How to Become a Stunt Double

BTS of “Cobra Kai” Credit: Curtis Bonds Baker/Netflix

A stunt double is hired to perform stunts on behalf of an actor, rather than the actor doing it themselves. A stunt double usually looks enough like the actor that the swap isn’t obvious to viewers in the final product. Sometimes the term “stuntperson” is used as a catchall term to refer to both the job of a stunt double and stunt performer—even though they are technically two different positions: 

• A stuntperson is hired as an actor themselves. 
• A stunt double is hired to perform a stunt on behalf of another actor. 

Here’s another important distinction: Stunt doubles are not the same thing as stand-ins. A stand-in resembles a specific actor in stature and coloring and will stand on their mark while the shot and lighting are being set up. (That way, the actor can prepare for the scene elsewhere.) Stand-ins do not perform stunt work.

A capable stunt performer must be both a movement professional and an actor. 

A movement professional

A stuntperson is a unique type of storyteller and must be able to move the narrative of the piece forward through action. Their stunts must be believable and lifelike, which is why it’s so important to think of a stunt performer as a movement professional. 

An actor

“Stunt performers are absolutely actors,” says Luci Romberg, Melissa McCarthy’s stunt double on films such as “Spy” and “The Boss.” “We have to embody that character, we have to become the character of the person we’re doubling or it doesn’t work,” says Romberg. “Anyone can fall down the stairs, but it’s up to the stunt performer to be able to do it over and over again consistently and make it look as gnarly and out of control as it can be.”

Like an actor, a stuntperson might be on set anywhere from eight to 20 hours at a time. Only a small portion of that time will involve filming—the rest of the day will be taken up by things such as hair, makeup, wardrobe, warming up, waiting around, rehearsals, and discussing the stunt with fellow stunt performers, the stunt coordinator, and possibly even the director.

There is one key difference between stunt performers and actors, however: A stuntperson’s face should not be clearly visible in a shot. Once it is, they might be ineligible for work on the rest of the TV season or film shoot due to the importance of continuity in the production. In industry speak, it’s called “being burned”—and you’ll want to avoid it so that you can be hired for as much work as possible on each project.

“John Wick: Chapter 4” Courtesy Lionsgate

A stuntman executes a specific set of physical skills needed for a film, TV, or theater project—essentially, stuntmen and stuntwomen are movement professionals. A stuntperson will often need to utilize the following stunt skills, among others:

• Stage combat
• Sword work
• Falls
• Gymnastics
• Horseback riding
• Vehicle maneuvering (cars, motorcycles, helicopters, and more)

“When I go to work, I light myself on fire, I jump through glass windows, hang from helicopters, and get blasted by cars,” says Romberg. “I describe my best day at work as going home in one piece.”

While the work can be grueling, it’s worth it to create the astonishing scenes that go down in theatrical, television, and motion picture history. (Think of the jump off the dam in “GoldenEye,” the chariot race in “Ben-Hur,” or the car chases in “Starsky and Hutch.”)

BTS of “Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One” Courtesy Paramount Pictures

A stunt performer needs to learn a wide range of skills through stunt training. They also need stamina, a go-getter mindset, and the physical capacity of a professional athlete—while also being emotionally and intellectually prepared to fulfill the acting part of the job.

To be a stuntperson, you constantly need to be training and honing your craft. Here are some suggestions from the pros on how to develop your career:

1. Start stunt training at the gym—and stick to a consistent routine

You must commit to being in top shape, both to perform at a high level and to ensure your own safety on set. Training at gyms is also a big part of how to network and make connections in the industry. In addition to training at a regular gym, stuntwoman Jessica Erin Bennett, known for her work on “The Walking Dead,” “Making History,” and “Chicago P.D.,” suggests parkour gyms as a great avenue into developing stunt skills. 

