These Behind The Scene Photos Of Actors And Their Stunt Doubles Are Revealing
It's hard to imagine our favorite action-packed movies without the risky car chases or hand-to-hand combat scenes. Green screens and CGI have helped advance film technology, but most of these tricks are all thanks to stunt doubles. Tom Cruise is one of the few who insists on doing all of his own stunts, but most actors don't want to take the risk and call in some extra help.
The work that stunt doubles do doesn't go unnoticed. Actors praise and appreciate their doubles. One actor's double is actually his cousin. I'm not here to try and ruin the magic for anyone, but seeing these actors and actresses with their stunt doubles is freaking me out.
So You're Saying There Are Two Ways To Get With Thor?
Stuntman Bobby Holland Hanton is well known in the stunt world for being the long-time double for Chris Hemsworth. Usually, everyone forgets about the stuntman, but Hanton has captured the attention of his 110,000 Instagram followers. Anyone who looks like Thor but is an actual bad boy is bound to capture the attention of all the ladies out there.
The 33-year-old stuntman started his career at just four-years-old...sort of. This is when he became a gymnast — something which surely gave him a foundation for the death-defying stunts he pulls off.
Did Something Go Wrong With The Flux Capacitor And Make Four Martys?
We must truly be in the future because I don't just see double, I see quadruple. It isn't always just a stuntman who can stand in for the actor. Here, Michael J Fox is pictured with his photo double Kevin Holloway, his stand-in Robert Bennett, and stunt double Charlie Croughwell.
Fox and Croughwell have been friends for years and have even starred in films together. Besides Back to the Future, Croughwell has made appearances in Light of Day, The Secret of My Succe$s, Bright Lights, Big City, The Hard Way, and many other of Fox's films.
Not Sure Why A WWE Wrestler Needs A Stunt Double
When WWE wrestler Dave Bautista was cast for the role of Drax in Guardians of the Galaxy, we were all a bit confused. Bautista had to go to acting classes, but at least he could do all his own stunts, right? Wrong.
Even though Bautista came from the wrestling world, the directors still had Robert de Groot stand-in for his stunts. Groot has also worked on Avengers: Infinity War, Hotel Artemis, and Avengers: Endgame.
J-Lo's Double Has Cheekbones That Could Kill
Stunt doubles aren't just in movies and television. Jennifer Lopez had to use a stand-in for some scenes in a music video. While filming the video for "Follow the Leader," J-Lo was subbed out for a mystery male stuntman who can rock her hair and makeup.
The two look amazingly similar in this behind-the-scenes photo, each rocking tight black leggings and matching black jackets.
Harrison Ford Knows Actors Should Appreciate The Help
Most actors know that they wouldn't be as successful without the help of their doubles. Here, Harrison Ford sent his double Vic Armstrong a photo thanking him for all his hard work. Armstrong even did a few acting scenes when Ford injured his back while filming Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.
Armstrong's resume goes beyond the traditional stunt double. He set a Guinness Book record for being the world's most prolific stuntman! In addition to being a stunt double, he also works as a director, stunt coordinator, and second unit director.
Tony Angelotti Almost Died While Filming Pirates Of The Caribbean
Being a stunt double isn't all just fun and games. Johnny Depp's double for the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise almost died during a "human yo-yo" scene that landed him in the hospital, suffering serious injuries. Stuntman Tony Angelotti's pelvis was fractured, and he also suffered injuries to his bladder, femoral artery, knees and legs, and internal bleeding.
Angelotti sued Walt Disney Co. and producer Jerry Bruckheimer for negligence after the accident. Typically, stunt doubles don't sue, because they believe it could jeopardize future work, but this accident sounds pretty critical.
Carrie Fisher And Her Double Look Like BFFs
This photo of Carrie Fisher and her stunt double, Tracey Eddon, on the set of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi proves how they often become friends. Fisher famously kills Jabba while wearing the scandalous gold bikini pictured. The directors asked if Fisher wanted her stunt double for the scene, but she was adamant she wanted to kill Jabba herself.
Eddon is a British stuntwoman who started her career in the early '80s in An American Werewolf. As of 2016, she is still working, most recently in Doctor Strange.
Any Italian 40-Year-Old From Chicago Can Look Like Mark Ruffalo
Some of these stunt doubles don't look anything like the actors they're portraying, but others, like Anthony Molinari, look way too close for comfort. Molinari has been a stunt double for George Clooney and Jeremy Renner, but we all know he's destined to follow Mark Ruffalo around forever.
The stuntman is one of the best in the business and has been nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series.
Chandler Riggs' Double Is A 33-Year-Old Woman
Stunt doubles aren't always similar in age or even gender. They just have to look alike when they're in costume. Chandler Riggs, who plays Carl Grimes on The Walking Dead, has a stunt double who is a 23-year-old woman named Emily Brobst.
Female stunt doubles are common for younger males since most older men are too stocky for young boys who haven't hit puberty yet.
The Rock's Stunt Double Is His Cousin
If being friends with your stunt double wasn't enough, Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson took it a step further. The Rock's double is his cousin, Tanoai Reed. Reed has been The Rock's double since 2002 on the set of The Scorpion King. Reed has admitted he likes being his cousin's stuntman because it keeps him in great physical shape.
Since he began working as a stunt double nearly two decades ago, Reed has built himself an impressive filmography. He's been in more than 30 films!
Ian McKellan Needed A Bit Of Help For Height
There have been stories of directors and assistants mistaking stunt doubles for the real actors, but I don't think that would happen with Ian McKellan's doubles. His regular double looks more like a Hobbit than a wizard. And his other double, well, I think we know why they wouldn't get messed up.
Despite their differences, McKellan's stunt doubles make it work. They are used in the majority of running and sword fighting scenes through The Hobbit.
Apparently, There Is Someone Out There As Jacked As Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger doesn't have a cousin to be his stunt double, so producers on his films have to go out and try to find someone built like him. Arnold and his double Peter Kent, seen here on the set of Commando, is the definition of an absolute unit.
Kent is widely regarded as one of the best stuntmen of all time. I guess when you are the one chosen to perform the stunts deemed too dangerous for Arnold Schwarzenegger, you rightfully get bragging rights!
We Should Get Double The Swordfights In Game of Thrones
Brienne of Tarth and The Hound are two pretty intimidating characters, and their stunt doubles look just as scary. I wouldn't want to cross one of them, nevermind all four at once. This photo was taken on the set of Game of Thrones after Brianne and The Hound's epic fight at the end of season four.
Mark Slaughter is the stunt double for Gwendoline Christie's character while the stuntman for Rory McCann's character was Gyula Tóth.
Wonder Women
Lynda Carter was the feminist icon behind Wonder Woman in the 1970s, but it wouldn't have been possible without her double, Jeannie Epper. Back in 1975, Epper only received $250 a day to leap off buildings, get hit by cars, and do all the things Wonder Woman has to do to save the world.
She's performed stunts in over 100 feature films and television series, but Wonder Woman is still Epper's most memorable role of her career.
Quvenzhané Wallis Legally Needed A Stunt Double
Even if Quvenzhané Wallis wanted to do her own stunts on the set of Annie, it would have been a lawsuit waiting to happen since she was only ten years old. Her stunt double, Dameka Hayes, is noticeably older. It must be weird to be an adult woman wearing a mini denim skirt while singing show tunes.
Initially, Willow Smith (daughter of Will and Jada Smith) was set to play the starring role, but declined it in order to live the life of a normal kid for a bit longer.
Two Times The Little Monsters
If one Harley Quinn is hard to manage, I'm scared to think what two of them could get up to. Margot Robbie's stunt double Ingrid Kleinig is also a double for another well-known actress, Evangeline Lily. Kleinig subbed in for Lily in The Hobbit and Ant-Man.
She also appeared in the Opening Ceremony of the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, where she was seen swinging 140 feet above the arena.
Rose, Is That You?
Stunt double Sarah Franzl is an absolute veteran in the field. Speaking to The Mirror, she said, "It used to feel quite strange whenever I was made up to look like a famous face. Now it's just a case of another job, another wig." In the case of doubling for Kate Winslet's character Rose in 1997's Titanic, it took four different wigs, each hand-made.
She also confessed, that "Titanic was the wettest job I have ever done and the most physically demanding." We can only imagine!
Cameron Diaz Has Used The Same Stunt Double For Years
One of the highest-paid actresses in the biz, Cameron Diaz has taken on a wide range of roles. Some of them require plenty of stunts, as when she played Natalie Cook in the 2000 remake of Charlie's Angels.
That's when Annelie Whitfield steps in. Whitfield has been playing Diaz's stunt double for years. Although the two ladies have similar body types, (and very similar features!) Cook sticks to a super strict diet and training program to make sure she's physically fit to take falls and punches that the rest of us would run from.
Ladies Of The Internet Love Having Two Chris Pratts
First, there were two Chris Hemsworths, and now there are two Chris Pratts. What did we do to deserve the blessing of four Chris Pratt's stunt double Tony McFarr has been with him for Guardians of the Galaxy, Jurassic World, and Avengers: Infinity War.
