7 Clever Ways Movies Hid Their Stunt Doubles

6. Penelope Cruz's Male Stunt Double Was Covered By A Helmet In Zoolander 2

Jurassic Park Stunt Double
Paramount Pictures

Have you ever been watching a vehicle chase and noticed that you can't see anybody's face? Everybody seems to drive with their windows wound up, every car seems to have blacked-out windows, and everyone who rides a bike always seems to wear a helmet.

While this can be an easy detail to overlook in the moment, the main reason these scenes are shot like this is because it's easier to hide the stunt doubles.

This method was put into practice in Zoolander 2, where Valentina Valencia (Penelope Cruz), the bike-riding love interest of Derek Zoolander, required some special treatment in order to be effectively portrayed on-screen. With motorcycle riding being such a difficult skill, Cruz was unable to complete many of her shots by herself, and so, the use of a stunt double was required.

What's funny about this whole thing is that Cruz's double was a long-haired, bearded man. On-set photos of the double sporting a skin-tight red leather outfit were snapped while the movie was in production, and the guy didn't look to chuffed with his character's decidedly feminine costume.

Needless to say, the helmet was an essential piece of kit here, but while you're actually watching these scenes, you don't really think twice about who's underneath the visor.

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WhoCulture Channel Manager/Doctor Who Editor at WhatCulture. Can confirm that bow ties are cool.