The Real Deal
Classic action movies are known for their riveting and dangerous stunts—the kind that leaves audiences on the edge of their seats.
Some of these action stars earn every penny of their paychecks as they perform all of their own stunts, often sustaining serious injuries in the process.
From jumping between buildings to plunging over waterfalls, here’s 25 actors who perform their own stunts.
Dwayne Johnson
Given Dwayne’s long career in professional wrestling, it’s no surprise that he likes to perform his own stunts.
In an interview with Graham Norton, he once said that “he felt he owed it to fans to be as authentic as possible with his action hero performances”.
Tom Cruise
For Tom, it all started with Mission Impossible, when he wanted to push his own personal limits and delivery quality action to his fans. He has since been performing all of his own stunts.
It’s safe to say he takes his roles seriously as he often comes out of production with an injury or two.
Adam Driver
Adam Driver is another actor who takes his roles seriously and fully commits. In Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Driver put in the work and pulled off every single one of his own stunts.
In an interview with, The Rise of Skywalker stunt coordinator, Eunice Huthart described Driver as being “as good as any stuntman.”
Keanu Reeves
Keanu recently made headlines when rumors sparked that he took part in a stunt for Matrix: Resurrections where he jumped off a 46-story building. Apparently, he did it 19 times before getting the park exactly right.
He’s also done all of his own stunts in the John Wick series, and many others.
Keanu has said he performs his own stunts as a way to “maintain the connection” with his audience.
Governo do Estado de São Paulo, Flickr
Daniel Craig
Daniel Craig is known for bringing a gritty edge to the role as James Bond, especially with his decision to do most of his own stunts.
In fact, he was so committed that he shattered his teeth after being punched in the face during Casino Royale.
Tom Holland
Tom Holland may still be young and fresh in the industry but he has certainly shown his commitment while doing his own stunts for his role as Spider-Man.
While some of the stunts in the film required a double for legal purposes, Tom did as many as he was allowed.
His background in gymnastics surely helped pull them off.
Jackie Chan
We all know that Jackie Chan is a stunt legend. Aside from being a legendary actor, Jackie is also known for his martial arts and action choreography.
Not only does he perform all of his own stunts, but he also designs them.
Daniel Stern
Daniel Stern played the Wet Bandit in Home Alone, where he actually performed all of his own stunts (in both films).
Even the tarantula scene was real. In the second film, one of his climbing stunts went wrong and he ended up with some injuries.
Harrison Ford
Harrison Ford is famously known for performing his own stunts in many of his action films, including Indiana Jones, which filmed while he was already in his eighties.
Jason Stathem
It’s no surprise that Jason Stathem does his own stunts. It is said that he takes his action-flick job very seriously and truly commits to his stunts.
Jason also aids in other stunt work for other actors at times. He was actually behind the stunt work in Crank, which was said to be fairly dangerous.
Christian Bale
Christian Bale has done many of his own stunts in his films. He is best known for his stunts in The Dark Knight.
Thought Christian has apparently said he may not continue performing his own stunts as he ages.
Martin Kraft, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Chris Evans
Some superhero actors leave the stunts to their doubles, but not Chris Evans. He performs all of his own stunts and takes great pride in doing so.
He believes doing his own stunts as Captain America adds to the authenticity of the character, who is more humanistic than the typical superhero.
Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Before Arnold Schwarzenegger’s sting in politics, he did quite a few of his own stunts. Some say he was pushed to do his own stunts because of a lack of suitable doubles.
Arnold experienced many injuries as a result of doing his own stunts, including being bitten and attacked by animals, and a near-drowning incident.
Matt Damon
Matt Damon is known for performing all of his own stunts, especially in the Bourne series. He apparently also did very dangerous work on war films like Saving Private Ryan and Courage Under Fire.
World Bank Photo Collection, Flickr
Sylvester Stallone
Sylvester Stallone is another popular action star who does his own stunts and has suffered a number of injuries as a result. While filming The Expendables, he actually broke his neck, sustaining a hairline fracture during a fight scene with Stone Cold Steve Austin.
Viggo Mortensen
Viggo Mortensen has performed the majority of his own stunts throughout his career, including throughout the Lord of the Rings series.
He’s chipped teeth and broken bones in the process.
Burt Reynolds
Burt Reynolds, known for his macho physicality, often did his own stunts, including a scene in Deliverance where his character rides a canoe over a waterfall.
Burt had a stuntman for particularly dangerous stunts that could stir up legal trouble.
Steve McQueen
Steve McQueen did all of his own motorcycle stunts in The Great Escape—except for the climatic 60-foot jump over a fence.
He also leaped out of a helicopter onto the top of a burning building in Towering Inferno.
Buster Keaton
The iconic silent comedy performer was known for cooking up dozens of iconic stunts in both short films and features during the 1920s.
He’s done countless dangerous stunts, including jumping between buildings, being tied to a railroad, plunging over a waterfall, and various driving stunts.
Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images
Burt Lancaster
Before Burt Lancaster was into acting, he was a circus acrobat—so it’s not surprising he opted to do his own stunts.
He did all of his own stunts in Trapeze, The Flame and Arrow, and The Crimson Pirate.
Silver Screen Collection, Getty Images
Douglas Fairbanks
Douglas Fairbanks is known for performing many of his own stunts on The Thief of Baghdad, The Mark of Zorro, and Robin Hood.
He reportedly secretly posed as a stunt man in Robin Hood so that he could run up the chain of a drawbridge as it rose.
Orange County Archives, Flickr
Hugh Jackman
Hugh Jackman has performed many of his own stunts, including hanging off a train, flying, and leaping on wires.
In many cases he sustained some cuts and bruises, but one particular incident almost resulted in a fatal neck injury.
Jeremy Renner
Marvel star Jeremy Renner is known for his role as Hawkeye, a bow-wielding marksman hero, in which he performed all of his own stunts.
He also did his own stunts in S.W.A.T, The Bourne Legacy, and the Mission: Impossible series.
Sadly, while shooting the comedy film, Tag, Jeremy fractured his right elbow and left wrist after falling twenty-feet.
Ryan Reynolds
Ryan Reynolds is not only known for his sidesplitting humor, but also for his ability to perfectly blend action and comedy roles.
Not only that, he did all of his own stunts, no matter how challenging they were. That is, until he got hurt.
In 2012, while filming Safe House Ryan fractured his vertebrae in his neck, causing a serious injury. He has since retired from performing his own stunts, under doctor’s orders.
Liam Neeson
Liam Neeson credits his role as Bryan Mills in the Taken trilogy for boosting his action career. He then went on to other action films like Clash of the Titans, They grey, A walk Among the Tombstones, where he did all of his own fight scenes.
Liam had started boxing at the age of nine and says those skills come in handy for his action flicks.
It should be noted Liam does use a stuntman for stunts: “I do my own fights, I don’t do my own stunts, and there is a difference,” he said.
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