From death-defying stunts to method acting extremes, these performers put their bodies on the line for their craft. Join us as we celebrate the most dedicated actors in Hollywood who risk it all for authentic performances. Our list includes legendary martial artists, action superstars, and method actors!
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the actors who are willing
00:11to take a hit for a great performance.
00:19Number 10 Keanu Reeves
00:25Everyone knows just how incredible he was in the Matrix franchise.
00:29Reeves underwent extensive training to make Neo a kung fu master, and these days, he's
00:35even better known for his insane stunts in the John Wick films.
00:48His commitment to the role led him to master horseback riding, stunt driving, and firearms
00:53training.
00:54It's been said that Reeves does around 90% of the stunts in the films, and you can tell
00:59by all the crazy fights the Baba Yaga goes through.
01:02The only hits his stunt double takes are the ones from cars or staircases.
01:24The three-time Academy Award winner is famous for his extreme method acting.
01:37He trained for weeks to become an expert fighter for the boxer.
01:42He also refused to wear a modern coat while filming Gangs of New York.
01:51All this earned him a damaged spinal disc, a broken nose, and a case of pneumonia.
02:08Which he didn't even want treatment for.
02:10If you think that's dedication.
02:11He also tortured himself for the prison film In the Name of the Father.
02:16He put himself in solitary confinement, ate prison rations to lose weight, and had the
02:21crew throw cold water on him.
02:23We hope those Best Actor Awards were worth it, Daniel.
02:42John Hawks.
02:47The beloved character actor has been recognized with nominations from both the Oscars and Emmys.
02:53He's taken on roles with absurd intensity, but he really went the extra mile for the sessions.
02:58Mike, take a deep breath.
03:04And let go.
03:06Do I seem anxious?
03:10You do a little.
03:12In this film, he plays Mark O'Brien, who was a real-life journalist and poet with a disability.
03:18In order to portray his disability authentically, Hawks devised a method to appear paralyzed from
03:24the neck down.
03:25For days, he'd lie on a piece of foam to curve his spine.
03:29And though it might have made him more convincing, it permanently damaged a disc in his back.
03:34I conceived of and helped design a soccer ball-sized piece of firm foam, which the props department
03:43helped out, and then we duct-taped this foam ball and put it midway under the left side of my back
03:50to approximate the heavy curve of Mark's spine.
03:54Some internal organs had also shifted place due to the injury, but Hawks considers it a small price
04:00to pay, given what many people like Mark O'Brien have to go through every day.
04:05Don't go near the light.
04:07Don't go near the light.
04:09Is that what you remember?
04:11No, I assume I passed out.
04:14And before that, I remember feeling sorry for myself.
04:17Number 7.
04:18Martin Sheen
04:19When I was here, I wanted to be there.
04:23When I was there, all I could think of was getting back into the jungle.
04:28The number of accidents on the set of Apocalypse Now could make up an entire list.
04:32Martin the Hall!
04:35The crew suffered several injuries, and the lead actor also had more than his fair share.
04:44Perhaps his most famous wound is in the film's opening, where Captain Willard smashes a mirror
04:49and wipes blood in his face. The cut in his hand was real, improvised by an intoxicated Martin Sheen.
04:56It conveyed the character so well that he insisted that the cameras keep rolling.
05:00Production later hit another problem when Sheen suffered a heart attack.
05:04Obviously, those around me saw that and got a priest in the Philippines to me, and I had the last rites.
05:10And I became instantly devout and terrified that if I died, I was going straight to hell.
05:15So, you know, I came back to the faith like a bolt of lightning because of a near tragedy.
05:24Afraid that the film would get canceled, he told the studio that he just had heat stroke.
05:30The lie worked, and in the end, we got a legendary performance.
05:376. Charlize Theron
05:47Although she didn't start out as an action star, she's certainly risked a lot to make her mark.
05:52While filming a stunt for Eon Flux, Charlize Theron suffered a severe neck injury. The nerve damage
05:59was so bad that it put her through years of pain management. But that didn't stop her from doing more
06:04stunt work.
06:05Good boys.
06:142. Charlize Theron
06:28Her love of physical storytelling led to her doing most of her fight scenes in Atomic Blonde.
06:343. Charlize Theron
06:46If you've seen the film, you know how insane of an accomplishment that is. And it's not just action
06:52films that she got hurt for. While filming The Road, Theron injured her vocal cords in a grating birth scene.
06:583. Charlize Theron
07:11She should be getting awards for just going through all this.
07:145. Donnie Yen
07:17It's no surprise that one of the most famous martial arts actors is willing to endure a few hits. Take,
07:24for example, 1992's Once Upon a Time in China 2.
07:42In this film, Yen goes up against fellow actor Jet Li in an epic final battle. The scene is an absolute
07:49spectacle, but it cost Yen a painful bamboo strike to the eyebrow.
08:00A similar incident would occur about 10 years later on the set of Hero. In his second duel with Jet Li,
08:07Donnie Yen's other eye was cut by a sword. You'd think the stitches from the first time would make him
08:13want to avoid a rematch. Fortunately, Donnie Yen sees these mishaps as helping at the box office.