McFarr has also worked as a stunt double for Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and as the double for Christopher McDonald on the crime drama Backtrace, which airs on Netflix.
Scarjo One And Scarjo Two
Ever since Marvel Studios' Iron Man 2, Johansson has called upon super talented stunt double, Heidi Moneymaker.
Moneymaker has helped Johansson bring the super spy Black Widow to life through the entire franchise.
I Wouldn't Want To Cross Uma Thurman Or Her Stunt Double Zoë Bell
Sometimes the actors in movies are so convincing that it's jarring to remember that they didn't do most of those incredible scenes. Uma Thurman is a force to be reckoned with in Kill Bill Vol 1 and Kill Bill Vol 2, but it was all the work of Zoë Bell.
Director Quentin Tarantino allegedly made Thurman do at least one stunt herself in which she was injured. The scene involved Thurman crashing a car into a tree, which injured both of her knees and caused her to suffer a concussion.
Lowkey, These Loki Doubles Are Freaky
Did we just enter the Matrix? This photo of Tom Hiddleston and some stunt doubles have us doing a double-take. Apparently, Hiddleston tries to do a lot of his own stunts as Loki in Thor: Ragnarok. He will ask the stuntmen onset what the best way to flip in the air is, or how to land on his feet.
However, he probably doesn't want to risk getting hurt, as he's now taken time off of filming to focus on performing on Broadway. Paul Lacovara was Hiddleston's primary double in the film.
Tom Hardy Has Had His Fair Share Of Stunt Doubles
To be honest, did they even need to cast Tom Hardy in The Dark Knight franchise? With the mask on, you can hardly tell it's Hardy. And you can barely understand Bane when he talks. To cut costs, they should have just had Hardy's stunt double act in the entire film.
Hardy told LABible, "I've probably damaged my body too much. I'm little... If I keep putting on weight I'll collapse like a house of cards under too much pressure." His body double is named Buster Reeves.
Spidey Caught Wearing Pants
You never thought you'd see the day where Spider-Man is wearing pants. Well, today is that day. Here is the swinging hero on the set of The Amazing Spider-Man 2.
We don't know why stunt double William Spencer is wearing pants here but it makes for a good conversation starter. Like, how are they going to make those pants disappear on screen? When he's not working as a stunt double, Spencer is a pro skateboarder.
Ben Number Two
Tough chance trying to find someone who looks like Ben Affleck other than his brother. This stunt double got the facial hair down but has a young glow to him that Affleck lacks.
This selfie of the two of them was taken in Hawaii on the set of Triple Frontier and happens to be the fifth movie that Affleck and stuntman Rich Cetrone worked on together. Affleck posted this photo on Instagram with the caption, "Movie #5 with this legend. Grateful to work with such incredible people."
Double Brad, Double Rad
We're sorry to have to report this to anyone who thought Brad Pitt did his own stunts. We weren't sure at first, but here is the proof. Pitt may not perform his own stunts, but he does have his own look. Hollywood might never find someone with his Pitt's look again.
This photo was taken on the set of The Counselor, with Domonkos Pardanyi acting as Pitt's stunt double. He also performed Pitt's stunts in World War Z.
Two Vamps For The Price Of One
Robert Pattinson used to be every teenage girl's crush when the Twilight Saga Film Series was at its height of popularity. His glory days might be long gone but he still has a few crushes. The stuntman is Paul Darnell, who performed Pattinson's stunts in Twilight as well as Water for Elephants and Remember Me.
Unfortunately, when Pattinson went to thank his double in an award acceptance speech, he forgot his last name. Darnell told Telegraph, "he gave me credit for the award but said the wrong last name... Actors rarely do that for stuntmen. Rob is a very considerate individual and true gentleman."
No Magic Here
This isn't a magic trick. This young man, Anthony Knight, is responsible for helping Rupert Grint pull off some of the wizardly stunts performed in the Harry Potter film franchise. They have the hair down perfectly and the awkward-looking half-smile.
It looks like a match made in heaven, and we bet that Grint probably enjoyed letting someone else run away from the giant spiders in Harry Potter. Knight's nickname in real life is Copperhead.
Seeing Double LaBeouf
The world probably wouldn't be able to handle two Shia LaBeoufs. There would be too much yelling going on for one. He might also try and convince us that he is twice as famous as anyone that has ever lived. Just thinking about it makes for an interesting day.
This photo was taken on the set of Transformers 3. Colin Follenweider performed LaBeouf's stunts. He's also appeared in X-Men: First Class, X-Men: Days of Future Past, and Doctor Strange.
