Is there anyone in Hollywood more famous for taking his life into his own hands than Jackie Chan? From martial arts master to comedy hero to anything else, Chan has wowed audiences with stunts that turn the stomach.
While this hasn’t held perfectly true as he’s aged – the years make moving a little harder sometimes – Chan made his bones in the industry by breaking them – seriously if there’s a bone in his body, it’s probably gotten injured. Throw on a classic Chan film and watch him wow as he does it all on his own.
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.
Harrison Ford
Harrison Ford has become one of the classic action stars of Hollywood thanks to his roles as Han Solo and Indiana Jones. There are plenty of other examples – his list of famous roles runs the gamut from science-fiction to war thriller, to thriller, and he's even had a few chances to be the bad guy.
His roles are often physically demanding, but he did pretty much all of his own stunts for a lot of the films (though not all of them – especially these days), and has the injuries to prove it. The Indiana Jones movies in particular helped Ford get his lumps.
Tom Cruise
As one of the most recognizable and highly-paid action stars in the world, Tom Cruise movies have an interest in keeping him from getting injured. Too bad, because Tom Cruise does all his own stunts. All of them. A lot of people see him as the standard for big-time action stars that eschew stuntmen.
Even back in the eighties with films like Risky Business and Top Gun, he was doing it all. His recent movies, including the Mission: Impossible series, have crazier and crazier stunts, and Cruise continues to do them all, which add to the realism and high-quality of the movies.