Trailblazers: Zoe Bell

Zoe Bell is a world-renowned stunt woman.

Zoe Bell Stunt performer 1978-

World-renowned stunt woman

Zoe Bell went from Kiwi stunt performer to close friend and collaborator with Hollywood director Quentin Tarantino.

Growing up, Bell participated in a range of sports including competitive gymnastics, taekwondo, dance, high-diving, track and field and more.

Bell landed her first stunt job in 1992 at just 14, jumping out of a car in Shortland Street. In 1998, she started regular work on cult TV series Xena: Warrior Princess, doubling Lucy Lawless.

However, her big break came in 2003, when she doubled for Uma Thurman in Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill Vol 1.

This led Tarantino to bring her back for Kill Bill Vol 2 and later, Grindhouse and Deathproof, for which Tarantino specifically wrote Bell a starring role, playing herself.

Since then, she's gone on to perform in films like Inglorious Bastards, The Final Destination, Iron Man 3 and Taika Waititi's Thor: Ragnarok.

The 39-year-old has also racked up an impressive list of acting credits, appearing in hit series Lost, as well as roller derby flick Whip It, the all-female horror/action Raze, action flick Camino and Tarantino blockbusters Django Unchained and The Hateful Eight.

Today, Bell is one of the most sought-after stunt women in the world, with a reputation for putting her body on the line to perform the most audacious of stunts. She is also a qualified stunt co-ordinator, making her one of the few women in Hollywood dominating what has historically been a male role. Her latest project sees her co-ordinating the stunt work in Tarantino latest film, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, starring Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio and Al Pacino, due for release next August.

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