These days, lots of action movies are all about CGI and special effects.
While it’s visually entertaining, it’s not very impressive. Thankfully, some actors are keeping it old school by taking risks and performing real stunts.
Here’s our list of the best actors who do their own stunts in action movies.
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Amazing Actors Who Do Their Own Stunts
In an industry full of smoke and mirrors and special effects, these actors are the real deal.
1. Jason Statham
Jason Statham is one of the best action stars in the business, and he refuses to use a stunt double for any of his roles.
In fact, he’s condemned actors who don’t do their own stunts, calling them “a little bit sad.”
His penchant for adrenaline was almost the death of him during the filming of Expendables 3. When the brakes failed on a truck he was driving, it plunged off a cliff and into the sea. Thankfully, Statham’s history as a professional diver helped him to avoid drowning.
2. Tom Cruise
There’s no end to the crazy stunts Tom Cruise do.
In Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, Cruise dangled from the tallest skyscraper in the world. In Rogue Nation, he hung from an airplane as it was taking off.
Seemingly unfazed by death-defying stunts, he continues to put his life on the line for the sake of his art.
It’s not just for movies, he’s even done stunts for chat shows. He once jumped out of a plane with James Corden and ziplined across Hollywood Boulevard with Jimmy Kimmel.
If you’re asking yourself “what is ziplining?”, you can even try it out for yourself!
3. Angelina Jolie
Angelina Jolie likes to take things into her own hands and does 99% of her stunts for her roles.
However, this has proven dangerous at times. During the filming of Salt, she was left scarred and concussed by some of her stunts.
She fully dedicated herself to the role, even training in Muay Thai and Krav Maga to prepare herself for the hand-to-hand combat scenes.
4. Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan started as a stuntman for Bruce Lee moves, then became one of the best in the business in his own right. He inspired a generation of kids to take up karate with his incredible moves.
His skills aren’t just limited to martial arts. He’s also scaled buildings, leapt from vehicles and dangled from helicopters.
In 1999, he even released a documentary showing how he did all of his stunts and fight scenes, entitled Jackie Chan: My Stunts.
5. Cameron Diaz
You may associate Cameron Diaz with romantic comedies, but she’s done her fair share of action movies, too. In many of them, she’s performed her own stunts.
She did all her own stunt driving in Knight and Day and trained martial arts extensively to prepare for her role in Charlie’s Angels. Her intense regime include eight hours of training every day!
What Makes a Great Action Movie?
Great actions movies aren’t just about stunts. It takes more than explosions and special effects to make something special.
The best action movies are funny, too. Actors who do their own stunts like Jackie Chan win audiences over by injecting some humor into their roles.
Read our post on funny action movies for more examples.