Action Heroines Who Do (Most of) Their Own Stunts

Some actors let the stunt team take the heavy hits, but a surprising number of action heroines step into the danger zone themselves. These performers train for months, learn complex fight choreography, and repeat intense sequences until the camera catches every clean move. They still work with doubles for high risk moments, yet they insist on doing most of the physical work so the action looks authentic and the edits stay tight.

Below are twenty five women who regularly put in the sweat on set. You will find the kinds of stunts they perform, the training they take on, and the specific scenes where they did the work. The goal here is to highlight practical details rather than backstage hype so you can see how much preparation goes into the action you watch.

Michelle Yeoh

Michelle Yeoh came up through Hong Kong action cinema where actors were expected to perform their own fights and falls. She executed motorcycle and car work in films like ‘Police Story 3 Supercop’ and performed wire work and weapon sequences across projects such as ‘Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon’. She has also handled acrobatic hand to hand exchanges and roof level jumps under minimal camera trickery.

Her preparation often includes traditional martial arts drills combined with modern stunt rehearsal on padded floors with progressive height training. She sustained serious injuries during ‘The Stunt Woman’ and returned after recovery with the same approach to practical action, which shows how her method relies on repetition, precision, and close coordination with the stunt team rather than digital shortcuts.

Charlize Theron

Charlize Theron completed extensive fight training for ‘Atomic Blonde’ and performed long takes that required maintaining clean technique through stairs, corridors, and tight rooms. She also completed practical driving and close quarters sequences for ‘Mad Max Fury Road’ and other action films where the camera stayed near the performers.

Her regimen included daily striking basics, grappling entries, and weapons handling along with strength work to move opponents safely. She continued to perform the majority of her fights on set, often rehearsing sections as dance counts, which allowed the crew to shoot longer takes and minimize reliance on fast cutting.

Angelina Jolie

Angelina Jolie performed a large portion of her fights, chases, and wire assisted moves in ‘Salt’ and staged vertical movement with controlled descents on rigs. Earlier, she trained climbing, weapons handling, and tumbling for ‘Lara Croft Tomb Raider’ and completed water work and vehicle sequences under supervision.

She prepares with technical instruction in the exact skills required for each set piece so her body mechanics match the character. Production teams built rehearsal spaces that mirrored set dimensions, which let her repeat transitions from strike to breakaway glass to movement through gaps until the camera could run the entire beat without a hidden switch.

Scarlett Johansson

Scarlett Johansson trained in judo style throws, joint locks, and acrobatic entries for her work as Natasha Romanoff in films like ‘The Avengers’ and ‘Black Widow’. She performed many takedowns and chain combinations herself, using wraps and mats during rehearsal before shooting on hard surfaces dressed for the scene.

Her process centered on grip fighting and momentum based throws that read clearly on camera. She practiced with stunt partners of different sizes to nail timing for sweeps and standing armbars, which allowed the team to capture full body shots that kept her face visible and reduced the need for insert doubles.

Zoe Saldaña

Zoe Saldana handled parkour influenced movement and weapon work in ‘Colombiana’ and combined dance conditioned footwork with knife and pistol transitions. For ‘Avatar’ she trained endurance and rhythm for extended physical performance capture, which still demanded fight beats and aerial cues even with digital characters.

She typically rehearses on mock builds that match the final set, then adds environmental elements like narrow railings and ledges. By layering speed only after clean accuracy, she can carry longer sections without a cut, which keeps continuity strong when the camera circles her during fights and climbs.

Gal Gadot

Gal Gadot trained sword, shield, and lasso choreography for ‘Wonder Woman’ and learned horse riding for mounted action. She completed a significant portion of her fights and foot chases on the ground while leaving extreme falls and heavy wire gags to her doubles for safety.

Her preparation included interval conditioning to manage repeated takes in the armor and boots. She drilled weapon patterns with metronome counts so take two and take ten looked identical, which made it easier to combine angles in the edit and preserve the physical continuity of each move.

Rebecca Ferguson

Rebecca Ferguson performed a large share of her close combat and chase beats in the ‘Mission Impossible’ series, including precision kicks, grappling ties, and fast mount dismount moves on bikes. She also trained underwater breath control for extended submerged sequences and practiced with escape rigs.

