcherson -

The actor decided to film all his action scenes in the 'Hunger Games' movies without using stunt doubles.

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Burt Lancaster -

The respected actor was nominated for four Oscars and won one for 'Elmer Gantry.' Lancaster was known in the 1950s and 1960s for filming without the use of stuntmen.

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Taylor Lautner -

The actor refused to have his dangerous scenes of 'Abduction' performed by a stuntman.

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Tony Jaa -

Jaa is a Muay Thai practitioner, choreographer, director, and actor. At age 15, he was taken under the wing of a stunt director and got involved in movies. His fights are real and impressive, considering the acrobatic jumps and amazing blows!

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Tom Cruise -

In ',' the actor decided to film the dangerous scenes riding a motorbike off the top of a 1,240 meter-high crag, plummeting down its vertical, and opening his parachute, base-jump style. And not only once. The actor did the scene six times in order to get it perfect.

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Cameron Diaz -

In 'Knight and Day,' the actress followed Tom Cruise's lead and said no to a stunt double, filming her own action scenes.

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Bruce Lee -

The late martial arts movie legend never used stuntmen to film his scenes.

Sources: (MovieWeb) (ScreenCrush)

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Getty Images

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Daniel Craig -

The star told the Telegraph that he's not the type of actor who just takes off his shirt. He claims that if he has to be challenged physically, he'll do it to the best of his ability.

NL Beeld

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Michelle Yeoh -

NL Beeld

3 / 27 Fotos

Keanu Reeves -

The actor performs the majority of stunts in the action-packed 'John Wick' series all by himself.

NL Beeld

4 / 27 Fotos

Harrison Ford -

Harrison Ford did many of his own action scenes (and even improvised some!) in the 'Indiana Jones' movies

NL Beeld

5 / 27 Fotos

Denzel Washington -

The actor did all the action scenes in 'Unstoppable.'

NL Beeld

6 / 27 Fotos

Jackie Chan -

The Chinese actor was a stuntman early in his career and has already collected some broken bones throughout his filmography. He does not use stunt doubles in his action scenes.

NL Beeld

7 / 27 Fotos

Gina Carano -

Before becoming an actress, Carano was an MMA fighter so the transition to doing action scenes was an easy one. All punches and kicks come from the actress herself.

NL Beeld

8 / 27 Fotos

Viggo Mortensen -

The actor did all the battle scenes in 'The Lord of the Rings' without resorting to a stunt double.

NL Beeld

9 / 27 Fotos

Hugh Jackman -

The actor decided to do most of his action scenes as Wolverine in the 'X-Men' franchise himself.

NL Beeld

10 / 27 Fotos

Angelina Jolie - The actress jumped over a moving truck while filming 'Salt'. Jolie also performed the action scenes in 'Tomb Raider.'

NL Beeld

11 / 27 Fotos

Buster Keaton -

In the 1920s, the actor was considered brave for performing all the stunts in his movies.

Getty Images

12 / 27 Fotos

Jeremy Renner -

NL Beeld

13 / 27 Fotos

Kristen Stewart - The actress performed her own action scenes in both the 'Twilight' saga and in 'Snow White and the Huntsman'.

14 / 27 Fotos

Jason Statham -

The British actor admitted in an interview that, since there was no budget to do special effects in green screen or to hire a stuntman, he decided to film all the stunts in his first movie himself.

NL Beeld

15 / 27 Fotos

Sylvester Stallone -

Stallone refused to use a stunt double to film his action scenes in 'The Expendables'.

NL Beeld

16 / 27 Fotos

Arnold Schwarzenegger -

NL Beeld

17 / 27 Fotos

Christian Bale -

Although Christian Bale used a stunt double for the 'Batman' trilogy, he performed all the fighting scenes.

NL Beeld

18 / 27 Fotos

John Cena -

Professional wrestler John Cena had no problem filming his dangerous scenes in most of his movies.

NL Beeld

19 / 27 Fotos

Josh Hutcherson -

The actor decided to film all his action scenes in the 'Hunger Games' movies without using stunt doubles.

NL Beeld

20 / 27 Fotos

Burt Lancaster -

The respected actor was nominated for four Oscars and won one for 'Elmer Gantry.' Lancaster was known in the 1950s and 1960s for filming without the use of stuntmen.

NL Beeld

21 / 27 Fotos

Taylor Lautner -

The actor refused to have his dangerous scenes of 'Abduction' performed by a stuntman.

NL Beeld

22 / 27 Fotos

Tony Jaa -

NL Beeld

23 / 27 Fotos

Tom Cruise -

24 / 27 Fotos

Cameron Diaz -

In 'Knight and Day,' the actress followed Tom Cruise's lead and said no to a stunt double, filming her own action scenes.

NL Beeld

25 / 27 Fotos

Bruce Lee -

The late martial arts movie legend never used stuntmen to film his scenes.

Sources: (MovieWeb) (ScreenCrush)

26 / 27 Fotos

Stars who risk their lives to film their own stunts

No stunt double available? No issue

24/10/24 | StarsInsider

CELEBRITY Actors

Hollywood A-listers generate major revenue when they lend their names to a movie or TV series. Their fame and reputations make them highly valuable, so it's no wonder that various stars have insured their most precious body parts for millions! However, there are other actors who insist on doing their own stunts, regardless of the risk of injury. They take their craft so seriously that they're willing to push their bodies to the limit for authenticity.

From Michelle Yeoh's martial arts mastery to Tom Cruise's action heroics, click through the gallery to see the actors who do it all themselves.