The name Buster Keaton might not come to mind if we asked you to think of wild actors, but it’s been said that this silent-era leading man was fearless. He was one of the biggest stars of the early Hollywood scene, and since movies couldn’t rely on special effects (unless you count rudimentary camera tricks), most of the things you see on screen really happened, which led to plenty of ultra-dangerous stunts that Keaton faced down with aplomb.
Most famously, in the (very) early blockbuster The General, Keaton rode on the cowcatcher of a full-speed locomotive as it barreled down the track.
Steve McQueen
As far as actors who did their own stunts, McQueen is a legend. The King of Cool loved his classic cars and motorcycles and showed off his skills numerous times in movies such as Bullitt, The Great Escape, and The Magnificent Seven.
Whether it was making sweet motorcycle jumps to get away from Nazis, putting his 1968 Ford Mustang GT through its paces as he's in hot pursuit of killers, or jumping off a cliff, McQueen waved away stuntmen. McQueen loved doing his own stunts, and was an avowed adrenaline junkie, always ready to face down the latest challenge all in the name of getting the next rush and putting on a good show.
Brie Larson
Any big Marvel actor is going to have a hard time if they aren't ready to do some serious stunt work. While the Marvel Cinematic Universe uses plenty of CGI to make things easier – and there are stunt actors aplenty on every set – pretty much all of them have taken their lumps in adding to this film franchise.
Brie Larson boggled the mind on Captain Marvel by doing most stunts on her own, training extensively with personal trainers and stunt trainers. By the time of filming, Larson could, according to Samuel L. Jackson, power lift 250 pounds, push a Jeep up a hill. Larson was more impressed with her ability to do ten pull-ups in a row.
Kristen Stewart
When the Twilight “films” launched Kristen Stewart to...well, not stardom, but people at least knew who she was, it was a bit of a surprise to find she did all her own stunts. Yes, she managed to spend that much time around Robert Pattinson without help. Stunts in the Twilight series were minimal, but she did them all.
While her acting skills didn't really impress anyone, her ability to do her own stunts got her cast in Charlie's Angels as well as Snow White and the Huntsman. Rewatch either of those films with an eye on Stewart's stunts, and you might have a new appreciation for this actress.
Keanu Reeves
In a franchise that relied so heavily on special effects and camera tricks, it's interesting to hear that Keanu Reeves did all of his own stunts in The Matrix and its sequels. People run on walls, jump from buildings, fly, and get into plenty of fights, but Reeves did it all.
While CGI-enhanced, the films still needed an actor in the harness, even if he isn't actually doing slow-motion flips. Reeves showed off plenty of reasons why he deserves to be a star in these movies, as well as in other action films such as Point Break, Speed, and the John Wick movies.