Stunt Casting: 20 Daredevils Who Became Hollywood Stars

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Stunt Casting: 20 Daredevils Who Became Hollywood Stars
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Like most years, 2024 sees the arrival of a number of films offering thrills and spills through epic stunt set pieces. However, with Ryan Gosling comedy The Fall Guy telling the story of a Hollywood stuntman, and films such as Mad Max spin-off Furiosa promising heart-stopping feats, expect to see more of a focus on the craft of stunt work in this cinematic crop – and what a craft it is. In fact, we bet you didn’t know that the world of stunts has given us some of our most beloved stars. From body doubles to actors willing to risk life and limb, we look at the Hollywood stars who first made their name by literally throwing themselves into their work.

By Victoria Luxford

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Stunt Casting: 20 Daredevils Who Became Hollywood Stars.
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Michelle Yeoh – The first star on this list has truly achieved a tandem career as both a stunt person and an actor: Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh became known for performing hair-raising stunts right from the beginning of her acting career. Although not formally trained in martial arts, her background as a ballet dancer allowed her to become one of the foremost Asian action stars of the 1980s and ‘90s, appearing in the seminal action drama Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, as well as putting 007 to shame in Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies.

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Stunt Casting: 20 Daredevils Who Became Hollywood Stars.
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Scott Adkins – A cult figure in action movies, British star Adkins gained fame for his fight scenes in the Bourne, Expendables and Marvel films, before becoming a marquee star in his own right. Using his extensive knowledge of stunt work and martial arts, he brings an edge to tough guy roles such as the villainous Killa Harkan in John Wick: Chapter 4, or as the lead of independent film One Shot, a military action movie filmed to appear as if made in one continuous shot.

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Stunt Casting: 20 Daredevils Who Became Hollywood Stars.
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Zoë Bell – Some stunt performers are so good, they catch the eye of famous directors who make them stars. Zoë Bell is the New Zealand stunt performer who did most of Uma Thurman’s big moments in the Kill Bill movies. She impressed filmmaker Quentin Tarantino so much that she became one of the stars of his next film, Death Proof, while also appearing in Whip It with Drew Barrymore, as well as TV show Lost and three more Tarantino movies, all while still performing stunts for films like Iron Man 3 and Thor Ragnarok.

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Stunt Casting: 20 Daredevils Who Became Hollywood Stars.
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Dwayne Johnson – Known to millions as The Rock, Johnson already made his name with stunts of a different kind: the pro wrestler’s choreographed fights would lead to the WWE becoming one of the most-watched brands of the 1990s. His early acting work relied largely on his formidable physicality, too, making appearances in Star Trek: Voyager and That ‘70s Show as a fighter. His first big film role was largely stunts as well, appearing as the Scorpion King in 2001’s The Mummy Returns, a role with a lot of fighting but no dialogue. Needless to say, that changed over time!

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Stunt Casting: 20 Daredevils Who Became Hollywood Stars.
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Jackie Chan – One of the biggest names in action movies, Jackie Chan is rightly viewed as an icon both in Asian and American cinema. He is famous for always performing his own stunts, sometimes even sustaining grave injuries during filming. It should come as no surprise, then, that his journey began in stunt work. Most notably, Chan was the opponent of the great Bruce Lee in two of his films, 1972’s Fist of Fury and 1973’s Enter the Dragon. From here, he became one of the most prolific and celebrated actors in the world, best known in English-language cinema for the Rush Hour movies, and in Asian cinema for many, many classics!

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Stunt Casting: 20 Daredevils Who Became Hollywood Stars.
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Burt Reynolds – Stunt performers don’t always get the recognition they deserve, given that a lot of their work is designed to make the actors look good. Yet one star not only came from that world, he highlighted the dangers that come with it: Burt Reynolds was an Oscar-nominated actor and one of the A-listers of the 1970s, thanks to films like the original version of The Longest Yard and the Smokey and the Bandit films. 1978’s Hooper, which saw Reynolds star as a stuntman, gained praise for highlighting the risks stunt performers took at the time, and earned the actor a place in Hollywood’s Stunt Hall of Fame.

