Gritty, fierce, and unbroken. They’re all ways to describe Charlize Theron, and those terms came about because she doesn’t let someone take her place when the stunts are in the script. From Mad Max: Fury Road to Atomic Blonde and plenty of other movies, Charlize Theron exhibits toughness and control over her character.
She’s put in plenty of work learning how to fight and battle on-screen, as well as take a fall, a punch, and a crash. Alongside all her other acting accomplishments, this turns Charlize Theron into a truly formidable actress that will never back down from a wild scene.
Matt Damon
Here's another big-name actor (and former boy band member) you might be surprised to find doesn't let a stuntman take his place when he doesn't have to. Though Damon is known for plenty of non-action movies, he leaps at the chance to show off his physical skills in films such as The Bourne Identity and its sequels, Saving Private Ryan, and Courage Under Fire.
He did all his own stunts for the Bourne films – just think about that. Fistfights, gunfights, jumps, crashes, and everything else but the kitchen sink happened in those films. Becoming the full package has become more and more important for an actor or actress thanks to guys like Damon.
Karen Gillan
Yet another Marvel actress who has the red badge of courage (apologies to Stephen Crane) from her time in the series is Karen Gillan, who plays Nebula, the blue-skinned “sister” to Zoe Saldana's Gamora. Nebula does quite a lot, and Gillan trained to add her skills, but she couldn't do everything: for one stunt in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.
Gillan's unfortunate clumsiness kept her from doing a stunt where she jumped off a rock and twisted out of the way of a metal plate. Gillan didn't feel up to the task – she did give it a college try, but couldn't do it as well as the producers were hoping.
Jason Statham
A lot of people in the acting business have found a comfortable niche – comedy, drama, horror, etc. Jason Statham found his niche in action movies. He's often the dangerous, wild action star, and it turns out he picks his roles based on how fun the scenes will be to shoot.
He does all his own stunts, and despite a lot of producers not being a big fan of A-listers doing their own stunts, Statham has enough clout to force their hand. For movie after the movie we get to see his incredible abilities as a stuntman, with plenty of sweet fight scenes and big leaps, Statham impresses every time.
Naomie Harris
Anybody who appears in a Bond film is going to need to put in the necessary work to make the action look real, and that includes Naomie Harris, who plays the most recent iteration of the classic Moneypenny character. Harris had three months of extensive training in shooting, fighting, and driving to prepare her for the role of Bond girl.
She did all of her own stunts in Skyfall, as well as a good deal of them in movies like Rampage and Black and Blue. The most difficult stunt she did, according to stunt coordinator Gary Powell, was driving, which required keeping close to the camera, hitting the right spots, and keeping her speed up.