Zoë Bell : Question about 'Death Proof'

I'm not sure if anyone can answer this; but when Jackie Chan would do an American movie, even ten years ago when he was still agile, they had stunt doubles for him any time his character did something death-defying.

The same goes for Michelle Yeoh when she was in "Tomorrow Never Dies".

So how did Quentin Tatrrantino get away with making a movie that put one of it's stars in mortal danger? American productions are very edgy about things like that.

Probably because Troublemaker Studios is based out of Austin. Not to mention Zoe Bell is amazing at what she does.

Zo has on many occasions commented about the practice of safety measures when she performs a stunt- especially since Death Proof and reports of reckless individuals attempting to reenact the infamous high speed bonnet ride. Stunts are always coordinated before hand with the maximum safety for the performer and crew. The tricks of the trade aren't always talked about off screen as it takes from the 'magic' of the silver-screen.

As for:

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Jackie Chan would do an American movie, even ten years ago when he was still agile, they had stunt doubles for him any time his character did something death-defying.

The same goes for Michelle Yeoh when she was in "Tomorrow Never Die".

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What a lot of people don't seem to get is that Zo was basically being herself in the film- which is a stunt-woman/actress. Why would she need a stunt double when she can very well do the work herself?

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American productions are very edgy about things like that

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I'm not sure how international film institutes its rules and regulations in regard to film safety, but since Death Proof was filmed entirely in the U.S. I can imagine they followed S.A.G. rules and regulations accordingly.

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The reason why I mentioned Jackie Chan and Michelle Yeoh is that they are both professional stuntpeople. In "Police Story III", Michelle Yeoh rode a motorbike off a ramp onto a speeding train. Jackie Chan was so worried about being upstaged by her that he hung from a helicopter rope-ladder over the city of Kuala Lampur as it smashed him into buildings.

But that was a Hong-Kong production. It was the norm during the eighties and nineties that Jackie Chan would nearly die several times over anytime he did an action movie.

It doesn't matter with an American movie whether the actor is a professional stuntperson or not. American productions don't want to deal with putting an actor in a real life-or-death situation.

Like the poster before you said. She was playing "Herself". Her character was a Stunt Women. And She is also a Stunt Women!

"So how did Quentin Tarantino get away with making a movie that put one of it's stars in mortal danger?"

Well, Quentin wrote the script with Zoe as the star and wrote it around her as a stunt person playing herself. See the story of this in Zoe's own words at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hatohmpwEMU between 2:42 and 3:45.

My point is they don't let Jackie Chan do his own stunts in American movies. I know he is in his fifties now; but back in the nineties, Jackie would almost kill himself doing an action movie in China and then watch his stunt-double do the dangerous stuff in "Rush Hour", "Shanghai Noon" and "The Tuxedo".

That was unfunny and a waste of timeJust awful. - Cinemoronn - 1

I'm not an expert, but I believe the difference is that there is a stunt-man union, and it would be illegal for Jackie Chan to do his own stunts, if he was not an accredited "stunt-man." Whereas Zoe Bell is an "official" stuntwoman, who just happened to be acting. Jackie Chan was good at stunts, but in America, he was not legally considered a "stunt-man."


Jack White killed a man with his bare hands. While singing and playing guitar.

Okay, thank you.

lol to the OP, nobody was really answering your question were they. Anyway yea, Chan and Yeoh are actors who do stunts, while Bell is a stunwoman who acts. Anyway lots of actors do their own stunts, maybe the car scene wasn't as dangerous as it looked so it didn't even matter, i think it was though

hey, yoda needs to give some better advice, or yoda needs to shut the *beep* up

Zoe Bell was essentially the only person who was capable of playing that role considering the amount of stunt skills it took to pull off and still have a charismatic personality onscreen.

Check out the 70's cult movie called "Stunt Rock" about Australian stuntman Grant Page playing himself in an american movie. I believe Tarantino payed a little 'hommage' in Death Proof to that film and more films by Director Brian Trenchard Smith.

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Zoe Bell was essentially the only person who was capable of playing that role considering the amount of stunt skills it took to pull off and still have a charismatic personality onscreen.

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This^^^


I haven't slept for ten days, because that would be too long

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I'm not an expert, but I believe the difference is that there is a stunt-man union, and it would be illegal for Jackie Chan to do his own stunts, if he was not an accredited "stunt-man." Whereas Zoe Bell is an "official" stuntwoman, who just happened to be acting. Jackie Chan was good at stunts, but in America, he was not legally considered a "stunt-man."

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No, this is incorrect. There is SAG, the union that covers actors, that stuntmen need to be a part of (generally). There is no "stunt-man union".

Anyone who wants to be a stuntman can be one. All they need to do is say they are a stuntman and try and get cast. It's not like there is a four-year college for stuntmen and when you graduate *poof* you are a stuntman.

However, there are classes you can take to learn stunts and there is a well-known stunt driving school as well.

To try and answer the original question, isn't it just that in fact it wasn't that dangerous? She was all roped up and wasn't actually just lying on top of the car with no harness!! Don't get me wrong, there is still risk, but no more risk than stuntmen/women take on any other production.

I was at a screening of Death Proof in Liverpool years ago with Tarantino and he said that the only CGI/trickery they used was to remove the ropes. Otherwise everything was genuine and there was no speeding up of the film or anything of that nature and Zoe Bell definitely did all of her stunts.

'My name's Buckand I'm here to *beep*

There is a difference between a stunt double, and a stunt actor.

A stunt DOUBLE, doubles for the star for the dangerous stuff. Usually highly paid and highly recognizable and hard to replace stars of the movie. A stunt double also works for those actors who cannot, or will not do their own stunts. 2000

A stunt ACTOR, is a stuntman/woman who plays their own parts and does all their own stunts. She is good, but she is not well known enough to be non-replacable if she got hurt.

good question, u can watch "double dare" http://www.imdb.com/board/10365135/
u have all ur responses in it, why she did that and especially why she felt compelled to do so and the reasons for Quentin Tarantino to let her do all the stunts etc (more complete than the death proof bonuses in dvd2).

I think zoe bell have a license from Stuntwomens Association but im not sure( source :Taurus World Stunt Awards).

Even if you do your own stunts, stunt men have to be present regardless if they actually work or not. It has something to do with insurance.

I remember in her interview for Death Proof she wanted to do her own stunts even when QT was going to have a stunt woman for her. Which makes sense since ZB is a licensed stuntwoman. Watching someone do her stunt(s) would be like seeing Bruce Lee use a fighting double.lol



I'm sorry for calling you Black B*tch!

And for the people who keep posting JC doesn't do his own stunts in the U.S.A; STOP ! "HE DOES!" and always has done so.(Obviously I know about the HUGE insurance issues.I never said (ALL stunts)Please don't waste space by saying different. I am 49 and have known him (microscopically casually) and Kristine DeBell (not as well as I would like) from when they were filming "The Big Brawl" in TexasI was 12 and it seems like EONS ago.I WILL NOT respond to BS posts saying anything to the contrary about anything I have posted. "I forgive anyone and or whomever for being wrong. Think no more about it."Later.