The world of celebrities is unique to behold. From superstar actors to down-to-earth extras, a lot goes into filmmaking. But between all the smoke and mirrors, certain celebrities go above and beyond when it comes to filming.
Even though they are as rare as they come, some of them give it their all into the characters they play, often performing their own stunts and driving to keep the immersion of the film intact. Celebrities like Christian Bale even went as far as completely changing their body build depending on the film, showing how immersed they are in the characters they play.
Several A-list celebrities like Mark Wahlberg, Ryan Gosling, and Cameron Diaz also own down-to-earth cars like the capable 2021 Ford Mustang, and practical trucks like the 2021 Toyota Tundra, despite having plenty of money to splurge on exotic supercars.
With all that in mind, we’ll be taking a look at some of the celebrities who refuse to let stunt doubles do their dirty work, and often risk it all while filming. Of course, a lot of them also drive their own cars during filming and often go on daring movie chases whenever possible.
Without further ado, here are 20 celebrities who prefer to do their own stunts and driving in no particular order:
- Matt Damon
Matt Damon is one of the most revered actors in the action genre who rose to fame with Good Will Hunting and the Bourne series. What most people don’t know is the fact that he did a lot of the stunt driving the Bourne series, and most underwater scenes by himself. Even though he can easily afford a stunt double, he still insisted on doing many of the stunts, which makes the series even more interesting to watch.
Damon is also a very good boxer which helps his roles come to life on the big screen.
- Viggo Mortensen
After his rise to fame in the Lord of the rings series, in which he did his own stunts, and even used a real steel sword during the battle scenes, is still game to do most of the driving, riding, or stunts in almost any role he plays. In fact, even after several injuries on the set, he kept coming back for more. He even bought the two horses he rode at the end of filming. Unsurprisingly, with such a high involvement in the roles he portrays, he also does most of the driving in many of his films.
- Vin Diesel
Vin Diesel is one of those actors who despite having an entire stunt team on set, still prefer doing his own stunts. In the fast and furious series, he does the driving in most of the action sequences, especially those involving a sports car. He also did his own stunts in other movie series like xXx, Riddick, and more.
- Paul Walker
One can’t talk about the Fast and the Furious series without including the legendary Paul Walker, who like Vin Diesel preferred doing his own driving and stunts in most of the films. He even performed some of the tough stunts especially in the second film including the first drag race, high speed 180 turns in the Evolution, and plenty more.
- Scarlett Johansson
Scarlett Johansson is one of those rare divas who always prefer doing her own stunts, as she prefers her roles to be as immersive as possible. In the Avenger series as Black Widow, she did most of the driving including the intense chases. She has stated in several interviews how she thinks doing her own stunts is the only way to go in-depth with the characters she plays.
- Sylvester Stallone
Sylvester Stallone has always been one of the toughest and acclaimed actors ever since his inception into the film business. Even though he is well into his seventies, he still prefers doing his own stunts despite his age.
In fact, while filming The Expendables, he even broke his neck in a stunting accident. As expected, with such a high pedigree, he prefers to do all the driving in the movies he stars in even with a stunt team at hand.
- Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan has been synonymous with doing his own stunts ever since the start of his acting career. He has made several headlines over the years with stunting accidents but continues to do his own stunts despite the risk. A big part of his success is thanks to his amazing stunts, which in all probability can only be done by him. Known for his martial art mastery, he also does most of the driving in his movies including the famous rush hour series, which is unsurprising considering his penchant for stunts.
- Mark Wahlberg
Ever since his inception into the Transformers Saga back in 2014, he has single-handedly managed to keep the series afloat. One of the biggest reasons for this is his prowess in the stunts department. In fact, he is often considered one of the best in the action movie business and often does all the intense action sequences without the help of a stunt double. He even does most of the driving, especially in the highly acclaimed action-packed Transformers series.
