20 Actresses Who Lied About Doing Their Own Stunts

Movie marketing often focuses on actors doing their own stunts to get audiences excited. However, this often downplays the important and risky work of professional stunt doubles. While actresses often train for simple action scenes like fights or running, the really dangerous stunts are almost always done by experts. The following examples show times when the studio or actors overstated how much the lead actress actually performed versus what the stunt team did.

Natalie Portman

The marketing for the movie ‘Black Swan’ emphasized the actress’s intense ballet training for her role as Nina Sayers. However, professional ballerina Sarah Lane later stated she actually performed most of the difficult dance sequences and full-body shots. While the studio claimed the actress did the majority of the dancing, Lane believed they intentionally concealed her contributions to help the actress win an Oscar. To make it appear seamless, they used technology to digitally replace the dancer’s face with the actress’s during the most challenging parts.

Jennifer Lopez

The marketing for the movie ‘Hustlers’ showed the actress training on a pole to prepare for her role as Ramona. She did learn the fundamental pole dancing moves, but the more challenging and acrobatic routines were actually performed by a professional dancer. The filmmakers cleverly used editing and camera work to make it appear as though the actress was doing all the stunts herself. Experts in pole dancing pointed out that the complex moves shown in the film take years of dedicated practice to perfect, not just a few months.

Brie Larson

Marvel Studios emphasized the rigorous physical training the lead actress underwent for ‘Captain Marvel,’ even sharing videos of her strength work. However, the film actually used two stunt doubles, Renae Moneymaker and Joanna Bennett, for the more dangerous scenes. These professionals performed the wire work and intense fight choreography that the insurance company wouldn’t allow the actress to do herself. The promotional materials created a misleading impression, suggesting she did all her own stunts when much of the acrobatic action was handled by professionals.

Gal Gadot

When ‘Wonder Woman’ needed additional filming, the lead actress was five months pregnant, making it too difficult for her to do many of the physically demanding stunts. The filmmakers cleverly used a green screen to conceal her pregnancy and relied heavily on a stunt double to perform the action scenes. Although she had done many stunts herself in past movies, this time they needed a professional like Caitlin Dechelle to handle the more challenging parts. Surprisingly, much of the press coverage focused on the actress being pregnant on set, rather than on the stunt double who actually performed the dangerous work.

Margot Robbie

While marketing for ‘Suicide Squad’ highlighted the actress’s breath-holding skills for an underwater scene, most of the dangerous stunts for her character, Harley Quinn, were actually performed by professional stuntwoman Ingrid Kleinig. The actress did learn complex choreography, but falls and impacts were handled by her experienced stunt double. The focus of public conversation often emphasized the actress’s personal commitment, overlooking the team effort involved in creating the action sequences.

Scarlett Johansson

Black Widow’s action sequences are incredibly complex, and the actress has performed them for over ten years in Marvel films. Much of the character’s impressive gymnastics and aerial fighting is actually done by Heidi Moneymaker, her longtime stunt double. The actress focuses on close-up fighting and the character’s emotional moments, while Moneymaker handles the more distant, acrobatic shots. Often, publicity materials don’t highlight this collaboration to keep the impression that the superhero is performing all the stunts herself.

Uma Thurman

The marketing for ‘Kill Bill’ highlighted the cast’s rigorous martial arts training with Master Yuen Woo-ping. Though the actress did perform the car stunt that caused a lasting injury, much of the complex sword fighting was actually done by stunt performer Zoe Bell. Bell handled the dangerous falls and fast-paced fight scenes, drawing on years of professional experience. While the movie’s promotion centered on the actress’s quest for revenge, the most physically demanding work was largely done by her stunt double.

Angelina Jolie

This actress is well-known for doing a lot of her own action scenes in movies like ‘Salt’ and ‘Wanted’. However, for ‘Lara Croft: Tomb Raider’, insurance rules required a stunt double for the most dangerous parts, like big jumps and motorcycle tricks. Eunice Huthart worked as her double for years, handling anything that could cause a serious injury. While people often say she does her own stunts, this doesn’t always account for the fact that contracts often prevent actors from performing truly life-threatening actions.

Cameron Diaz

The movie ‘Knight and Day’ has a thrilling chase scene where the actress rides on a motorcycle with Tom Cruise. While the studio showed footage of the actress on the bike for promotion, a stunt double actually performed the most dangerous driving. It was later discovered that a dummy was used in some shots when the risks were considered too great, even for a professional stunt performer. The movie’s marketing emphasized the scene’s excitement and spontaneity, but it downplayed the careful safety precautions and use of different performers.

