Seeing double! Celebrities love to brag about doing their own stunts, but they have to let the professionals handle some of their big tasks.
After Spider-Man: No Way Home hit theaters in December 2021, star Tom Holland acknowledged his stunt doubles, Greg Townley and Luke Scott, via his Instagram Story.
“Without these legends, this movie wouldn’t be half as good. Thank you lads for your hard work and dedication,” he shared alongside a behind-the-scenes photo from the Marvel movie. Both of his doubles carried him in the snapshot while wearing their Spidey suits.
The England native continued, “From Luke’s crash into the stairs to Greg’s falling through the floor to me stubbing my little toe on the glider. It’s been an adventure. Love you lads.”
Holland learned from the other Marvel Cinematic Universe heroes who have openly showed their appreciation for stunt teams. Brie Larson even let her stunt doubles, Larson Joanna Bennett and Renae Moneymaker, come on stage at the MTV Movie and TV Awards to accept the golden popcorn for a Captain Marvel fight scene.
“I wanted to take this moment to really say thank you to two women who are standing here beside me,” Larson told the audience at the June 2019 ceremony. “These are the women that trained me and were also the stunt doubles for Captain Marvel. I could not have made this film without them.”
She also gave the pair a chance to speak, and Moneymaker explained, “As young girls, we wanted to be just like Lara Croft and GI Jane, so it’s a real honor to be a part of this character and hopefully pass along some of that inspiration and strength that those iconic women brought to us.”
The action stars have to trust their stunt team to know how to make larger-than-life action sequences look real. Scarlett Johansson revealed that Heidi Moneymaker — Renae’s older sister — has long been her trusted advisor.
“I tell myself, ‘Do whatever Heidi does. Just listen to whatever she says and she’ll keep me safe,'” the actress told The Hollywood Reporter in December 2018.
The two worked together on Black Widow’s killer moves from 2010’s Iron Man 2 all the way through 2021’s solo Black Widow movie. While Johansson has left her Avenger behind, Heidi remains with Marvel Studios as a stunt coordinator on Hawkeye and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
Some doubles, however, stick with actors across tons of projects. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson‘s distant cousin Tanoai Reed was cast as his stunt double in 2002’s The Scorpion King. Twenty years later, the two are still working side-by-side.
“Did I have the sense I’d spend the next few decades with him? I did. We immediately became close,” Johnson told THR in November 2021. “It was as if I was meeting my long-lost brother who could at times double as my twin.”
Like Johansson, the Red Notice actor emphasized that Reed puts safety first. “He’s a very smart man, and he doesn’t approach stunts like a bat out of hell and throwing caution to the wind,” Johnson explained.
Scroll down to see photos of the stars with the stunt doubles: