Movies lie. Think your favorite actress can do multiple consecutive backflips like she did in Mission Not Possible III? Guess again—that was a stunt double in a digitally-obscured harness. Then again, there are some actresses with the mettle, determination and core strength to do their own action scenes. Remember Angie in Tomb Raider or J-Law’s bow skills in The Hunger Games? Real, all real.
Celebrate this stunning revelation with a slideshow of our favorite stunt women.
Photos by Zade Rosenthal/Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures/Everett Collection