Actors don't always have the skills, time, and even courage to perform certain stunts on set. But somehow, we get to enjoy movies with jaw-dropping physical acts and performances that make us hold our breaths. Ever wonder how? Well, stunt doubles are always there to save the day.
They obviously don't get paid as much as the stars, but a little-known fact is that these stand-ins earn more than an average person in the USA. Sounds tempting, right? However, their exposure to the risk of injury and even death is quite high. Now, let's take a look at 35 stuntpersons and figure out if they qualify as doppelgangers.
Bruce Willis - First Kill
Someone like Bruce Willis is definitely not going to risk his precious limbs to perform risky stunts. So, of course, he has stunt doubles to do them for him. Interestingly, you won't even notice their difference, and that's the whole point.
In the 2017 action thriller film First Kill, Stuart Wilson replaced Willis in the stunts. For over three decades of his life, Wilson has been a professional stuntman, stunt coordinator, and fight choreographer. The two share a professional relationship, with Wilson acknowledging Willis as "Boss." They've been working together since 2007 when Wilson first started doubling for Willis on Live Free or Die Hard.
Emilia Clarke - Game Of Thrones
Known for her sweet and charming nature is the 33-year-old British actress Emilia Clarke. Her career started back in 2009. However, she rose to international stardom for portraying Daenerys Targaryen on HBO's Game of Thrones. Let's look at Clarke's body double in the fantasy series.
Rosie Mac, a rising English actress, looks like some long lost twin of Clarke. Mac entered the GoT cast in its fifth season in 2015. According to her interview with Elle, the set was always very busy. She also shared some humorous inside jokes with Clarke. Anything to take the work stress away, right?
Uma Thurman - Kill Bill
Being Uma Thurman's stunt double is no joke. When it comes to Thurman, we guess screenwriters are comfortable with giving her some seriously physical scenes. Even though she's 49 years old, she doesn't say no. Of course, she accepts since her tough scenes are delegated.
In both of Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill movies, Zoë Bell performed the tougher acts on behalf of Thurman. The two first worked together in 2003. While their relationship remains professional, Bell's interview on Waiheke Island in 2018 convinces us that the two may have a stronger bond. She felt guilty for not performing the car stunt, which caused Thurman a concussion following a crash.
Lucy Lawless - Xena: Warrior Princess
Long before Zoë Bell doubled for Uma Thurman in Kill Bill, she performed stunts for Lucy Lawless. You can totally see Bell's strength and confidence because she started her stunt work at the young age of 14. However, she did not take Lawless' place until she was 17.
In 1995, when Bell came on Xena: Warrior Princess to take on the risky acts, surely, Lawless was delighted. We say so because, according to her interview with Television Academy Foundation, Lawless was quite clear that some of the stunts were dangerous. They would've hurt her.
Jennifer Garner - Peppermint
There's no set time and place to make friends. That's why Jennifer Garner and her main body double Shauna Duggins became good friends after having met on set. The duo's friendship goes way back to 2001 when they met during the shooting of ABC's action thriller, Alias.
It wasn't the only production in which the pair worked together. During the last 19 years, Garner and Duggins complemented actions in films like Daredevil, Elektra, and Peppermint. We wouldn't have seen half of Garner's jaw-dropping scenes if it wasn't for this award-winning stuntwoman.
Megan Fox - Transformers
Can you even imagine breaking your neck and going about with your life without realizing it? Well, Stacey Carino—Megan Fox's stuntwoman on Transformers—did just that. Clearly, she is one tough woman wouldn't ever want to mess with.
The dynamic duo's work goes back to the first Transformers movie that hit cinemas in 2007. In her chat with Vanity Fair, Carino defines Fox as an easygoing person. According to her, the star is quite minimal in the complaints department. She told the magazine that Fox even recommended her to double in Jonah Hex.