Her approach favors balance and posture work so the camera can hold on wider frames without losing form. She rehearsed with fight choreographers to string together counters that match her character background, then repeated them at ascending speed until she could deliver the same sequence across multiple setups in a day.

Emily Blunt

Emily Blunt wore a heavy exosuit for ‘Edge of Tomorrow’ and performed running, sliding, and striking combinations while maintaining frame lines for the armor. She conducted weapons training to support live action reloads and transitions that the camera could capture in one pass.

She strengthened stabilizers to handle the suit load and drilled landings to protect knees and ankles during repeated takes. Her practice focused on clean foot placement and breath control, which let the crew shoot longer sections without fatigue breaking the performance.

Jennifer Lawrence

Jennifer Lawrence trained archery for ‘The Hunger Games’ under an Olympic level coach so her draw and release mechanics would stand up in close up. She also rehearsed sprints, climbs, and falls that she performed on set within the limits set by the safety team.

Her archery work emphasized consistent anchor points and follow through, which allowed editors to intercut shots from different angles without mismatches. For survival movement she drilled obstacle courses that mirrored forest set layouts, which helped her carry a full run across uneven ground while staying in focus.

Daisy Ridley

Daisy Ridley trained staff and sword fundamentals for ‘Star Wars’ and performed many of Rey’s strikes, parries, and steps in the throne room and island sequences. She rehearsed with partners to establish safe distances and camera friendly angles for blade work.

Her plan centered on footwork grids taped on rehearsal floors that matched the set, then she transferred patterns to the actual location. By keeping her gaze and posture steady through each beat, she enabled the camera to linger on medium shots that clearly show her executing the technique.

Karen Gillan

Karen Gillan performed extended fight combinations in ‘Jumanji Welcome to the Jungle’ and continued with similar work in sequels. She also completed hand to hand exchanges and staff work as Nebula in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ with her prosthetics in place.

Her training emphasized flexibility and kick accuracy so the lens could stay wide and preserve the illusion of contact. She practiced costume specific adjustments, including learning to strike and roll while managing limited vision and restricted shoulder movement so the action remained clean in full makeup.

Ming-Na Wen

Ming Na Wen executed a high volume of screen fights across ‘Agents of S H I E L D’ and performed many of her own combinations and takedowns. She trained striking and joint lock basics alongside regular conditioning to handle long shooting days.

Her setup relied on consistent cueing with stunt partners so complex exchanges could run in one take. She adapted choreography to match surfaces like metal grates or concrete floors, which reduced slip risk and delivered repeatable timing for multi camera coverage.

Hailee Steinfeld

Hailee Steinfeld trained archery and acrobatics for ‘Hawkeye’ and performed vaults, slides, and close range strikes during daylight street chases and interior sequences. She also learned how to fall and recover quickly while keeping eyelines for dialogue mid action.

Her program combined mobility work with grip strength so she could handle rope moves and ledge hangs. She drilled step by step falls from low height to higher pads, then transferred the timing to the dressed set so the sound and dust hits landed on the correct frame.

Uma Thurman

Uma Thurman performed extensive sword and striking work in ‘Kill Bill’ after months of training in multiple styles. She also drove practical car shots that required careful speed control for camera placements.

Her prep included blade handling drills with aluminum and wood trainers before stepping to sharp props that were still dulled for safety. She ran choreography in shoes and in socks to adapt traction, which helped her maintain balance on polished floors while the camera circled long exchanges.

Michelle Rodriguez

Michelle Rodriguez is known for performing a large share of her driving and fight work in the ‘Fast and Furious’ series. She trained boxing and grappling basics and learned performance driving under supervision to handle slides and controlled near misses.

She practiced gear changes and braking patterns to keep continuity across takes and to match engine notes recorded for the scene. For fights she focused on heavy contact to body pads and clear lines to the lens so strikes read convincingly while protecting partners.

Milla Jovovich

Milla Jovovich performed weapon handling, wire assisted kicks, and tumbling across the ‘Resident Evil’ films. She often trained with the stunt team to link gun transitions with close quarters combat without cutting.

Her work relied on muscle memory from repeated patterns so the camera could track her across rooms as she moved from firearm to melee. She integrated harness rehearsals to control rotations during slow motion shots, which kept her face visible and minimized the need for replacement angles.

