10 Actors Who Refused To Use Stunt Doubles For Epic Fight Scenes
Which actors chose to take epic fight scenes into their own hands?
In the present-day, stunt doubles are expected to be involved in the action and fight scenes in most movies. The viewing public are well-informed of their significance now with regards to the more physical parts of film, while actors are usually expected to handle the emotional and dialogue-heavy scenes. This makes it surprising then, when actors choose to do their own stunts for a particular fight scene.
These sequences performed by the actors usually involve rigorous daily preparation before filming even starts, with activities ranging from martial arts to weapons training. Specialists are hired to get inexperienced actors such as Jesse Eisenberg up to speed with boot camps and crash courses. While more established daredevil performers like Jason Statham prepare themselves instead with custom routines. The fights are then choreographed to flow as smoothly as possible in order for the aesthetic to look believable on camera.
The actors on this list were determined to have their altercations retain as much realism as possible, bodily harm be damned.
10. Charlie's Angels (2019) - Kristen Stewart
Kristen Stewart’s resume certainly is not skewed towards the action genre. She is known for roles in flicks like Panic Room, and the Twilight franchise. She did dabble in action whilst making American Ultra, but even Stewart admitted her fellow lead actor Jesse Eisenberg did most of the fighting and training for the 2015 film - though she would have liked to do more.
When Stewart landed the role of Sabina Wilson in Charlie’s Angels, the American actress got her opportunity for more action. She began preparations months in advance, boxing and sparring on a regular basis and had extensive weapons and fighting training before shooting started.
Her training is evident from the first scene of the movie. Sabina, Stewart's character, is seen seducing a criminal threat. She then reveals her true intentions when her backup arrives, demonstrating agility and accurate striking to neutralise the target.