Ryan Reynolds - Deadpool
Ryan Reynolds' stunt person on Deadpool looks nothing like him. There! Somebody had to say it. Luckily though, the superhero wears a mask, one similar to that of Spiderman. Alex Kyshkovych's body measurements probably matched Reynolds', hence why he got the job as the stuntman.
Since Reynolds found the perfect match, he doesn't do any stunts anymore. The Ukrainian-born Kyshkovych was not only the hidden face behind Deadpool but also a stand-in on X-Men, The Revenant, and Arrow, among numerous others. As Reynolds is 43 and a father of three, we understand why he'd want to pass on the risky details.
Zoe Saldana - Guardians Of The Galaxy
This selfie captured by Zoe Saldana on the set of Guardians of the Galaxy shows how filmmakers trick the viewers. Even though performance doubles seldom look almost identical, the makeup artists can settle the rest using contouring tricks and whatnot.
Here we have Chloé Bruce, a talented stuntwoman who did most of Saldana's physical scenes on the said superhero film in 2014. The super-trained martial artist is also referred to as the modern Bruce Lee. That says a lot about her. As you can see in the photo above, the two seem to have a favorable association.
Ian McKellen - Lord Of The Rings
Sir Ian McKellen, an English actor, started his professional career in the early '60s. However, he gained international recognition only after portraying Gandalf in the multi-billion box-office success, The Lord of the Rings. In the trilogy, he had two doubles, one for stunts, and the other for scale.
The latter is quite new and confusing, we know. The taller and bigger double (on the far right) was for scenes where Gandalf had to look bigger than the hobbits. Something we have all learned so far is that filmmaking is an extensive subject.
Margot Robbie - Suicide Squad
Although the Australian actress Margot Robbie had been in show business since 2007, she only won legions of fans after starring as Harley Quinn on Suicide Squad. One of her recurring body doubles is Ingrid Kleinig, a professional stuntwoman with over 65 credits to her name.
As you can see in this photo, once the hair color, makeup, and clothes match, the two are barely distinguishable. Kleinig and Robbie began their work together in 2016, in Suicide Squad and also The Legend of Tarzan. The pair is currently at work, filming The Suicide Squad sequel expected to hit cinemas in August 2021.
Chandler Riggs - The Walking Dead
Generally, when picking stunt doubles, directors go for similar features, closer age, and same gender. Or that's what we thought until now. When young Chandler Riggs played the role of Carl Grimes on AMC's The Walking Dead, he too had a body double.
However, a shocking piece of information about this stuntperson came to light a few years ago. The stand-in was actually a female named Emily Brobst, who is 15 years Riggs' senior. Clearly, no one could tell them apart. Judging by the snap above, the two appear to have formed a pretty close bond during the breaks.
Chris Hemsworth - Thor
Many men today try to idealize Chris Hemsworth, especially when it comes to his physique. But Bobby Holland Hanton must be the only one who gets paid to BE Hemsworth. Take a good look at the stud who has been Hemsworth's body double in all the Thor movies beginning 2011.
By the looks of this photo, we guess the two have a natural brotherly relationship as they enjoy their snacks together. Of course, we meant 'brother' jovially and hope Luke and Liam aren't mad. Well, ladies, since Hemsworth is off the market, why not his look-alike stand-in?
Karen Gillan - Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle
Marvel picked Karen Gillan over and over again for their movies, such as Guardians of the Galaxy and The Avengers. While appearing in these films, Gillan also starred in the 2017 reboot of Jumanji and its follow-up in 2019 simultaneously.
Anyone who has watched the Jumanji movies knows that the scenes of Ruby Roundhouse require some bizarre physical skills and capabilities. Therefore, Gillan, who plays Roundhouse's character, had doubles perform her stunts. One of them was Jahnel Curfman, a pretty good clone of Gillen. The pair has often been photographed together and appears to have a healthy and friendly connection with one another.
Michael J. Fox - Back To The Future
When the storyline of a movie is quite complex, it is pretty tough for a single star to do all the scenes and perform all the stunts. Since filming can take forever, he/she cannot risk having any injuries. Therefore, Michael J. Fox had stuntmen take certain scenes.
