Stunt performer is up there with the likes of lion tamer, fighter pilot, and survival guide in the upper ranks of cool-sounding, heart-pounding jobs. It comes with the glamour of working behind the scenes with A-list actors and the exhilaration of performing potentially dangerous acts on camera. But making it to stunt-artist status is much easier said than done. Here’s a peek at life inside the protective gear.
A stunt performer – also known as a stuntman, stuntwoman, stunt artist, or stunt double – stands in for actors whenever a script calls for something either potentially dangerous, such as falling down a set of stairs, or specialised, such as rock climbing.
You may perform tightly choreographed fights, ride a motorcycle off a bridge, or do something relatively mundane-looking but technically challenging.
“Stunt work isn’t always James Bond,” veteran stunt performer Brian Robinson (Bulletproof, Bounty Hunters) told the British Action Academy. “If they need a grey-haired guy falling over on Eastenders, I’m a grey-haired guy and if they wanted me on Eastenders, I’d fall over there.”
Stunt performers work under the supervision of a stunt coordinator to study the script and plan each stunt, and then practise and rehearse everything before filming. No detail is too small, and you’ll need to carry out full risk assessments and complete plenty of paperwork for each job.
“Before filming ever starts, we’ll be rehearsing for probably a couple of months,” Rick English (The Batman, The Running Man) told the BBC. “Day to day as a stunt performer, you’d use a variety of protective equipment, including a full set of body pads, fire suits, wetsuits, and various things, just to keep you safe.”
Like the actors they stand in for, stunt performers also need to go through hair, makeup, and costume fittings to ensure that they look the part.
Working hours are often long and antisocial, with plenty of waiting around in what may be uncomfortable conditions. Adverts may take only a couple of days, whereas feature films can last months.
“It’s a demanding profession, but I love it and feel very lucky that I’m getting to do something I’m passionate about,” Bobby Holland Hanton (Thor: The Dark World, The Dark Knight Rises) told Business Insider.
Stunt performers are usually freelancers who work on a contract basis. Fees are usually higher for feature films than television or commercial jobs, and averages can be tricky to assess given the degrees of specialisation and experience involved.
In 2024, the Pact Equity TV Agreement recommended a minimum daily fee between £308.32 and £496.50 and a minimum weekly fee between £1,420 and £1,985.50.
Gig Exchange gives an average annual salary of £40,000 to £80,000, while Salary Expert estimates an average annual salary of £25,396 for beginners that climbs to £41,257 for senior stunt performers (with eight or more years of experience).
1. Consider your current experience.
Stunt work is hard to just fall into (pun intended). Many enter the industry through existing experience and qualifications, such as:
- Bobby Holland Hanton (Inception, Skyfall): National-level gymnast, semipro footballer, and high-diving performer.
- Brian Robinson (Bulletproof, Bounty Hunters): Commercial diver and qualified martial artist.
- Katie McDonnell (Star Wars, Eternals): Professional parkour athlete, former competitive cheerleader and gymnast.
- Martin Ivanov (Jason Bourne series, James Bond series): Former rally and F1 driver.
- Gemita Samarra (Fast & Furious 6, Spectre): Professional showjumper and synchronised swimmer.
Previous high-level experience isn’t a must, but start by considering whether any former hobbies or qualifications could provide foundational skills.
2. Get fit.
Exceptional fitness is essential for performing stunts safely, hour after hour, for weeks or months at a time – and looking the part can be equally important. As Chris Hemsworth’s stunt double, Hanton must “start getting big [and] keep in top shape to keep up” with his famously well-sculpted lead, he told Business Insider.
“We train multiple times a day,” he says of his routine. “I eat strict meals that are high in protein, have a high intake of good fats and good carbs, with one cheat day every Sunday.”
Hit the gym in earnest with a focus on functional strength, mobility, and cardio. For reference, Canadian stuntman Alain Moussi, who’s doubled for Hugh Jackman and Henry Cavill, starts with light cardio, intervals, foam rolling, and mobility drills, and then moves to Olympic lifts, compound exercises, and a body-weight circuit.
3. Train in stunt performance.
There’s no single qualification for stunt artists, and many doing the work enter through their specialism, such as gymnastics or motorbiking. But everyone requires a broad foundation of skills.
“You kind of have to be able to do a little bit of everything,” McDonnell said on the Strength With G YouTube show. “If you’re going to be a stunt performer, you kind of need to know how to do some fighting…even if you don’t have a martial arts background.”
B.L.A.S.T. (British Live Action Stunt Training) from the British Action Academy should be your first choice. It has trained 75% of the British Stunt Register’s new intake over a two- to three-year period, providing theory and performance training in areas such as fight techniques and reactions; falling and tumbling; bike crashes; hitting marks and moving objects; box rig and airbag construction and testing; falling from height; ropes, bungees, and quick-release systems; and working in pairs and teams.
You’ll even get some content for your showreel (a digital CV that shows highlights from your work) since stunts are professionally filmed in 4K.
Further training options include:
And don’t discount the acting side. Stunt performers must learn to move like the actors they stand in for, so taking acting classes or looking into more long-term training for newbie actors can be surprisingly useful.
4. Gain practical experience.
On-set experience of any kind grants a valuable inside look at how films and shows are made. Seek out background or, preferably, skilled supporting artist roles. Dubbed “a halfway house between supporting artists (extras) and fully fledged stunt performers” by Extra People, they perform action in a background capacity, such as populating crowded battle scenes.
To get onto the stunt register, you need 60 days of on-set work. “When you do it as a skilled supporting artist, you get so much more experience and get to see so much more going on,” Robinson says.
Check casting websites and job boards, enquire with background agencies, and keep your ear to the ground on set in case additional skilled supporting roles crop up.
5. Consider joining the British Stunt Register.
Joining the British Stunt Register isn’t quick, easy, or even strictly necessary, but it can give your career a huge boost. English spent four years training before being accepted, but the achievement opened many more doors and enabled him to “work on over 100 films since.”
You’ll need to be qualified in at least six disciplines to “the equivalent of a black belt for a martial art,” with groups including:
- Fighting (compulsory), such as martial arts or boxing
- Falling, such as trampolining or high diving
- Riding and driving, such as with horses or cars
- Strength and agility, such as rock climbing or parkour
- Water, such as diving or swimming
They also require experience in front of the camera, so apply to open casting calls for work in front of the lens.
6. Network.
Professional stunt performance is a relatively small, tight-knit world. McDonnell says much work comes through word of mouth “once you’re in the industry and you’ve worked with other stunt performers and stunt coordinators,” so get building those connections. When you book a job, be professional, arrive on time, and stay in touch once you’ve wrapped.
“[Go] along to places where stunt performers are training, like open gymnastics sessions, things like that,” McDonnell says. “It’s really good to just try and meet and train with other stunt performers. I know there are lots of groups online, like Facebook groups for stunt trainees who then…meet up and put fight scenes together.”
7. Never stop developing.
One theme runs conspicuously through this article: Being a stunt performer is very demanding. That never really lets up. You can always be training in new areas and honing your skills. Sure, you’re fantastic working with a sword, but how about horseback riding or precision driving? You never know when having such expertise in your back pocket will pay off.
“Train hard, gain skills, improve them, and constantly add to them throughout your career,” Paul Howell (Game of Thrones, Peaky Blinders, Wonder Woman) told Source magazine. “If it’s your dream, don’t give up on it. Go for it and make it happen.”