There’s something inherently cool about seeing an action sequence and knowing the actor isn’t being replaced by a stunt double. No CGI shortcuts, no trick cuts—just raw guts and ability. These actors risk their lives to get the action to look real, and that’s why they’re legends. Here’s a top 15 countdown of actors who perform their own stunts—and show that they’re the true action stars of Hollywood.
15. Tom Holland
Before taking on the Spider-Man role, Holland was already an acrobat, flipping and tumoring on stage in London. That athletic foundation made him ideal for Marvel’s wall-crawler. In Spider-Man: Far From Home and Uncharted, much of the crazy jumping and spinning is all Holland himself, making him a place on the list of one of today’s most unexpected stunt-laden stars.
14. Christian Bale
Bale is renowned for diving headlong into every performance. To play The Dark Knight trilogy, he not only bulked up into a superhero physique but also insisted on performing many of Batman’s fight scenes and even stood at the top of the Sears Tower in Chicago. Commitment, such as is why Bale’s stunt work feels so real.
13. Jason Statham
No surprise that Statham seems so comfortable in action flicks—he was an avid competitive diver for Britain. From Crank to The Expendables to The Meg, he’s always insisted on doing it himself. That self-reliant ethic has made him one of the most believable action stars currently working.
12. Jeremy Renner
Renner’s career is packed with action-packed performances, and he attacks them head-on. In The Bourne Legacy and Mission: Impossible – Fallout, he performed his own stunt sequences on motorcycles or snowmobiles. He even broke both arms shooting Tag—a comedy—and still powered through. Talk about commitment.
11. Michelle Yeoh
Michelle Yeoh not only acts in action films but also helps shape them. Her off-the-charts stunts in Police Story 3: Supercop with Jackie Chan remain legendary. Without a doubt, Yeoh’s combination of refinement and brutality ranks her as one of the greatest action actors ever.
10. Daniel Craig
Daniel Craig’s Bond was not only cool—he was battered and bruised. Craig did much of his own stunts throughout the 007 franchise, from vicious hand-to-hand battles to death-defying leaps. The cost was real: he emerged with injuries that necessitated several surgeries. But he never let up, escalating the stakes.
9. Charlize Theron
Theron plunged headfirst into stunt work on Aeon Flux, Atomic Blonde, and The Old Guard. She trained with trainers from Cirque du Soleil and almost broke her neck on the set, but never took a step back. Her persistence redefined how audiences perceive women in action films: fierce, fearless, and totally in charge.
8. Angelina Jolie
From Tomb Raider to Salt, Jolie performed nearly all her own stunts, her coordinator having explained at one point she did “about 99%” of them herself. She’s rolled off bridges, battled through ruthless choreography, and pushed the limits of what many actors would pass on to doubles. Jolie’s athleticism and bravery make her stand out.
7. Harrison Ford
Ford has been exposing himself to danger since the ’80s. Whether it’s lashing out as Indiana Jones, flying the Millennium Falcon, or escaping from replicants in Blade Runner, he’s always tried to be right in the middle of things. Even in his eighties, Ford was still doing stunts for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.
6. Keanu Reeves
The Matrix and John Wick simply wouldn’t exist as they do without Reeves performing his own stunts. He’s worked relentlessly at martial arts training, weapons training, and driving training, and even performed the crazy car stunts in John Wick 4. Reeves’ commitment has set the bar on what modern action looks like.
5. Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan doesn’t merely perform his own stunts—he’s made a career out of how stunts can be reimagined. From Drunken Master to Police Story, his death-defying stunts got him loads of injuries but also an iconic reputation. Each crazy stunt sequence he’s performed is part of film history.
4. Tom Cruise
No one takes risks like Cruise. Whether he’s hanging off the Burj Khalifa, flying helicopters, or riding a motorbike off a cliff in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, he wants to do it himself. His level of risk-taking is unparalleled, and that’s why his movies are so thrilling.
3. Matt Damon
As Jason Bourne, Damon’s action credentials were built upon his own physical preparation. He learned martial arts, firearms, and combat choreography, doing thousands of grounded stunts himself-even if it involved leaping off bridges onto yachts. Damon is not necessarily the flashiest of the bunch on this list, but his dedication makes the Bourne films unforgettable.
2. Gal Gadot
Gadot uses her dance and Israeli military drill background to inform her stunt performance. For Wonder Woman, she went through a rigorous physical training regimen and did much of her own action sequences, in spite of surgery and injury. Her athleticism and accuracy are apparent in each of the combat scenes.
1. Buster Keaton
Well before the days of modern safety equipment, Keaton was performing stunts that still take our breath away today. His silent classics included him risking death for comedic effect—such as standing stock still while a whole house facade tumbled around him in Steamboat Bill Jr. Keaton raised the standard for all who followed.
These actors don’t just play tough—their tough. The next time you’re watching some adrenaline-fueled action scene, take note: sometimes the scariest thing on screen isn’t the bad guy, it’s the actor who will not let someone else get in the way of the glory.