subject: Stuntman Actors [print this page] Some actors are true to their art, take matters into their own hands, and arent afraid to do all their own stunts. In a day and age when celebrities insure every part of their body, these brave souls seem to stick out in the movie industry like a sore thumb. If youre one of the following individuals who dont mind taking a risk, all you need is good health insurance, a strong mentality, and clothing made of flame retardant fabric, in case of an emergency.
Tom Cruise, the 48-year-old known for his outrageous stunts in the Mission Impossible films, most recently scaled the worlds tallest building, while filming the franchises latest release. Cruise claims he loves the adventure aspect of performing his own stunts and will continue to do so for as long as possible. Although Cruise may be the most popular example of a highly-paid actor who bites the bullet and takes risks while performing their own stunts, he is not the only one.
Jackie Chan, a trained martial artist who made the crossover into acting, holds the title of most stunts performed by an actor. One of his more impressive stunts was in the film Police Story, when he used nothing but an umbrella handle to hook onto a speeding bus. Although his more recent films havent had such outrageous stunts, he is definitely living proof that your body can take you as far as you push it.
Jason Statham, a former Olympic diver, has taken the skills and fitness regime necessary to be an Olympic athlete and transformed them into the skills and mindset necessary to be a stuntman. The characters in his films are known for taking lots of abuse, and Jason Statham loves being the one behind his own stunt work. Similarly, Christian Bale enjoys performing his own stunts from time to time. Not only did the actor literally transform his body from the scrawny 121 pounds necessary for his film The Machinist into the 230 pounds of muscle crucial for his role as Batman, but he requested to perform the stunts in Rescue Dawn, including dangling from a moving helicopter.
Men arent the only individuals ballsy enough to attempt their own stunts; women tend to join in on the fun from time to time as well. Angelina Jolie and Chloe Moretz (Hit Girl from the film Kick-Ass) love to show men whos boss and perform their own stunts. I wonder if designer jackets made of flame retardant fabric are on these ladies Christmas lists?
