Legendary Hollywood Celebrities Who Performed Their Own Stunts!

The film business has been neglecting stunt actors for far too long. Movies and TV series wouldn't be the same without them. Daring stunts, such as high-speed car chases, scaling skyscrapers, and good old fashioned fighting, are a large part of what makes action films entertaining for audiences.

While most actors will let their stunt doubles handle the riskier moments on set, there are always individuals who prefer to take matters into their own hands. Actors on this list includes the ones who have extensive training in martial arts, gymnastics, and other forms of physical conflict. They are brave enough to attempt these impossible action scenes.

Legendary Hollywood Celebrities Who Performed Their Own Stunts

• Tom Cruise

Tom Cruise, a global box office phenomenon and a firm believer in doing his own stunts, is no stranger to risk. Massive successes like the Mission: Impossible series, Minority Report, War of the Worlds, and Edge of Tomorrow established Cruise as an action movie superstar. Also don't forget to check if Tom Cruise left Katie Holmas.

During a recent interview on The Graham Norton Show, Cruise admitted, ““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.” It's evident that the actor appreciates the physicality of performing stunts. In order to get the shot for the newest instalment of Mission: Impossible, Cruise even fractured his ankle.

• Jackie Chan

Jackie Chan, one of the most recognisable actors, has built his whole career on both receiving and dishing out physical violence. He skates under moving vehicles and base jumps onto hot air balloons as part of his thrilling action sequences in his blockbuster movies.

Chan had a chunk of his skull nearly pierce his brain in the 1986 film Armour of God. This is the kind of thing that has slowed him down in recent years, but he'll still throw a punch or two and a kick if he has to.

• Harrison Ford 

Despite his mask, the man with the whip and the cap is the real deal. Harrison Ford did almost all of the stunts in the Indiana Jones films, including the ones that the team thought were too risky to include. Ford was committed to doing his own stunts to the point that he needed help from his stunt double.

Vic Armstrong, a stuntman, described to Shortlist how he warned Ford to delegate some tasks to him or “he wouldn't get paid.” Although that wasn't the case, it did force Ford to step away from the action for a while.

• Daniel Craig

Since Daniel Craig's casting as James Bond, the series has undergone a relaunch into a new era. Craig had to commit to portraying Bond's unpolished and violent fighting style because the film is set before Bond became the sleek and sophisticated spy he'd become in later escapades. Also check his incredible net worth.

After Casino Royale, Craig firmly established himself as the director of all of Bond's action sequences, going so far as to have his front teeth destroyed in a real punch to the face during a fight scene.

• Angelina Jolie

Formerly one of the top names connected with conducting her own stunt work between blockbuster films like Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Salt, and Wanted, Angelina Jolie is now recognised for participating in fantasy films like Maleficent, where many stunts are taken over by CGI. Also you can check out her net worth here.

Starting with the filming of Tomb Raider, Lara spent months preparing for the action scenes in her movies by undertaking interval training and barrel rolls while holding duelling HKs. In the time between the first film and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life, she trained hard and gained 15 pounds of muscle.

• Jason Statham 

Jason Statham has been a Hollywood staple as the ultimate antihero ever since his breakthrough in the action genre with the exhilarating Transporter trilogy. Statham's skills as an actor and martial artist (he has studied Brazilian jiu-jitsu, boxing, and judo) have helped him become a box office draw in movies like “Crank,” “The Mechanic,” “The Expendables” trilogy, and “The Fast and the Furious.”

The actor previously told IGN, “I've never really been frightened to do anything.” This statement referred to his willingness to perform his own stunts. There's always the question of risk, and that's what stops me from doing a lot of things. Statham has long pushed for the industry's stunt performers to be given greater credit and accolades for their work.

• Adam Driver

Adam Driver may not have the same action film background as certain A-list performers, but he gave it his all as the dark side warrior Kylo Ren in all three films of the Star Wars Sequel Trilogy. Since he would be playing the franchise's new villain, he underwent rigorous training in hand-to-hand combat, kendo, fencing, and other sabre fighting methods to ensure he looked the part.

Driver put in countless hours of training to mimic Ren's vicious fighting technique, so much so that director Rian Johnson insisted on filming the now-famous shirtless scene for Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

• Christian Bale

In his film roles, Christian Bale completely becomes his characters. He went from being really thin to putting on a lot of weight and muscle. Bale was in great form for his role as the Caped Crusader in Batman Begins. This allowed him to execute 16 distinct fight scenes. Most of the stunts in the film were performed by Bale himself, with the exception of the automobile chase scenes.