Classic action movies are famous for their pulse-pounding stunts, harrowing sequences, and life-and-death high stakes. Audiences are on the edge of their seats while watching these nail-biting scenes unfold; the chance to live vicariously through these odds-defying characters is too hard to pass up. With Hollywood heavy hitters bringing in some serious cash, some action stars earn every penny of their paychecks. While plenty of actors jump at the chance to perform the stunts, some prefer to leave those skills to the experts.
Updated April 25, 2023: If you're interested in all things action-related, you'll be happy to know Micah Bailey updated this list with additional actors who embrace stunt work and those who shy away from it.
Some action stars, even older ones, are determined to carry out the stunts themselves; whether they enjoy the physicality or overall adrenaline rush, some just can’t get enough. For these nail-biting scenes to be effective, the actor needs to commit and fully be believable. What better way to impress moviegoers than to take on these stunts themselves?
Action Stars Who Do Their Own Stunts
Jackie Chan
Golden Harvest
No stunt-related entertainment article is complete without mentioning the beloved and legendary action star, Jackie Chan. Known worldwide for his relentless work ethic and charming public persona, Chan has starred in over 150 films, and he co-founded the Jackie Chan Stunt Team in 1976 with five fellow martial artists and stunt performers.
Since Chan's acting debut in the 70s, he has insisted on performing most, if not all of his stunts to add a greater sense of realism to the scene. While it's nearly impossible for us to say which of Chan's stunts is his best work, a few standouts include Snake in the Eagle's Shadow, Police Story 1 and 2, and Armour of God, the latter of which would nearly end Chan's life prematurely due to falling from a tree and fracturing his skull.
Michelle Yeoh
Columbia Tri Star Film
Distributors International
Michelle Yeoh is one of the finest actresses of her generation. Known among her colleagues as one of the nicest and hardest-working women in both Hollywood and Hong Kong cinema, Yeoh's recent Academy Award win for The Daniels' Everything, Everywhere, All at Once was well-earned. A frequent collaborator of Jackie Chan, Yeoh has starred alongside the legendary action star in classics such as Police Story 3: Super Cop and Super Cop 2, where she held her own in the stunts department.
However, fans of Yeoh's work (particularly Americans) recognize her most for Ang Lee's 2000 Wuxia adventure film, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Performing her stunts alongside beloved actor Chow Yun-fat, Yeoh truly came into her own with this film, and we weren't surprised to see the sixty-year-old actress at top form in Everything.
Tom Cruise
Box office mega-star Tom Cruise is no stranger to danger; he’s built a lucrative career starring in action films and insists on performing the stunts himself. Cruise cemented himself as an action star with massive hits like the Mission: Impossible franchise, Minority Report, War of the Worlds, and Edge of Tomorrow.
The actor enjoys the physicality of performing stunts, and during a recent appearance on The Graham Norton Show, Cruise revealed, “The first time of any stunt is nerve-wracking, but it is also exhilarating. I have been told a few times during shooting a stunt to stop smiling.”
Cruise is so dedicated to getting the shot that he even broke his ankle while filming the latest installment of Mission: Impossible.
Jeremy Renner
Marvel star Jeremy Renner is celebrated for his portrayal of the bow-wielding marksman hero Hawkeye, with the actor ultimately nabbing a Disney+ series centering on the Avengers character. While he has fully committed to performing the stunts in the fan-favorite franchise as well as in action films like S.W.A.T., The Bourne Legacy, and Mission: Impossible series, it may be surprising to hear that Renner injured himself shooting the comedy flick Tag, having fractured his right elbow and left wrist after falling twenty feet.
Regardless, the movie star remains determined to do his stunts, having said, "You spend so much time and money to try and create a world for people to go sit down in a chair and watch a movie, you don't want them to be pulled out of the movie by some guy in a bad wig trying to do the stunt."
Charlize Theron
The Oscar-winning actress pivoted into the action world with successful films like Mad Max: Fury Road, The Fate of the Furious, Atomic Blonde, and Netflix's The Old Guard, with the Netflix film's sequel releasing sometime this year. As is expected of the actress, Charlize Theron knows how to throw a punch (or two) and commits to her action sequences completely. Speaking to Howard Stern in 2020, Theron highlighted her stunt work, saying, “It’s all about having the right team. You don’t need a stunt person to step in and do something. You create it to be something you can do. And that’s what makes it fun.” It’s no wonder the actress has a knack for stunts; she and Keanu Reeves share the same trainer!
Jason Statham
Since first bursting onto the action scene with the thrilling Transporter trilogy, Jason Statham made a name for himself in Hollywood as the ultimate antihero. Trained in Brazilian jiujutsu, boxing, and judo, Statham’s skills have led him to find success with films like Crank, The Mechanic, The Expendables series, and the Fast and Furious franchise. On performing the stunts himself, the actor once revealed to IGN, “I’ve never really been frightened to do anything. It’s always an issue of safety that sort of prevents me from doing everything.” Statham has been a big advocate for stunt performers to receive more recognition and praise for their contributions, going so far as to lobby for a Stunt Performer category at the Academy Awards.
Keanu Reeves
Keanu Reeves has crafted quite the action film resume since his breakthrough role in 1989’s comedy Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure. The actor is not afraid to try any genre but has received great praise for roles in action flicks like Speed, The Matrix, and the John Wick series. From wild jumps from moving cars to high-intensity fight scenes, Reeves doesn’t shy away from getting his hands dirty in a scene.
When speaking about the stunts performed in the John Wick films, the actor told Today reporter Willie Geist, “All the actions done in the movies are carried out solely by me. I do 90% of what goes on there. I try to maintain a connection with my audience.”