Rewind to the mid-'80s, when Charlie Croughwell (far right)—Fox's main body double—did his stunts on Back to the Future. After meeting on the set, Croughwell and Fox went on to become good buddies. Furthermore, Croughwell subsequently doubled for Fox in other movies as well.
Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson - Journey 2: The Mysterious Island
Having Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson's features is one thing, but trying to accomplish that build is a dream far away. Who is this look-alike stuntman of Johnson? Tanoai Reed is actually Johnson's first cousin, which explains the uncanny resemblance. Here they are on the set of Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, a 2012 movie.
Reed is very loyal and has been his cousin's stand-in for nearly two decades now. In case you're wondering why The Rock needs a stuntman, know that sometimes the workload is just unbearably excessive, and delegation becomes a necessity.
Chris Pratt - Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
For many years now, Tony McFarr has been doing Chris Pratt's dirty work—and by dirty work we mean, stunts. Sure, Pratt can perform his own stunts after adopting the healthier lifestyle he is leading now, but a little help won't hurt. Their first encounter took place on the set of Jurassic World. Although the movie came out in 2015, the duo met on set in 2014.
Since then, McFarr had performed stunts on behalf of Pratt on Passengers (2016) and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018). The now 40-year-old actor went on to receive numerous nominations and awards for the portrayals to which McFarr contributed.
Scarlett Johansson - The Avengers
Meet Scarlett Johansson's doppelganger, Heidi Moneymaker, an award-winning stunt performer. You can judge her talents, knowing that she has over 80 stunt credits under her name. Johansson can take up physical roles without a doubt. But when the risk factor is high, Moneymaker swoops in.
Recognized as one of the best stuntwomen in the world, Moneymaker has saved Johansson's day since 2009 on movies like Iron Man 2, The Avengers, and Captain America: The Winter Soldier. It looks like Marvel has Moneymaker's number on speed dial, and she is making big money out of them (just like her name suggests).
Olivia Munn - X-Men: Apocalypse
Olivia Munn, an Oklahoma native actress, caused quite the scandal when she took credit for all the stuntwork on X-Men: Apocalypse. Munn, who gives life to the character of Psylocke, clearly made a false claim. In reality, Julia Rekaikyna, a professional stuntwoman, doubled her.
The photo here is proof that Munn, in fact, did have a double. While the 2016 superhero movie was a huge box-office success, something tells us that Rekaikyna would not want to double for Munn again. It is just standard courtesy to give credit where it's due.
Natalie Portman - Black Swan
Sarah Lane did a great job in the dancing scenes of the 2010 psychological horror film Black Swan. She did them on behalf of Natalie Portman, in case you were wondering. However, the filmmakers had to face heaps of trouble due to Lane's controversial and stirring statement.
Lane went public, claiming that Portman only performed five percent of the dance scenes herself. Since the Black Swan star secured an Academy Award for Best Actress, Lane's statement created quite the damage. We guess we're not wrong to assume that the pair's relationship was not all merry afterward.
Quvenzhané Wallis - Annie
Quvenzhané Wallis is a child actress who came under the limelight for portraying Hushpuppy on Beasts of the Southern Wild. Fast forward a couple of years, and you'll see the young star portraying the titular role on Annie. She had a much older woman as her body double on the musical comedy.
This is a good example of why age doesn't matter when it comes to doubling. Wallis was only ten years old at the time, and a petite and older woman with similar hair and skin color did some of the dancing. It looks like the two had a pretty fun relationship on set.
Mark Ruffalo - Now You See Me
Mark Ruffalo's stunt double looks more like Mark Ruffalo than the actor himself. Yes, their resemblance is twin-like. The photo above shows the two (should have been) brothers posing on the set of Now You See Me. The dynamic duo first started working together in 2005 on Just Like Heaven.
