Zoe Bell

I'm a poster child for feminism whether I like it or not, but I was resistant to the part of me that was a woman.

Actually my relationships with my girlfriends have become that much deeper and more profound, because I'm like, huh, yeah, I don't have to judge you, or you judge me. It was a lot of - I didn't want to be that crazy girlfriend.

Some of my best friends are like, \'I love that you are just the biggest pussy on the planet.\' And I have no problem with it at all, I love it. But it took a long time to understand that that's a part of my tapestry.

I think the biggest shift for me is - this is going to sound like a wanky actor, but - getting in touch with, and learning to not just appreciate, but actually really enjoy being a woman. