As an actor, there’s no better way to demonstrate your craft than by risking your life for a multibillion dollar studio franchise. We asked some of today’s biggest action stars to describe their most dangerous stunts, and here is what they said.
Actors Describe Their Most Dangerous Action Movie Stunts
Anthony Hopkins
“In Remains of the Day, it was actually me performing the butler’s subtle but anguished decision to put duty over intimacy.”
Gal Gadot
“I did everything you saw in WW84 since no stunt women wanted to be associated with it.”
Leonardo DiCaprio
“Titanic really tested my physical limits because I had to be romantically involved with someone that was my own age.”
Tom Cruise
“I’ve died performing a stunt in every movie I’ve ever been in. They always bring me back. They won’t let me rest.”
Jackie Chan
“I’ve suffered a skull fracture, a broken nose, and a dislocated cheekbone, all from filming a single V8 commercial.”
Vin Diesel
“Everything’s a stunt when you’re driving with a learner’s permit!”
Kate Winslet
“While the footage ended up looking incredible, I actually almost drowned shooting the scene in Titanic where Rose drinks a beer.”
Jason Statham
“I work with a stunt coach who had me feel the pain of a bullet wound just in case it came up during Gnomeo & Juliet.”
Christian Bale
“I once had to stand in a room with 15 crewmen and 35 extras for a whole four hours.”
Steve-O
“I don’t know. Everything we do is CGI.”
Michael Gambon
“The Harry Potter producers refused to get me a stunt double even though I was terrified of being surrounded by so many children.”
Bruce Willis
“While shooting Die Hard, [Director] John [McTiernan] insisted I crawl through the air ducts even though we were still awaiting the diagnostics from HVAC on mold and pollutants.”
Pierce Brosnan
“You don’t know pain until you’ve filmed Mama Mia! and fried the living shit out of your vocal cords singing ‘SOS.’”
Nicolas Cage
“I insisted my face actually be covered in the bees even though the director said I absolutely didn’t have to do that for Moonstruck.”
Keanu Reeves
“It wasn’t for a movie, but I once jumped off of a galloping horse only to get hit by a taxi while being chased by hit men down the streets of New York City.”
Sylvester Stallone
“I knew it was risky, but I told the Rocky producers I didn’t want a double to perform my dialogue.”
Daniel Craig
“The floor in Casino Royale was really, really slippery.”
Arnold Schwarzenegger
“Don’t tell anyone, but that was a stunt double the entire time I was governor of California.”