Later, as the years passed, Ruffalo and his body double, Anthony Molinari, worked together on other productions. For instance, Reservation Road, The Avengers, and Now You See Me 2. We guess that they also share likes and dislikes in addition to their looks because the pair gets along very well.
Tom Hiddleston - The Avengers
When you are in the cast of a superhero movie like The Avengers, you will most likely have a double. Of course, it includes Loki, the great God of Mischief. Tom Hiddleston, who plays the character of Loki, found a decent look-alike to be his body double.
Paul Lacovara, a professional stuntman, got Hiddleston's back when it came to the tougher acts. Having started from The Avengers, the two went on to work together in Thor: The Dark World and Kong: Skull Island. We assume that this pair will reunite in the miniseries, Loki, on Disney+, airing in 2021.
Tom Hardy - The Dark Knight Rises
The casting directors of The Dark Knight Rises did not have to fuss too much about Bane's stunt double. Why? Because the character had a face mask on at all times. Although Tom Hardy was the face behind Bane, Buster Reeves performed most of his stunts.
Hardy also had another double named David Castillo to perform bike stunts. While Reeves was Hardy's stuntman in the first two Batman movies, Jacob Tomuri is one of Hardy's more regular actor doubles. He was on Mad Max: Fury Road, Legend, The Revenant, and Venom.
Andrew Garfield - The Amazing Spider-Man
When it comes to a full-covered character like Spiderman, if the body measurements are in check, a stand-in is good to go. Andrew Garfield's body wannabe doppelganger, William Ray Spencer, made a name for himself from the movie. Of course, his mesmerizing charm helped.
Here we have a snap of the two handsome men working their head masks. In both The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) and its 2014 sequel, the pair worked together, displaying sound chemistry. Even though Spencer has 19 stunt credits (and counting) to his name, we don't know if he can be a regular actor double for Garfield's exposed characters.
Ben Affleck - Triple Frontier
Which one is Ben Affleck again? It seems next to impossible to identify the real Ben Affleck when his almost identical body double is standing right beside him. Richard Cetrone, better known as Rich Cetrone, has been Affleck's primary stand-in since 2016, starting on Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
The selfie above is one from their fifth movie together, which is the 2019 movie Triple Frontier. According to Affleck's post on Instagram, referring to Cetrone as a "legend," we guess the duo's bond is pretty tight. On the other hand, Affleck is a cool guy, throwing luaus for his crew, and so on.
Robert Pattinson - The Twilight Saga
When we see Robert Pattinson, our minds are quick to welcome nostalgia. The stud's romantic scenes can easily coverup for the blood-sucking vampire scenes. However, we can all expect to see Pattinson in a whole other movie genre. The Batman, DC Extended Universe's tenth movie will hit cinemas in 2021, and Pattinson will star in it.
However, here we can see the ever-so-loving Edward Cullen posing with his body doubles in The Twilight Saga. They may not be brothers or even cousins by face, but their builds are very similar. Also, they certainly did a good job in the fantasy series.
Brie Larson - Captain Marvel
Among her fans, Brie Larson is popularly-known for her sweet persona. Haters could say it's pretentious, but her actions at the MTV Movie & TV Awards say otherwise. When Larson won the award for the Best Fight in a Movies for her performance in Captain Marvel, she brought her stuntwomen on stage. Kudos to her!
Renae Moneymaker and Joanna Bennett are the skilled women behind most of her stunts even in Captain America. Surely, the three women share a healthy bond. Something also tells us that the three will remain friends regardless of whether they work together again or not.
Jason Momoa - Aquaman
Hidden inside the muscular body of Jason Momoa is a warming heart. His Instagram caption praising the stunt workers gave us all the feels in the world. Posing for a photo with one of his stunt doubles from Aquaman, Momoa highlighted how underrated stand-ins are.
In an action-packed movie like Aquaman, clearly, the star can't do all the work. Well, he could, but it would take forever. Therefore, Momoa had two stuntmen named Kim Fardy and Ryan Tarren. The sweetest thing of all is that both Momoa and co-star Amber Heard made best friends out of their body doubles.