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Stunt Casting: 20 Daredevils Who Became Hollywood Stars.
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Donnie Yen – Hollywood fans may know him from John Wick: Chapter 4, or Star Wars spin off Rogue One, but fans of Asian cinema will point to Donnie Yen’s incredible Ip Man series, which also gained international success. Yen is also one of the foremost stunt choreographers in the world, winning awards for his physical feats as well as his presence as a movie star.

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Stunt Casting: 20 Daredevils Who Became Hollywood Stars.
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Gary Cooper – One of the great leading men of Old Hollywood, Gary Cooper became the archetypal Western hero thanks to the seminal 1953 film High Noon, which remains the gold standard for any Western fan. Before he got his name on the marquee, it was the Western genre that provided Cooper with a way into the industry. As a skilled horse rider, he came by ample stunt work in cowboy movies, until the physical toll led him to pursue something more prominent in front of the camera. That decision gave birth to one of the all-time great stars, portraying a blue collar hero that would make him beloved by audiences.

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Stunt Casting: 20 Daredevils Who Became Hollywood Stars.
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Ray Park – It’s likely you won’t recognise British star Ray Park, at least not without a lot of makeup on his face! He was immortalised as the man who played Darth Maul in 1999’s Star Wars: Episode 1, as well as prominent roles in the films X-Men and G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. An accomplished martial artist, he started out in stunt work for the 1990s Mortal Kombat films and performed as Christopher Walken’s stunt double in the Tim Burton horror film Sleepy Hollow.

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Stunt Casting: 20 Daredevils Who Became Hollywood Stars.
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Johnny Knoxville – One could argue that Johnny Knoxville is more famous for his stunts than his acting, but the funnyman first came to prominence in the TV show Jackass, which involved Knoxville and his friends throwing themselves into a variety of physically challenging stunts. His charisma led to a number of acting roles, including Men in Black II, the remake of The Dukes of Hazzard, and the voice of Leonardo in Michael Bay’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Despite being best known for his antics, he can boast a big-screen CV that would make most performers jealous!

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Stunt Casting: 20 Daredevils Who Became Hollywood Stars.
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Jean-Claude Van Damme – The Muscles from Brussels rose to mega-stardom in the 1990s thanks to the boom in action movies, becoming a household name with the success of films Universal Soldier and Hard Target. Having trained in martial arts and kickboxing since the age of 10, his athleticism and brawn made him the obvious choice for a number of stunt roles, before becoming the headline star himself. Interestingly, Van Damme was the original stunt performer in Arnold Schwarzenegger’s sci-fi hit Predator, before quitting the role due to issues with the alien suit.

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Stunt Casting: 20 Daredevils Who Became Hollywood Stars.
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Verne Troyer – Stunts are not always about fight scenes and death-defying leaps. Standing at just 2 feet 8 inches tall, the late Verne Troyer got his start as a stunt double for smaller characters in ‘90s films like Baby’s Day Out, Men in Black and Jingle All the Way. However, he would find global fame the following decade as Mini-Me, the clone of the villainous Dr Evil (Mike Myers) in the Austin Powers movies. From there, he would find acting roles in the Harry Potter franchise and Heath Ledger’s final film, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, as well as working with pop stars like Beyoncé and Britney Spears in music videos.

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Stunt Casting: 20 Daredevils Who Became Hollywood Stars.
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Katheryn Winnick – Best known for her tough lead role in the hit series Vikings, Kathryn Winnick found an unusual route to fame. The Canadian actor, who earned her black belt in martial arts at the age of 13, first made a career visiting movie sets to teach actors basic combat, in order to look convincing on screen. Her experience sparked a passion for acting that led to a glittering career: alongside a seven-year stint on Vikings, she has appeared in the films The Dark Tower with Matthew McConaughey, and 50 First Dates with Adam Sandler.