The Twilight Zone
Here is part two of seeing double of the Twilight stars. Taylor Lautner had his fair share of women fawning over him and perhaps his stunt double did too. The two seem to appear to be really close in this image taken on the set of Tracers.
However, in an interview with Entertainment, Lautner seems to take most of the credit for the action scenes. He said, "I think it's fair to say I did everything. I did extensive training in L.A. with the best people in parkour but there were some pretty insane stunts and I think they just about let me do everything."
Seeing Triple
When you've done as much as actor Bruce Willis, you might need an extra double. The Die Hard actor apparently has two stunt doubles on set with him in this photo.
Willis' primary stunt double, Stuart Wilson, says, "You get used to the pain or not being 100 percent. You just learn to live with it." Wilson's father was also an actor. He played Mr. Whipple in the old "Please don't squeeze the Charmin" TV commercials.
Are Two Travoltas Enough?
Maybe we're missing something but shouldn't that other John Travolta have some grey in his hair? Other than that, these two have the same body shape and look to be the same height. We didn't know this macho man needed a stunt double, but someone needs to do the heavy lifting.
The man in question is Nick Loren, who has appeared in over 24 films and is an Emmy-nominated actor, too. He first acted as Travolta's stunt double in Face/Off and they've worked together many times since.
Twice The Captain
Chris Evans is one of one. He's the perfect fit for Captain America as well, but he can't do all of those heroic actions on his own. Many would like to believe he can. We wonder how many stunts he actually tries on his own without the double. Marvel also wouldn't want their star to get hurt.
A total of six stuntmen doubled as Captain America, according to the Wall Street Journal. Stunt coordinator Monique Ganderton said "It became a running joke... I need to find a really talented person with a size 10 shoe."
More Magical Doubles
Emma Watson had a unique reason why she needed a body double while filming Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. Watson was enrolled at Brown University as the movie was being filmed in the U.K. This meant that she needed quite a few doubles to stand in for her when she wasn't able to film.
Actor Ruper Grint told Independent, "She wasn't here a lot, really. We had to shoot around her, really, because she had commitments for her university. She had a lot of doubles. They made a mask of Emma's face, a prosthetic for wide shots."
His Name Is Bond
Of course, actor Daniel Craig needed a stunt double while playing 007 in the James Bond films. The internet went into a frenzy when a photo of Craig and his handsome stunt double was published online.
Craig's stunt double is Jean-Charles Rousseau, a french actor, and stuntman who has also performed in Jason Bourne, Fast and Furious 6, and Mission Impossible 6. He has over 20 years of experience training in judo, boxing, martial arts, BMX racing, wakeboarding, skydiving, motocross, roller skating, and fencing, according to Daily Mail.
Big-Will Style
While Will Smith sometimes elects to forego the stunt double and perform his own stunts, the crew makes sure that there's always a double on hand in case things get too dicey for the iconic actor.
In April 2019, photographers spotted Smith in Miami waving off his double on the set of Bad Boys For Life, and going ahead with the stunt himself. At 50-years-old, we hope that Smith leaves most of the stunts to the professionals!
Daniel Radcliffe's Stuntman Was Paralyzed During A Stunt
Playing the lead role in the Harry Potter saga film series, Daniel Radcliffe required a stunt double quite often. Unfortunately, tragedy struck during one of the stunts, leaving his stuntman, David Holmes, paralyzed from the chest down for the rest of his life.
He was only in his early 20s when a failed stunt involving Holmes crashing into a wall paralyzed Holmes. Radcliffe held a charity auction for Holmes to help cover his medical expenses.
Two Foxes, Wow
Megan Fox doesn't do all of her own stunts, that's why she has Stacey Carino. The stunt woman caught everyone's attention when photos hit the internet of Fox with a look-alike on the set. Could there be two of them?! fans wondered.
Carino is a former fifth-grade science teacher who elected to turn her career up a notch. She's one tough lady, and has even broken her neck on the job without even realizing it.
Zac Efron And His Double Are Buds
Actor Zac Efron has moved on from his days of High School Musical. He's taken on roles in films such as Baywatch that require a stuntman for some of the scenes that he's not equipped for. That's when he taps the shoulder of Jordan Scott to step in.
Scott has worked in a number of big films, including Avengers: Endgame, Captain America: Civil War, and The Darkest Minds.
Double De Niro
Especially as actors get a bit older, they need to make sure they don't get injured on the set. Legendary actor Robert De Niro knows better than to attempt something dicey and calls upon his stunt double to take over.
Here they're shown together on the set of Dirty Grandpa. It looks like his double is showing him how it's done. It appears that his stuntman is Rick Avery, who has a long list of top films he's performed in, including American Sniper, Titanic, Star Trek Insurrection, Captain America, and four Batman films.