2. Learn stunt techniques

Many veteran stunt workers say it’s best to begin your stunt training with classes that teach you the basics of fighting. Adrian McGaw (“Snatch,” “Mad Max: Fury Road”) says that “a good foundation is boxing or martial arts. The majority of stunt work revolves around fighting and training with actors and bringing their skills up to a level where they can do it for themselves.” Train up on techniques including:

• Fighting
• Falling
• Horseback riding
• Driving
• Agility and strength
• Water skills
• Sports

3. Become proficient in a specialized skill

Most stunt performers have an area of expertise. Los Angeles stuntwoman Maddy Curley (“Stick It,” “Chalk It Up,” “Starting From Scratch”) says that specific fighting techniques such as weapons training, being able to shoot a gun, and knowing how to make it look like you’ve been shot by a gun believably are all invaluable skills to acquire as a stuntperson. Curley has 20 years of gymnastics under her belt, so she is often called on for gymnastics and tumbling stunts. However, she has also regularly done CrossFit training, sword training, and stunt fighting, which allow her to work in multiple facets of the industry. 

4. Hit the books (in addition to the punching bag)

Bennett is a strong believer in doing your homework, and she recommends checking out books such as “Stuntwomen: The Untold Hollywood Story” by Mollie Gregory, “The Full Burn” by Kevin Conley, “Action Movie Maker’s Handbook” by Andy Armstrong, and “Stunts: The How-To Handbook” by Angela Meryl. Bennett also recommends watching classic movies with famous stunts to better understand how stunts are done and to know the background of well-known stunts when they are referred to on a job.

5. Round out your skillset

Becoming an expert in one or two areas is key to finding specific jobs, but Bennett advises rounding out your proficiency in other arenas to make you more employable overall. She also believes in the helpfulness of acting training, movement classes, Viewpoints instruction, and fighting-for-the-camera lessons.

As stuntman Gregg Sargeant notes, “It’s a big commitment in a very specialized field, a lifelong pursuit of physical and mental action and intelligence that needs to be mastered. We may be ‘actors,’ but we are also athletes of a special kind.”

BTS of “The Dark Knight Rises” Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures

To start a career as a stuntman, you need to train hard and develop relationships with industry professionals who can recommend you for future jobs. “Everyone gets into stunt work differently,” says Romberg. 

1. Establish your physical skills

The starting point for most working stunt performers is the same: an established set of physical skills. Take Haaron Hines (“Rampage,” “Luke Cage”), who was working full-time as a research analyst. On a whim, he applied to a Backstage casting call for “The Dark Knight Rises”—and landed the job based on his background in martial arts and weapons training. Or take J.R. Seay, who worked as a PA, camera assistant, and lighting assistant before getting work as a stunt double on “Woodlawn” and “Necessary Roughness” thanks to his background as an arena football player. 

2. Prepare your materials

Prepare your headshot, résumé, and stunt reel—even if you haven’t yet worked for a feature production, record your best stunts and condense them into a one- to two-minute video compilation. 

3.Network

To break into stunt work, you’ll also need to network. Eddie Braun, a famous stuntman who successfully performed Evel Knievel’s legendary jump over Snake River Canyon, emphasizes the importance of people skills for those looking to start a career as a stuntman. As a stunt coordinator, he hires a lot of people—and he “hires their manners and people skills,” too.

• Gyms: Figure out which gyms are popular with stuntpeople and start building relationships. Curley’s favorite training gyms in L.A. include VCF Athletics and JAM Gym; Bennett recommends Tempest Academy.
• Stunt training centers: The Stunt Performers Academy, Swordplay L.A., L.A. Stunts Training Center, and the International Stunt School are great places to meet the right people—and to sharpen your skills. 

4. Start as a body double

Some of the best gigs a stunt performer can get are those in which they double for lead actors, especially if that actor gets work on a lot of different projects or has a long-running TV show. “[The] dream is to double someone you work with all the time,” Curley says. If an actor has a good relationship with their stunt double, the actor can have it written into future contracts that all stunt work must be performed by their stunt double. James Franco is open about his friendship with his go-to stunt double, Pat Millin. Brie Larson brought her two “Captain Marvel” stunt doubles onstage to accept her MTV Movie & TV Award for Best Fight. Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” is, in part, an ode to the career-spanning relationship between an actor and his stunt double.

5. Apply to stunt jobs

Look for jobs as a stuntperson on:

• Casting databases: Use our comprehensive casting database to find jobs performing stunts. Other job boards such as ProductionHUB, MediaMatch, Staff Me Up, and EntertainmentCareers.net all host job postings for stunt needs.
• Job boards: You can also try non-entertainment industry job boards like LinkedIn, Indeed, and Job Monkey—though still performance-based, many stunt jobs are with amusement and theme parks and camps.

