Prepare To Have Your Mind Blown By These Photos Of Actors Next To Their Stunt Doubles
Editors and cinematographers work their movie magic so you can't really tell the difference between an actor and their stunt double on screen. The stunt doubles roll, jump, leap, and flip out of sight before you ever realize that it wasn't really Brad Pit performing all of those karate moves.
The photos you're about to see will give you some more insight into the work that goes into making that illusion as seamless as possible.
Two Wonder Women
What's better than one Wonder Woman? Two Wonder Women, of course. Nowadays younger audiences associate actress Gal Gadot with this DC character, but back in the day, she was played by the legendary Lynda Carter. Carter played Wonder Woman in the 1970s, but she wouldn't have been able to execute the role so successfully without her right-hand wing-woman, her stunt double, Jeannie Epper.
In 1975, the going rate for stunt doubles was $250 a day, and that's how much Epper got paid to leap off buildings, get hit by cars, and fly around the city.
Ian McKellan's Very Tall Stunt Double
Most of the time, stunt doubles are very close to the same height as the actors they work with. That height similarity is essential for getting the stunts to look like they were performed by the actors themselves. While working on The Lord of the Rings series, Ian Mckellan had two stunt doubles. One stunt double was his height for the scenes in which he was working with elves and taller characters.
Another stunt double was much taller than he was for the scenes involving the Hobbit characters.
Bruce Willis Triplets
What's more intimidating than facing one Bruce Willis? How about facing three? There are so many stunts going on in the Die Hard movies that Willis actually needed more than one stunt double on set with him.
Sometimes you need a backup stunt double on set in case the first stunt double gets injured. One of Willis' stunt doubles, Stuart Wilson, says, "You get used to the pain or not being 100 percent. You just learn to live with it."
The Rock's Stunt Double Is Actually His Cousin
This photo of The Rock next to his stunt double might make you wonder how producers were able to find a man who is willing to perform dangerous stunts who also looks so much like Dwayne Johnson.
It turns out that these two men are actually cousins, which makes a lot of sense because they look so much alike. The man on the right is named Tanoai Reed. Reed has been The Rock's double since 2002.
This Stunt Double Is As Muscular As Arnold Schwarzenegger
There aren't many people in this world who are as ripped as Arnold Schwarzenegger. Stuntmen are known for their physical strength and agility, but not many of them are full out bodybuilders.
This is a photo of Arnold and his double Peter Kent, seen here on the set of Commando. Kent is widely regarded as one of the best stuntmen of all time. Because of his build, he is limited to working with actors who are as muscular as he is.
Seeing Double With The Cast Of Game Of Thrones
In this photo, you can see Brienne of Tarth and The Hound next to their stunt doubles Mark Slaughter and Reg Wayment. This picture was taken on the set right before that epic battle between the two characters at the end of season 4.
Gwendoline Christie is a very tall lady. There aren't many female stunt doubles with her build.That's why the Game of Thrones crew brought in a male stunt double to take a few sword hits for her.
Daniel Radcliffe's Stunt Double Took A Tumble
Being a stunt double comes with a lot of risk. They basically take on risk so that the actor they're working with can be safe and continue acting. On the set of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Daniel Radcliffe's stunt double David Holmes got seriously injured while performing one of the stunts in the movie.
He was only in his early 20's when a failed stunt involving Holmes crashing into a wall paralyzed him. He now lives in an automated home in London that has given him back some of his independence.
Brad Pitt's Other Half
Brad Pitt is no stranger to working with stunt doubles. He's been in a lot of action movies over the years, and while he does do a lot of his own stunts, sometimes he needs a professional to step in and take a fall for him.
This photo was taken on the set of The Counsellor, with Domonkos Pardanyi acting as Pitt's stunt double. He also performed Pitt's stunts on World War Z. Brad Pitt recently played a stunt double in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
Emma Watson's Magical Stunt Double
Emma Watson who played Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter films was studying at Brown University while she was filming for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. That meant that she was away from the set quite a lot and she not only needed a stunt double, but a body double to stand in for her in scenes where she's present, but not directly on camera.
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."
Will Smith And His Stunt Double
Will smith often chooses to do his own stunts in his movies, but sometimes the stunts in his films are beyond his skill level or level of expertise. The crew always makes sure that there's a stunt double available for him, even when he attempts to perform stunts himself.
In April 2019, photographers spotted Smith in Miami waving off his double on the set of Bad Boys For Life. He decided that he wanted to do the stunt himself, but now Smith is over 50, so we're hoping he leaves the stunts to the professionals from now on.
Twice The Thor Energy
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.
A Stunt Double For A WWE Wrestler
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 Male Stunt Double
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. The stuntwoman coming up shows just how undervalued the job can be.
Harrison Ford Appreciates His Stunt Double
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 of a director, stunt coordinator, and second unit director.
Johnny Depp's Stunt Double 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 Carribean 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.
Quadruple McFly
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.
Marc Ruffalo's Look-Alike
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 Marc 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.
When A 33 Year Old Woman Is A Child's Stunt Double
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. Stunt doubles aren't always used just for movies or T.V. Jennifer Lopez had an interesting looking double for a music video.
Quvenzhané Wallis Needed A Stunt Double By Law
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 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.
Uma Thurman And Her Stunt Double Zoe 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 Zoe 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.
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.
So Many Lokis
Did we just enter the Matrix? This photo of Tom Hiddleston and his 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.
Isn't One Harley Quinn Enough?
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.
Carrie Fisher Was Close With Her Stunt Double
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.
Tom Hardy's Stunt Double
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."
Half A Spidey Suit
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 the stunt double is wearing pants but it makes for a good conversation starter. Like, how are they going to make those pants disappear on screen? Maybe he's not into the tights look and wants to wait until the absolute last second before sporting them.
Ben Affleck's Stunt Double
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."
Two Vampires On Set
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."
Rupert Grint's Stuntman
This isn't a magic trick. This is the boy who helped Rupert Grint pull off some of the wizardly stunts Grint performed. They have the hair down perfectly and the awkward-looking half-smile. It looks like a match made in heaven. Grint probably enjoyed letting someone else run away from the giant spiders in Harry Potter.
Luckily, Grint's stunt double didn't meet the same fate as Daniel Radcliffe's during filming. Former gymnast David Holmes was left paralyzed after an accident during a stunt.
Two Shia LaBeoufs
The world probably wouldn't be able to handle two Shia LaBeouf's. 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.
Team Jacob Or Team Jacob?
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."
More Than One John Travolta
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's acted as Travolta's stunt double on Face/Off
Two Captain Americas
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."
Another James 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.
Meghan Fox's Other Half
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 Is Friends With His Body Double
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 JJ Dashnaw to step in.
Efron posted a picture of the two of them on his Instagram, saying, "Ain't no shame in it- my stunt dub is one of the coolest MOFOS ever."
Robert De Niro's Stuntman
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 Does His Own Stunts Sometimes
Patrick Dempsey needed a stuntman 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.
Another Falcon
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.
Sometimes Tom Cruise Calls In for Backup
While Tom Cruise has a reputation for stepping in and doing his own stunts, this doesn't happen every take. For the Mission: Impossible franchise, Cruise had a stunt double names Cooper Adrian who takes on the riskier scenes.
It's a good thing, too. Cruise has already broken his ankle once, performing his own stunts. It happened in a scene when he was jumping from one building to the next. The injury temporarily shut down production.
