Hollywood's high-flying Kiwi stunt doubles
High-flying Kiwis are making a name for themselves in the global movie industry - coupling daredevil talent with a passion for action.
Two of the world’s most famous stunt doubles - actress and stuntwoman Zoe Bell, and award-winning stuntman Ben Cooke, who doubles for Daniel Craig in the 007 films - call New Zealand home.
Auckland-based stunt double Isaac Hamon worked along with fellow Kiwis Robert ‘Bomber’ Young and Tony Marsh on the Oscar-winning 2009 movie The Hurt Locker.
Hamon, who doubled for A-list actors Ralph Fiennes, Guy Pearce and Jeremy Renner in the film, said Kiwis were definitely making waves in the stunt industry.
"There is some talent from New Zealand out there that is just working on every major production. It’s crazy because even if Avatar had won [an Oscar], all the New Zealand stunties were in that as well," Hamon said.
Licensed to thrill - Ben Cooke
Considered New Zealand’s top stuntman and one of the best in the world, Ben Cooke has been the stunt double for some of Hollywood’s biggest names. Most recently, he spent six months working as the fight choreographer and stunt double for Jake Gyllenhaal in Prince of Persia.
British-born but New Zealand-raised, Cooke has homes in London and Auckland and returns to visit his family at least once a year.
He has worked on Hollywood blockbusters such as Batman Begins, Indiana Jones, Harry Potter, Robin Hood and as Hayden Christensen’s double in Star Wars III.
Cooke was enrolled into a martial arts course when he was eight, and hasn’t looked back since. His parents Brian and Lesley Cooke still live in Auckland, where he was raised and educated.
Cooke won a coveted Taurus World Stunt Award for ‘best high work’ for a daredevil move in Bond movie Casino Royale - taking a death-defying jump between two cranes as Daniel Craig’s stunt double. Craig gave Cooke a watch inscribed with a thank-you message for performing the stunt.
Bell of the belles - Zoe Bell
Actress and stuntwoman Zoe Bell - daughter of a doctor and a nurse - was just a regular sporty Kiwi girl while growing up in Waiheke Island, in Auckland’s Hauraki Gulf. During her high school years, she competed in gymnastics, did high diving, scuba diving, track and field, dance and taekwondo.
Zoe Bell landed her first stunt job on the set of long-running New Zealand TV soap Shortland Street, before doing stunts in Hercules and Xena - she was stunt double for Lucy Lawless in the fourth season of Xena.
Bell came to the attention of Hollywood director Quentin Tarantino while filming the Kill Bill trilogy, where she worked as Uma Thurman’s fight scene double. Tarantino was impressed by Bell’s work, casting her in a leading role in Death Proof, where she also performed her own stunts.
She has also appeared in Inglourious Basterds, Catwoman and The Kingdom.
Bell has been nominated for several Taurus World Stunt Awards - the most prestigious awards in the stunt industry - winning the ‘best overall stunt’ and ‘best fight’ categories for Kill Bill 2.
More information:
Kiwi daredevils taking on the world
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