_EG_/Shutterstock

You don’t need to join a union to get stunt work, but doing so can help you get better jobs, pay, and benefits. Just as there are union and nonunion film sets—and, therefore, union and nonunion actors—there are also union and nonunion stunt performers. Since stunt performers are covered by SAG-AFTRA, the same rules apply: If you are a union stunt member, you cannot work a nonunion job, and vice versa (unless you are hired under a waiver or are joining SAG-AFTRA through the job).

Bennett did a lot of nonunion work before she earned her union card. She says these projects can be a great place to cut your teeth, learn the ropes, and gain experience: “Sometimes that’s where the most awesome things are. [It’s] very, very rewarding.” That said, there are obvious benefits to union stunt jobs: They typically pay more and will usually be a part of larger projects.

“Deadpool 2” Courtesy 20th Century Fox

Whether it is a bad bruise, broken bone, critical injury, or even death, there are occupational risks associated with being a stunt performer—even for trained professionals who take safety seriously. “As stunt actors, we’re the only members of the moviemaking process who can die doing what we do,” Sargeant says. 

Stunt-related deaths include Joi Harris on the set of “Deadpool 2” in a motorcycle accident, as well as John Bernecker on the set of “The Walking Dead,” who fell 21 feet onto concrete below. Both accidents happened in 2017. In 2009, David Holmes, Daniel Radcliffe’s stunt double, was thrown backward into a wall during a wire gag on “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” and left tetraplegic.

Due to the dangerous nature of the work, safety should be a top priority of any project. This is typically achieved through a system of checks and balances and constant communication with the stunt coordinator, the person in charge of the overall action onstage or on set. They are constantly working with the other departments to make sure the action serves the overall story of the project, while also ensuring the safety of each individual stunt. But safety should be a collective effort, says Braun. “Rely on everyone’s input. No one person is the ‘stunt god,’ ” he notes. Bennett, meanwhile, urges individual responsibility. “At the end of the day, you are responsible for your own safety. If you aren’t sure, you need to do more homework.”

Additionally, SAG-AFTRA has many safety protocols—not just for stuntpeople, but for all union members. Look out for your own safety on set, as well as that of those around you. Speak up and notify the stunt coordinator, director, or SAG-AFTRA if there is anything that does not sit well with you.

Steve Lagreca/Shutterstock

According to Zip Recruiter, stunt performers earn an average of $69,442 annually (though the range goes from $17,000 to six figures). 

Stunt performers who are represented by SAG-AFTRA are guaranteed a minimum rate for their work on union productions. Currently, union stunt people make $4,034 per week on a scale union production and are eligible for residuals and stunt adjustment pay based on the difficulty of the stunt performed. On the other end of the spectrum are stunt performers working in live shows—like those at theme parks—who might earn around $18/hour.

“Supercop” Courtesy Dimension Films

Being a stunt performer is a lot like being a professional athlete—it’s an intensely physical job that wears your body out over time. Many stuntmen “age out” of the career because their body simply can’t handle it anymore.

“The older you get, the harder it is to recover from the big hits,” says Emmy-winning stunt coordinator Cort Hessler (“The Blacklist,” “Sneaky Pete”). 

Or, as veteran stunt performer Braun puts it, “You never retire, the business retires you. However, if you play your cards right, you can do stunts well into your middle age and early senior years, though which types of stunts you do may change over time.”

Stuntpeople tend to transition to other areas of the industry as they get older. The most logical move is to stunt coordination, which oversees all stunts on a project from the hiring of talent and performers to deciding the best way to execute them. Other options include producing, stunt directing, acting, rigging, opening up a shop related to the industry, or continuing to work as a consultant.

Before co-directing the stunt-heavy film “John Wick” and then acting as sole director for its sequels, Chad Stahelski got his start as a stuntman on movies like “The Crow” and "The Matrix." Jackie Chan, Burt Reynolds, and Chuck Norris are just a few famous examples of stunt professionals who have transitioned to acting—which is not surprising, considering you must be a trained actor and storyteller to be a successful stunt performer. 

Braun summarizes the profession eloquently: “Stunts, show business—you’re going to take hits. Can you get up and take another hit and another hit and another hit? If it doesn’t knock you out completely, you’ll be successful. Go back to your heart. You’ll succeed.”