Jennifer Lopez - Follow The Leader
Here is another one of those rare moments when decision-makers have chosen stunt doubles of the opposite gender. This time, it was Jennifer Lopez whose body double was a man. We hope that J Lo did not lose any sleep, wondering if her physique was on the masculine side.
For her Follow The Leader music video in 2012, this mystery stuntman, whose name is unknown, filled in for J Lo's stunts. With long brown hair, braided on the side, and clothed almost identically, his silhouette could effortlessly trick the bare eyes.
Angelina Jolie - Salt
Janene Carleton is a 41-year-old who has performed stunts for many actresses, including Angelina Jolie. Surely, she has similar features to Jolie, which is why the casting directors picked her. But do you know what's different between the two? Carleton's body undoubtedly records many bruises from the years of training.
With her stunts, Carleton perfected Jolie's character as Evelyn Salt in the 2010 action thriller Salt. The job of a stand-in is not all about the stunts, though. As Carleton revealed to GQ, she has to diet accordingly to get as close as possible to the star's structure. Doubling is certainly not everyone's cup of tea.
Harrison Ford - Indiana Jones
Some stunts you see in the big and small screens are way too extreme—even for someone like Harrison Ford. He used to perform most of his stunts in front of the cameras. However, Ford passed on the baton to someone else for some of his most prominent roles.
That someone is Vic Armstrong, the British stuntman who did the challenging scenes of both Indiana Jones and Han Solo (in Return of the Jedi). Quite the shocker, isn't it? The two first started working together in 1981, and since Ford liked Armstrong, he became Ford's primary body double.
Brad Pitt - The Counselor
Brad Pitt dated, married, and divorced two of Hollywood's most famous and hottest actresses. With the second divorce finalizing in 2019, it looks like the Brangelina memes have finally come to rest. Today, we'll tell you about Pitt's underrated long-term partner.
To fulfill his on-screen stunts, Pitt has a stand-in named Phil Ball. The photo above is a click from the set of the 2013 film The Counselor. However, that isn't the only film the pair has done together. The dynamic duo built a close friendship over the years and has also acted in World War Z together.
Johnny Depp - Pirates Of The Caribbean
If you are active on Social Media, you probably have seen talented makeup artists transforming themselves into Captain Jack Sparrow. While Johnny Depp's stunt double looks very much like him in this picture, an experienced makeup artist could easily have been behind the resemblance.
When it comes to dangerous stunts during the shooting of Pirates of the Caribbean, the burden falls on Tony Angelotti. He has been the hidden face behind Jack Sparrow's amazing stuntwork since the beginning of the film series. Angelotti has unquestionably encountered multiple cuts, bruises, and injuries. He supposedly faced a big one back in 2005, leading him to sue the directors.
Tom Cruise - Knight And Day
For as long as we can remember, Tom Cruise has maintained a reputation for performing his own stunts. However, he is not too proud to take a step back when he needs to. For instance, Cruise let the directors of the 2010 movie Knight and Day hire a body double to replace him during certain scenes.
The photo above was clicked on the movie's set, and you can see that even though they are not identical, the hair and posture can trick you into thinking it's Cruise. The stuntperson who went uncredited for the performance is Jimmy N. Roberts, who was also Cruise's stunt double in Mission: Impossible II.
Lynda Carter - Wonder Woman
Jeannie Epper could be a great stuntwoman, but let's be honest, she doesn't look anything like Lynda Carter. During the filming of the Wonder Woman series back in the '70s, Carter was not afraid to perform her own stunts. However, the directors did not want to gamble her for risky physical acts.
Nevertheless, Carter was a team player, and when she realized that Epper was nothing like her, she stepped in. In the second episode of season two, Carter hung on to a helicopter until it was 50 feet up in the air. Although the directors were not pleased, she just proved she was a thrill-seeker up for anything.