Drew Barrymore

The recent ‘Charlie’s Angels’ movie heavily promoted the idea that the three main actresses trained for months in martial arts to do their own fight scenes. However, stuntwoman Shauna Duggins actually performed the most difficult and dangerous moves, like wire work and aerial kicks. The filmmakers used fast editing and camera angles – including shots of hair movement – to seamlessly blend footage of the actresses and Duggins during the fight sequences. While the actresses’ training was helpful for close-up shots, all the truly spectacular and gravity-defying action was done by professional stunt performers.

Blake Lively

The movie ‘The Shallows’, a thrilling survival story, centers around a surfer being stalked by a shark. While the actress learned to surf for some scenes, the challenging surfing sequences were actually performed by professional surfer Isabella Nichols. The actress did her own close-up shots and paddling, but Nichols handled all the advanced surfing. Surprisingly, the movie’s promotion emphasized the actress’s physical challenges and isolation, and didn’t give Nichols any credit for skillfully handling the dangerous ocean conditions.

Jennifer Lawrence

The movie ‘Red Sparrow’ featured a main character who was originally a skilled ballet dancer. While the actress took ballet lessons for the role, a professional dancer actually performed the more complex dance scenes. Filmmakers then used digital technology to seamlessly put the actress’s face onto the dancer’s body, creating the illusion that she was doing all the dancing herself. This allowed the studio to highlight the actress’s transformation, even though a seasoned ballerina provided the technical expertise.

Dakota Johnson

The ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ movies featured a lot of nudity and scenes with bondage and simulated physical acts. To protect her privacy and safety, the actress used a body double for the most intense or physically demanding parts, like scenes involving spanking or difficult poses. Although the media praised her willingness to do these sensitive scenes, a different performer often filmed the most explicit moments. Clever camera work helped create the impression that it was always the actress on screen.

Milla Jovovich

The ‘Resident Evil’ movies feature a skilled main character, Alice, who is known for her impressive fighting abilities. While the actress playing Alice could perform many of the fight scenes, insurance requirements meant that professional stunt performers handled the most dangerous parts, like wire work and falls. The marketing often emphasized the actress’s relationship with the director and her dedication to the role to make it seem like she was doing all the stunts herself. However, whenever Alice was shown performing high-flying or risky maneuvers, it was actually a trained professional.

Charlize Theron

In ‘Snow White and the Huntsman,’ the evil queen has several scenes showing her physical power. Although the actress is known for doing her own stunts in other movies, this film used stunt doubles for the more difficult and dangerous falls and fights. The movie’s promotion emphasized the actress’s dedication to her character and cold personality, rather than the action sequences. Using doubles kept the actress safe while still allowing the filmmakers to create exciting and dramatic fight scenes.

Jessica Alba

In ‘Sin City,’ Nancy Callahan performs a dance with a lasso in a rough, rundown bar. The actress playing her honestly admitted she couldn’t actually do the complicated rope work, so a stunt double filmed those parts. The movie’s distinctive black and white look helped hide the change between the actress and her double. When promoting the film, interviews emphasized her character’s development, not the help she received with the dance.

Karen Gillan

The recent ‘Jumanji’ movies include the character Ruby Roundhouse, known for her unique fighting style that combines dance moves with combat. Skilled stunt performers Jahnel Curfman and Emily Lopez brought this to life, handling the complex physical stunts and throws that showcase Ruby’s in-game abilities. The actress focused on delivering her lines and facial expressions, while the stunt doubles performed the more dangerous wirework and acrobatics. This ‘dance fighting’ was a major part of the films’ promotion and depended on the incredible athleticism of the stunt team.

Mila Kunis

In the science fiction movie ‘Jupiter Ascending’, the main character experiences several dramatic falls and mid-air rescues. While the actress filmed reactions while suspended in a harness, all the physically demanding falls and impacts were performed by her stunt double. Visual effects artists then used green screen technology to combine their performances and create a smooth, believable final result. Interestingly, publicity for the film focused more on the discomfort of wearing the harness than on the work of the stunt performer who did the dangerous stunts.

Michelle Rodriguez

The ‘Fast & Furious’ movies are famous for their realistic car stunts and action-packed fight scenes. Although the actress projects a strong image, professional stunt performers actually handle the dangerous driving and physical fights. This is because insurance rules prevent the main actors from doing risky maneuvers that could halt filming if someone got hurt. The movies are marketed to make it seem like the actors truly live the exciting, rebellious lifestyle shown on screen.

Sophie Turner

Sansa Stark’s character in ‘Game of Thrones’ didn’t have many action scenes until the show’s later seasons, and the same was true for her role in ‘X-Men: Dark Phoenix’. In ‘Dark Phoenix’, the actress used stunt doubles for the physically demanding scenes involving flying and the effects of her character’s telekinetic powers. The movie’s promotion highlighted her transformation from a quiet character into a strong, powerful one. Skilled stunt performers were vital in bringing the physicality of a mutant with overwhelming, unstable powers to life.

Let us know in the comments which casting choice you found most surprising, and why!

2025-11-30 00:47