- Zoe Bell
Zoe has an unusual start in the movie business by first becoming a stunt double for Uma Thurman. Sure enough, her impressive talents were soon picked up by Quentin Tarantino, and is currently one of the best stunt heroes turned actors in the industry, especially after her stellar performance in Death Proof. Driving is child’s play for Zoe, who can do just about anything you throw at her.
- Harrison Ford
Ford came to the limelight with the Star Wars and Indiana Jones series, both of which included many of his own stunts. He is one of the actors who prefer not having any stunt devils or specialists on the sets. From hanging off helicopters to huge car crashes, Ford has done it all and then some. In fact, he often trains himself for the job at hand and enjoys all the stunts that he does including the daredevil driving stunts.
- Steve McQueen
Steve McQueen started the trend back in the 1960s by doing almost all the stunts by himself especially the high-speed motorcycle and car chases. Being an adrenaline junkie, he even performed insane stunts like jumping off a cliff. One of his most impressive performances was in Bullitt, where he was so good that he had to chase himself in certain scenes.
- Tom Cruise
Being one of the top action superstars of the movie industry for three decades now, Tom is infamous for doing his own stunts in the Mission Impossible series, where he even held onto a flying plane. Even though he uses several experts to train and get ready for the scene, he prefers doing all the stunts alone, especially the high-speed car chases. He also particularly enjoys motorcycle chases, of which there are several in most movies he acts in.
- Cameron Diaz
Even though she is known for her soft side, after acting in several romantic movies, Cameron Diaz is a daredevil who prefers doing her own stunts. The fascination started with the Charlie’s Angels franchise, after which she continued to do her own stunts, often showing off her driving prowess, all while having a grin plastered on her face.
- Angelina Jolie
Another fearless diva, Angelina Jolie has starred in several blockbuster movies over the years, including movies like Gone in 60 seconds, Tomb Raider, and more where she showed off her driving skills and won over the hearts of many fans. She was also behind the wheel in the car crash scene from Wanted.
- Jason Statham
Another fearless action star, Jason Statham has starred in several high octane movies including the Crank series and Transporter, which saw the actor taking the wheel even during the most intense scenes. Doing his own stunts is his trademark within the industry and he is known for the same. Being a petrolhead at heart, there is no doubt where his driving skills originate from.
- Ryan Gosling
After his stellar performance in the action movie Drive, there is no doubt how he secured a spot on this list. The actor did most of the driving stunts without any help, including the intense chase scenes, which is unsurprising considering his interest in automobiles and driving. He invested in the movie so much that he bought the Chevrolet Malibu when the film was finished, and even rebuilt it on the set.
- Daniel Craig
No list is complete without mentioning Mr.Bond himself. Being one of the most famous secret agents on the big screen, James Bond is often seen climbing out of the latest Aston Martin. Daniel Craig is undoubtedly the best actor to play the spy to date, thanks to his love for action movies and daring stunts. He is usually seen behind the wheel of most stunts. He even has plenty of experience driving race cars on and off the set and is at home doing insane speeds.
- Charlize Theron
In the recent movie Atomic Blonde, it is said that Charlize Theron did most of the stunts including most of the driving, running, and combat scenes. She also made a name for herself in the recent Max Max film which is filled with insane cars and daring stunts by doing most of it herself, including the fight sequences.
- Burt Reynolds
Just like Sylvester Stallone, Reynolds has been in the industry for a very long time and is well known for doing his own stunts on the sets. At a time where stunt doubles led the field, Reynolds broke the barrier by doing even the most dangerous stunts himself, even with a full stunt team ready for the job. Early in his career, while filming the 1972 movie Deliverance, he even managed to break his tailbone performing a stunt, which almost derailed his career.
- Keanu Reeves
Keanu has been a veteran in the action movie industry ever since the blockbuster Speed hit theatres back in 1994, where he managed to jump from a jaguar onto a bus at high speeds. He is well known for doing his own stunts, which is all the more impressive considering his performance in the John Wick franchise and his age. Unsurprisingly, he prefers to take the wheel during most of the stunts, even performing some of the most daring stunts without hesitation.
