As Hollywood becomes more and more stuffed with action stars, many actors and actresses are trying to set themselves apart, by getting stuck into all the stunt work. Usually, the final product looks so much better when the stars get involved and do their own action sequences.
Plenty of the biggest female actresses in Hollywood love to take part in the action side of their roles. Here's 10 female action stars who actually get really involved and have been known to take a few hits and bruises while filming a huge blockbuster.
ANGELINA JOLIE
Angelina Jolie has been featured in some major action franchises over the years. One of her most famous roles is that of Lara Croft, but she has also taken part in a number of other high budget projects. She's also set to make her MCU debut with the Eternals.
Her most intense stunt work has to be with the action movie Salt though. Although she has also taken part in some of the stunt work for her Disney villainous alter ego, it's fair to say she took some of her biggest scraps on this intense action thriller.
SCARLETT JOHANSSON
Another MCU alumni has certainly put in the work in regards to her Marvel character. The woman behind the Black Widow suit has had to take on some of the most dangerous villains that any hero has had to face. She's done most of this from her own abilities.
Johansson has always been committed to the role and ever since she was cast in Iron Man 2 she has put in the work to make all of her action set pieces look believable. She's had some of the most hard-hitting combat and we can't wait to see more of the same in her spin-off.
CAMERON DIAZ
One of the strange rules that Cameron Diaz has is that she absolutely refuses to let anyone else do her stunts. Although she has not been heavily featured in action films for a while, this paid off in some of her previous stunt heavy franchises.
In particular, the Charlie's Angels franchise demonstrated her ability to get into shape for a role and keep on taking some of the hardest hits. she put in a lot of work for this, as she did with her combat and gun training for Knight and Day.
CHLOE GRACE MORETZ
It seems difficult to believe, but Chloe Grace Moretz was the youngest actress to start putting in the hours in regards to her stunt work. On the original Kick Ass she picked up her martial arts training pretty quickly and took part in most of her own action sequences.
The bug never really wore off and she's been known to do many of her own stunts ever since. Clearly, a lot of the moves are still in the muscle memory and she's pretty talented at picking up new skills and moves very quickly, helping the film production massively.
CHARLIZE THERON
Charlize Theron has suddenly become very well known for some of the most brutal action sequences that any actress has produced. She's part of some major female-driven action films and took a starring role in one of the best stunt movies of the decade.
Her work on Mad Max was truly extraordinary and she followed this up with the gritty Atomic Blonde which continued to showcase just how good she is with her fists. It's safe to say we'll be seeing plenty more from this bonafide action star.
MARGOT ROBBIE
The Harley Quinn of the DCEU has turned a lot of heads with her character giving performances in Suicide Squad. The production team behind the anti-hero film will attest to the fact that Robbie tried to do as many of her own stunts as possible.
This is going to continue to come into play as she reprises her turn as the character for Birds of Prey which looks to be even more action-heavy for Robbie. She truly embodies the athleticism and the crazy violence of this comic book character.
CHLOE BENNET
Chloe Bennet is more well known for her TV work rather than her movie stunts, however, this makes her achievements even more impressive. Unlike the other actresses on this list, her body of work is sustained over a longer period of time.
When shooting for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. therefore, she must maintain the same fitness levels and keep on going through the various action sequences. This takes real stamina and she's clearly talented as Quake's stunts always look crisp and well made.
KRISTEN STEWART
Kristen Stewart became extremely famous for her work on the Twilight saga. Of course, this fantasy series required various stunt work and she took part in a lot of this. Some of the key parts of the larger battles were actually performed by Stewart.
When it came to Snow White and the Huntsman she upped her workload though and even performed stunts on a horse, despite her fears. Her latest Charlie's Angels outing only solidified the fact that Stewart really does belong in action films.
JENNIFER LAWRENCE
Jennifer Lawrence has taken part in her own series, although this falls into the young adult and dystopic fantasy genres. The Hunger Games is an intense experience for any person caught in its brutal arena and indeed for any actor or actress taking part.
Lawrence had to train extensively to fight over the series of four films and took part in countless stunts that made the film look even better. She's also seen some action in other blockbuster films including that of Red Sparrow.
GAL GADOT
Another female warrior now in the form of the former soldier, Gal Gadot. Her previous experience and combat training made her perfect for the role of Wonder Woman and she brought the right level of fierceness to the part.
She takes part in many of her own stunts, especially on her solo films and is largely responsible for some of the action sequences of the character. She really gets stuck in at every opportunity and has created an inspirational hero for the big screen.