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The Daily Insight

Who are famous stunt performers?

Author

John Thompson

Published Feb 11, 2026

Here are 10 of Hollywood’s greatest stuntmen and their famous roles. Enjoy!…Legendary Hollywood Stuntmen And Their Famous Roles

  • Buster Keaton.
  • Jackie Chan.
  • Wendy Leech.
  • Richard Bradshaw.
  • Colin Follenweider.
  • Michelle Yeoh.
  • Hal Needham.
  • Sir Eddie Kidd.

What stunt performers do?

Stunt performers undertake dangerous or difficult acts for the purpose of entertainment, including replacing film actors in dangerous scenes. They strive to achieve the greatest visual impact with minimum safety risk.

Who was the first stunt double?

Frank Hanaway
The first possible appearance of a stunt-double was Frank Hanaway in The Great Train Robbery, shot in 1903 in Milltown, New Jersey. The first auditable paid stunt was in the 1908 film The Count of Monte Cristo, with $5 paid by the director to the acrobat who had to jump upside down from a cliff into the sea.

What does a stunt person?

: a person who doubles for an actor during the filming of stunts and dangerous scenes : a stuntman or stuntwoman A California court held that while a movie stuntperson does not assume the risk of injury by performing a movie stunt, a stuntperson who fails to employ a seat belt during an automobile stunt is …

What actors have no stunt doubles?

Here are Screen Rant’s 10 actors that refuse to use stunt doubles.

  • Harrison Ford. A veteran of several action movies, Ford is never afraid to get his hands dirty.
  • Tom Cruise.
  • Keanu Reeves.
  • Angelina Jolie.
  • Daniel Craig.
  • Matt Damon.
  • Jason Statham.
  • Arnold Schwarzenegger.

How are stunt performers paid in the UK?

Stunt performers in the UK are trained to a high level in a number of different physical disciplines. Stunt performers are paid a fixed daily rate which is set by EQUITY, the Union for Actors and Performers. In addition to the daily base rate, a bonus is paid for each stunt performed.

Who was the first person to be a stunt performer?

The earliest stunt performers were travelling entertainers and circus performers, particularly trained gymnasts and acrobats.

What did stunt performers do in the Wild West?

This acrobatic discipline required long training in the ring and perfect body control to present a sensational performance to the public. The word stunt was more formally adopted during the 19th-century travelling vaudeville performances of the early Wild West shows, in North America and Europe.

Where can I get a job as a stuntman?

As stunt work requires a measure of acting, any performance experience is very beneficial. Experience as a walk on actor, or extra is relatively easy to find; there are a number of extras agencies whom you can contact for work. Employers of stuntmen are film and television production companies.