Patrick Dempsey is (Sometimes) An Action Hero
Patrick Dempsey needed a stuntman (Carl Paoli) to take over some of the scenes while filming Transformers 3. This photo was taken on set in Chicago, where Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, and Shia LaBeouf were also on the scene.
The actors could be seen taking turns with their stunt doubles as they climbed atop structures. Judging by the scruffed up wardrobe and Dempsey's beaten face, this scene was towards the end of the film.
The Falcon Needs Another
Anthony Mackie went from rap sensation in 8 Mile to Captain America's sidekick. That's a huge turnaround and one that calls for a double! If even Chris Evans needs a stunt double then his buddy is sure to have one as well. Here he's telling him not to lean too far or else he'll fall off and have to find a new double.
Mackie's stunt double is Aaron Toney, and the two are good friends. Mackie even brought him along as his plus-one to see Avengers: Endgame in theaters.
Wow, Look At The Height Difference!
Actor Kiran Shah was the scale double for Elijah Wood as Frodo in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit film series. He also did stunts for other actors in the movie franchise.
Shah has been doing stunts since the 1970s, getting his start as a stand-in in the 1977 film Candleshoe. According to Guinness World Records, he is the world's shortest stunt man. The 4'2" actor has appeared in 37 films either as a stunt man or body double.
January Jones And Her Groovy '60s Double
Although there's a bit of a height difference between actress January Jones and her stunt double, they look pretty close to identical when viewed from a distance. This photo was snapped during the filming of X-Men: First Class, when Jones was playing the character Emma Frost.
Ms. Jones actually had a total of five stunt doubles for the action movie. The one here was used for the sky-high action scenes in a helicopter. Filming took place in Buckinghamshire, England.
Those Who Flex Together, Stay Together
Stunt man Dan Mast has been working in the field for more than ten years and has a slew of titles on his resume including Battleship, After Earth, and Divergent.
For the fourth installment of the popular Transformers series, he doubled for actor Mark Wahlberg. Mast told Business Insider that getting as buff as Wahlberg took a ton of work but the rest was easier. "All we had to do was match the hair color and after that, that was it," he said. "There was no wigs, no prosthetics, and no makeup other than the occasional dirty blood."
Battle Of The Body Doubles
Mike Mitchell worked as a stunt double for actor Robin Williams in several movies over the years, including Flubber, Jakob the Liar, and Jumanji. This particular photo was taken on the set of Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian.
Mitchell is quite the accomplished performer and is also skilled at professional skateboarding, mixed martial arts training, weapons training, and has a pilot license.
Double Beards
Actor Ken Stott (pictured right) is best known for his role as Balin in The Hobbit film series. Peter Dillon is his body double for the more grueling scenes.
Incredibly, Dillon was a teacher before turning to showbiz. In fact, he took a year's sabbatical from his job to travel the world and it was while he was on this adventure that he lucked into a job as an extra in The Lord of the Rings. That led to him becoming the stunt double for Stott in The Hobbit trilogy.
Emma's Many Doubles
As mentioned, Emma Watson needed the assistance of quite a few body doubles while filming the Harry Potter franchise. That's because the actress, who's known for playing Hermione in the popular series of wizarding movies, was attending Brown University during filming.
Here, we get a chance to see Watson in the company of three of her doubles as they took a break on set. The woman sitting directly across from Watson looks especially similar to the star!
Ant-Man Double Buddies
Michael Douglas says that Mike Runyard has been doing his stunts for 26 years. During their time together, they've become good friends and even spend their spare time golfing together.
This photo is from the set of Ant-Man. Other films that the actors have collaborated on include Black Rain (1989), The Game (1997), Don't Say A Word (2001), and Beyond the Reach (2014).
Controversy Surrounded Natalie Portman's On-Screen Performance
Natalie Portman studied ballet as a child and trained relentlessly for her role in the 2010 psychological thriller film Black Swan. Even so, a professional ballerina was used in many of the scenes.
Lane wasn't pleased with the amount of credit she got for her dancing, however. "I'm not speaking because I feel I should be heralded," Lane told 20/20 in an interview. "I'm just speaking because they're completely lying about the amount of dancing that Natalie did in the movie."
Regina King Is Choosy About Her Body Doubles
Actress Regina King's role as a police officer in the television series Southland required the occasional use of a body double. In full uniform, Chrissy Weathersby Ball strongly resembles the award-winning actress.
King has spoken about her feeling regarding the casting of body doubles, once telling The Daytona Beach News-Journal, "I'm very particular when it comes to stunt doubles. I hate to see something where you’re like, 'that’s a double.’"
