Jake's Kiwi stunt double

Ben Cooke on the set of Casino Royale. Photo / Supplied

What do Hollywood heart-throb Jake Gyllenhaal and 007 star Daniel Craig have in common? When their characters risk life and limb, they call in Kiwi Ben Cooke to do their dirty work.

Cooke, 35, spent six months as fight choreographer and Gyllenhaal's stunt double during the filming of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time in England and Morocco.

Sure, Morocco isn't quite Persia, but blockbuster movie crews aren't particularly welcome in fundamentalist Iran, as Persia is now known.

Insurance companies aren't keen on stars facing too much danger, so Cooke was called in to handle the fights, horses, and even an ostrich race.

Speaking from Melbourne this week, he described Gyllenhaal as "a regular guy, but he's great, cool".

The star "stepped up" and did his best, helping out in the stunts, which helped because the movie was "pretty much action from start to finish", says Cooke.

As well as getting to know Gyllenhaal, Cooke met the star's girlfriend, Hollywood A-Lister Reese Witherspoon, who he described as "stunning".

The former New Zealand martial arts champion has worked on several blockbusters, including Craig's two Bond films, Batman Begins, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

He has also worked with Matt Damon, Harrison Ford, Ewan McGregor and Catherine Zeta-Jones.

Cooke is understood to be working with Craig again in the Jon Favreau movie, Cowboys and Aliens.

His Auckland-based mum Lesley says she has become used to her son travelling all over the world and working with Hollywood greats.

"It's his passion," she says.