Harrison Ford
Beloved powerhouse Harrison Ford has an extensive and impressive film career that has spanned six decades, appearing in classic hits like the Star Wars saga and the Indiana Jones franchise. He has portrayed countless heroic characters in the action genre and doesn’t appear to be slowing down any time soon. Ford enjoys the physical nature of Indiana Jones and took pride in training and performing his stunts.
During the iconic opening sequence in Raiders of the Lost Ark, the actor famously outran the boulder himself and did so a whopping ten times. While filming scenes for the upcoming Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, the then seventy-eight-year-old action star dislocated a shoulder while performing a stunt. Even when the chances of an on-set injury are high, never tell Ford those odds as he's likely to perform the stunt anyway.
Action Stars Who Leave It To The Professionals
While many actors are willing to risk life and limb for a role, others prefer to err on the side of caution and leave the stunt work to the professionals. Whether it’s for self-preservation, protecting production, or simply knowing their limitations, these are a few actors who rarely, if at all, perform the stunts themselves.
Danny Trejo
Renowned character actor Danny Trejo is famous for his many action movie roles like Desperado, Con Air, Machete, and the Spy Kids series. With his steely face, handlebar mustache, and penchant for sharp objects, the actor is known as a rebel in Hollywood. Despite his tough-guy persona, Trejo is honest about his thoughts on actors performing stunts. During a chat with Yahoo Movies, Trejo said, “We have stunt people who do that stuff. And if they get hurt, I’m sorry to say, but they just need to put a mustache on another Mexican, and we can keep going. But if I get hurt, it’s like everybody’s out of a job. So, I don’t choose to do that.”
Ryan Reynolds
Hollywood funnyman and heavy-hitter Ryan Reynolds is famous for his infectious personality and sidesplitting humor. He’s crafted the perfect blend of action and comedic roles, and though he used to enjoy performing stunts himself earlier in his career, he prefers to leave it to the pros these days.
Reynolds was forced to stop performing action sequences after doing so affected his health. 2012’s Safe House was the last film in which Reynolds would perform any stunt work, having fractured his vertebrae in his neck while filming. Abiding by his doctor’s order, Reynolds leaves the heavy lifting to his stuntmen.
Drew Barrymore
Hollywood sweetheart Drew Barrymore has been a constant presence in the industry for forty years, having achieved widespread fame following her role in the beloved Steven Spielberg classic E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. The actress has never shied away from action-based roles, having famously starred in and produced Charlie's Angels and its sequel Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle.
While filming a scene in the gone-too-soon Netflix original series Santa Clarita Diet, Barrymore suffered a concussion and ended up in the hospital, and the experience changed her views on stunt work. "I will never do my own stunts again. That was the end of a wonderful era... But I will never do a stunt again because I could’ve died, and it was really scary.”
Liam Neeson
Esteemed Irish actor Liam Neeson saw a shift in his career trajectory when he took on the role of Bryan Mills in the Taken trilogy. The subsequent casting led Neeson to other action roles, including Clash of the Titans, The Grey, and A Walk Among the Tombstones. The actor started boxing at the age of nine and used those skills while acting.
Despite his willingness to take a punch, Neeson does not perform the stunts himself. He has had the same stunt double since 1999, Mark Vanselow; of this fact, Neeson said, “I do my own fights, I don’t do my own stunts, and there is a difference.”
Samuel L. Jackson
Motion Pictures
Known for both his colorful resume and expert usage of a specific expletive, Samuel L. Jackson is one of the most decorated actors in Hollywood. With a career spanning five decades and roles in hit movies like A Time to Kill, Pulp Fiction, The Hateful Eight, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe films, Jackson is truly one of the hardest-working actors of his generation. In recent years, the actor has taken on more physical roles, such as The Hitman’s Bodyguard, Glass, and his appearances as Marvel’s Nick Fury.
Despite his commitment to the craft, Jackson knows his limitations and that includes stunt work. “Why would I do that? If you want a long career you don’t do all that stuff.”
Elizabeth Olsen
Marvel
Elizabeth Olsen is one of the best actresses of her generation. After delivering strong performances in films like Godzilla and the MCU as fan-favorite, The Scarlet Witch, it was easy to see her star quickly rising. Olsen is unique from the other entrants on our list in that while she has performed many of the stunts in the MCU, she is the only person to be overtly critical of the experience, preferring a stunt double be used instead of her, thus warranting a spot here. The Love & Death actress recently appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert where she would express her dissatisfaction with performing stunts calling the experience, "ridiculous."
The Rock
Semi-retired professional wrestler The Rock, born Dwayne Johnson, has been in the public eye since his debut as a professional wrestler in the 90s. However, the turn of the millennium would see the People's Champ gradually pivot towards a career in Hollywood starting with his 2002 appearance in Stephen Sommers' cult-classic adventure film, The Mummy Returns. Interestingly, despite The Rock's imposing 6'4" frame and experience as a professional athlete, many people would be wrong in assuming he performs all of his stunts in his movies.
It is actually his cousin Tanoai Reed, who acts as his stunt double and has done so since 2003's The Rundown.
Tom Hardy
Warner Bros. Pictures
Beloved English actor Tom Hardy has delivered so many Oscar-worthy performances throughout his twenty-plus years of acting, that it is anyone's guess as to why he does not have at least two Oscars under his belt. Speaking of belts, Hardy's an avid Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner currently holding the rank of blue belt in the martial art. As such, one might assume the actor would be game to perform all of his stunts in his action films, but they would be wrong in making that assumption.
While Hardy does perform some of the stunts in his films, it is stuntman Jacob Tomuri who handles more of the dangerous work as Hardy is a family man who doesn't want to risk suffering any serious injuries or losing his life.