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Stunt Casting: 20 Daredevils Who Became Hollywood Stars.
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Yuen Wah – Like Jackie Chan, 71-year-old Yuen Wah got his start as a stunt worker for the legendary Bruce Lee, eventually breaking into movies as a star in his own right. A charismatic and versatile character actor, Western audiences may recognise him from early 2000s films Kung Fu Hustle and Baz Luhrmann’s Australia, as well as recently playing Awkwafina’s archery mentor in Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

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Stunt Casting: 20 Daredevils Who Became Hollywood Stars.
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Tom Cruise – When you talk about actors doing their own stunts, Tom Cruise is top of mind. While he didn’t begin his career as a stuntman, his Mission: Impossible movies gradually grew his reputation as an actor you can rely on to deliver action scenes without special effects. This has led to Cruise hanging from skyscrapers, clinging to a plane while it was taking off, and breaking bones while filming a rooftop chase. A fearless and inventive performer, the leading man’s commitment to bringing excitement to the screen unlike any other makes him a box office draw to this day.

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Stunt Casting: 20 Daredevils Who Became Hollywood Stars.
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Buster Keaton – Before Tom Cruise, Buster Keaton was the man everyone thought of when talking about incredible on-screen stunts. While his work in silent films relied on comedy rather than thrills, his commitment to perfection meant many of his stunts were real – and often death-defying. This included near-misses with a running train, standing in front of a falling house, and leaping between buildings before falling and sustaining real injuries. An inspiration to numerous comedians and stuntmen, he set the bar high for stunt work in the early ages of cinema.

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Stunt Casting: 20 Daredevils Who Became Hollywood Stars.
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Gina Carano – A mixed martial arts champion in the early 2000s, Gina Carano would capitalise on the absence of many female action stars to forge a successful career in acting. Initially, her skills as a fighter were what got her on screen, performing stunts and fight scenes for TV and film as well as appearing on the American version of the show Gladiators. Her star power was recognised by none other than director Steven Soderbergh, who cast her as the lead in the 2011 film Haywire alongside Channing Tatum and Michael Fassbender. Most recently, she appeared as a regular in the Star Wars TV show The Mandalorian.

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Stunt Casting: 20 Daredevils Who Became Hollywood Stars.
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Ronda Rousey – Nicknamed ‘the Baddest Woman on the Planet’, Ronda Rousey was an unstoppable champion in mixed martial arts, and her popularity meant that a career in Hollywood would soon follow. This involved mostly action-heavy appearances with little dialogue, including roles in the Expendables and Fast & Furious franchises. It wouldn’t be long, however, until those roles became bigger, with a comedic turn in the film Entourage, playing a fictional version of herself, as well as more action work in the thriller Mile 22 with Mark Wahlberg.

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Stunt Casting: 20 Daredevils Who Became Hollywood Stars.
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Terry Crews – Best known for the TV show Brooklyn Nine-Nine, as well as the Expendables movies, Terry Crews is an all-around entertainer who relied on his background as an NFL player in order to break into Hollywood. Unsure where to begin in the industry, his impressive physique made him a great choice for Battle Dome, a sport-themed game show similar to Gladiators. The role combined stunt work with personality, giving early glimpses of the star that was to come.

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Stunt Casting: 20 Daredevils Who Became Hollywood Stars.
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Richard Farnsworth – While his name may not be one of the most famous on this list, Farnsworth had one of the most unique careers in showbusiness. Starting out as a stuntman in numerous classic movies of the studio era, he gradually moved into acting and made a big impression, particularly toward the end of his life. His last film proved to be his greatest work as an actor, starring in David Lynch’s The Straight Story, about an aging farmer who travels cross-country on a lawn mower to see his brother. He earned an Oscar nomination for the incredibly moving performance, which cemented his place in movie history forever.

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Stunt Casting: 20 Daredevils Who Became Hollywood Stars

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