Maggie Q

Maggie Q carried a weekly load of screen fights and chase sequences in ‘Nikita’ and performed much of the work herself. She also completed striking and acrobatic beats in ‘Live Free or Die Hard’ and delivered clean contact with breakaway props.

Her training emphasizes economy of motion and safe targeting, which lets her execute long strings at high speed. She maintains conditioning that supports multiple takes without form breakdown, then adjusts choreography to account for wardrobe limits like heels or tight jackets.

Kate Beckinsale

Kate Beckinsale performed wire work, sword exchanges, and pistol based choreography in the ‘Underworld’ series. She trained to land quietly after wire assisted drops so microphones could capture dialogue cues without noise spikes.

She rehearsed reload timings and magazine swaps to match camera position, which allowed editors to hold wider frames. Her stunt preparation included repeated wall runs and knee friendly landings so she could perform the same movement across different set builds.

Ruby Rose

Ruby Rose executed fights, falls, and water work in projects like ‘xXx Return of Xander Cage’ and ‘John Wick Chapter 2’. She also did significant stunt work on television and sustained injuries that required medical treatment, which is common in productions that push practical action.

Her approach uses short burst rehearsals that build into full run throughs, which helps maintain sharpness for complex sequences. She trains grip and forearm strength for climbing moves and weapon retention, then tests choreography in costume to verify range of motion before the camera rolls.

Halle Berry

Halle Berry trained intensively for ‘John Wick Chapter 3 Parabellum’ with striking, grappling, and live fire range work to support realistic reloads and transitions. She also completed dog handling drills so she could coordinate movement with trained animals during high speed fights.

Her preparation included conditioning for repeated sprint and stop patterns on hard surfaces. She rehearsed with the canine team to set precise timing marks, which allowed the action crew to capture long takes without cutting away from her during complex interactions.

Gwendoline Christie

Gwendoline Christie trained sword work and footwork for Brienne of Tarth in ‘Game of Thrones’ and performed many duel sequences while wearing heavy armor. She learned to generate power from hips and shoulders so strikes read on camera through the plate and mail.

She rehearsed in full costume to manage range limits and weight, then transferred learned patterns to outdoor sets with uneven ground. Her work with stunt coordinators emphasized safety spacing and clear eyelines, which kept blades visible and preserved the story beats in each exchange.

Jessica Henwick

Jessica Henwick performed a significant portion of her fights in ‘Iron Fist’ and continued action heavy roles in projects like ‘The Matrix Resurrections’. She trained striking and weapon forms and integrated wire work for aerial beats.

Her process focuses on consistency across takes so movements can be matched from multiple angles. She builds sequences as short phrases that connect into longer sentences, which lets the camera stay close to her face while the action runs without a double.

Sofia Boutella

Sofia Boutella brought a dancer’s control to blade and kick work in ‘Kingsman The Secret Service’ and continued with complex choreography in ‘Atomic Blonde’ and ‘The Mummy’. She performed many of her own spins, sweeps, and flips with careful spacing to protect partners.

Her preparation leans on rhythm training and core stability so she can change direction quickly while staying centered for the lens. She rehearses transitions between kicks and weapon draws until the movement looks seamless, which supports longer takes and fewer hidden cuts.

Gina Carano

Gina Carano performed her own fights in ‘Haywire’ and executed throws, chokes, and heavy strikes drawn from her competition background. She continued practical action on television with grappling based takedowns and weapon retention moves.

Her method uses real pressure with pads in rehearsal to calibrate distance and speed. She repeats entries and exits with camera lines in mind so the impact sells while her face remains visible, which reduces the need for a switch to a double during key beats.

Ronda Rousey

Ronda Rousey brought judo entries and clinch throws to ‘Furious 7’ and carried that physical style into later roles. She performed a large share of her own fights and trained to adjust competitive technique to screen safe targets.

Her preparation focused on adapting grips and rotation so partners land safely on hidden pads while the throw looks high amplitude. She also practiced footwork that keeps the action square to the lens, which helps the editor hold on a shot without masking the performer.

Share the action heroines you would add to this list in the comments and tell us the scenes where you saw them do the work.