David Bowie with his Goblin King stunt performer from "Labyrinth." PinterestJodie Foster’s sister was her stunt double in "Taxi Driver." PinterestHarrison Ford told his stunt double, “If you learn to talk, I’m in deep trouble.” PinterestMichael J. Fox required stunt performers for both the present and future. redditTom Hardy and his Bane character double on the set of "Batman: The Dark Knight Rises." ImgurJulie Andrews and her "Sound of Music" double looking very serious. PinterestNorman Reedus and his "Walking Dead" stunt performer.PinterestRupert Grint side-by-side with his stunt performer.Caitriona Balfe of "Outlander" and her double share a moment.PinterestMads Mikkelsen shares his "Hannibal" action with his bloodied double. PinterestKurt Russell needed his double's help in "Escaping from L.A." PinterestHarold Ramis and an unsung Ghostbuster.PinterestEven Laurel and Hardy needed stunt doubles. PinterestWhat’s better than one slave Leia? Not much, say men everywhere. Twisted SifterEveryone’s favorite disobedient young zombie killer, Carl, with his double -a woman in her 30s. Huffington PostIndeed, Chris Hemsworth has a true lookalike. Fit 'n FlexedEven our beloved Guardians need help saving the world. Screen BurnWillow and her evil twin, triplet, and quadruplet on the set of "Buffy." Twisted SifterSpidey-sense lessons from Andrew Garfield. Huffington PostDanny Trejo and double Norm Mora. TaringaThe makeup and wardrobe crew get to create Captain Jack Sparrow twice every day. Fit 'n FlexedJackie Chan and his stunt double.Fit 'n FlexedJennifer Lopez’s double – yes, that’s a man. Twisted SifterRobert Pattinson and his film double.Twisted SifterScarlett Johansson and her very convincing double. New York Daily NewsThe shot that introduced a certain age group to the very existence of stunt doubles. TumblrElijah Wood and his "Lord of the Rings" scale double.Over 3000Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and body double on the set of "Pain and Gain." Huffington PostSeeing double Wonder Women.The Richest
With the rise of online streaming services, the film industry increasingly depends on high-impact visual effects to get people into theaters. Even if seldom-acknowledged, stunt doubles play an essential part in ensuring that audiences receive the action they anticipate. After all, you can’t do everything with CGI (and trust us, Hollywood, we don’t want you to).
Put simply, stunt doubling requires a certain corporeal intelligence that most actors lack -- and that intelligence can save a production from blowing the budget. As Machete Actor Danny Trejo said,"...I don’t want to risk 80 people’s jobs just so I can say I have big nuts. I don’t want to say that. Norm Mora is my stunt man, that’s his profession."
Since doubles and their actors need to seem -- even from a distance -- like the same person, the duos tend to bond during production. Some actors stick with the same stunt double for many different films, with people on the street even mistaking them for the actual celebrity. Above, check out these stunt doubles in action -- and see if you can spot the difference between his or her actor partner.
For more peeks into the film production world, check out these behind-the-scenes photos from your favorite movies.