08:364. Buster Keaton
08:38Considered by some to be the first American action hero, the silent movie star's work can be seen just
08:44about everywhere.
08:59Even without you knowing, you're probably familiar with the falling house facade gag.
09:044. Buster Keaton
09:12Which can be found in dozens of movies and TV shows.
09:155. Buster Keaton
09:16Prepare, foul beast!
09:22That hilarious yet dangerous stunt came from Steamboat Bill Jr. Other life-threatening stunts
09:27include a tumble down a moving staircase and a deadly burst from a water tower. He broke an ankle in the
09:33first, and his neck in the latter, though he didn't know about the neck injury until many years later.
09:39You might be brave, but you'll never be jumping off buildings and trains with a broken neck brave.
09:535. Buster Keaton
10:05Number 3. Michelle Yeoh
10:08A long-time icon in the Hong Kong action scene, Michelle Yeoh has made a career out of stunt work.
10:15One of her most famous ones was in Police Story 3, where she drives a motorcycle off a dirt path and lands on a train.
10:235. Buster Keaton
10:37And that wasn't even the movie's riskiest stunt.
10:40Another scene had her jumping off a truck and onto a speeding car, which nearly cost her her life.
10:456. Buster Keaton
10:50She put herself on the line again four years later in The Stunt Woman.
10:53This time, she had to jump from an overpass and onto a truck below.
10:586. Buster Keaton
11:006. Buster Keaton
11:20Although she broke her ribs and fractured her spine in the process, she refused to stay down and continue to have a successful career.
11:27You're very good at it. And you've been good at it for a very long time.
11:307. Buster Keaton
11:31I actually really enjoy doing that.
11:337. Buster Keaton
11:33I mean, you can tell. It's fun to watch.
11:368. Buster Keaton
11:36Well, come on. When can you actually kick ass?
11:398. Buster Keaton
11:40Beat down sick guys, right?
11:428. Buster Keaton
11:44Number 2. Tom Cruise
11:47From climbing a replica of the Burj Khalifa to hanging off the side of an airplane, this Hollywood daredevil has risked his life numerous times.
11:55One such death-defying stunt can be seen in Mission Impossible Fallout.
12:00After skydiving 100 times to qualify, Cruise made a halo jump at 25,000 feet, falling at 200 miles per hour.
12:17And there was still hypoxia to worry about. As you can probably guess, Cruise has had his fair share of accidents on set.
12:25During a chase scene in Fallout, he leaped off a roof and broke his ankle upon impact.
12:37He also crashed a motorcycle while filming Oblivion. The fact that he's survived up till now is honestly a miracle.
12:44Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
12:55Jason Statham, known for doing his own stunts, including a crash that almost killed him.
13:01The truck hits the water, the water just slams me back and we just like sinking fast straight to the bottom.
13:08So like 60 feet at the bottom of the Black Sea.
13:11Viggo Mortensen, powered through Middle Earth with two broken toes.
13:20Nicole Kidman insisted on wearing a rib-breaking corset, even after already breaking two of them.
13:26Jim Caviezel, pneumonia, hyperthermia and a lightning strike weren't enough to keep him down.
13:49Angelina Jolie, scarred by salt, still drop-dead gorgeous.
14:05Jim Caviezel, pneumonia, hyperthermia and a lightning strike.
14:13Jim Caviezel, pneumonia, hyperthermia and a lightning strike.
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14:34Countless performers can handle high jumps, car chases and even the occasional sword fight.
14:39But this man has endured much, much worse. The cold shoulder of the Academy.
14:45Why don't we applaud actors' emotional resilience? What a sad, sad world.
14:50I'm never surprised about not getting anything. But I did feel, you know, and it's funny you ask
14:55it because I have thought about this because I was with my friend. I was in New York City at a coffee
14:59shop and I looked down at my phone and Nicole had texted me and they said, you know, congratulations
15:04on these other things, but they didn't tell me the bad news. And I went, oh, wow. And the first thing
15:10I felt was embarrassment. All right, you got us. He's not actually our number one.
15:15We do stand with Cooper though. Number one, Jackie Chan. Out of all the actors who weren't afraid to
15:25get hurts, Jackie Chan is arguably the most fearless. His all-in approach to filmmaking has
15:31resulted in dozens of injuries. He's injured his nose, cheekbones, hips, pelvis, sternum, ribs,
15:38and neck in various productions.
15:59One such injury almost took a turn for the worst on the set of Armor of God. What was supposed to be a
16:04simple jump resulted in a fall that fractured Chan's skull? An emergency surgery saved his life,
16:10but he was left with a permanent dent in his head.
16:35If we had another hour, we still couldn't list every time he cheated death. Just know that he's
16:41essentially the perfect example of an unstoppable force.
16:52Which stunt would you rather do? Hang off the side of an airborne plane
16:56or jump off a building? Let us know in the comments.
16:59Yes, got it.
17:07That's the wrong door!
17:08Benji, not that door, the other door. The other door. Right, yes, the other door.
17:12The other door.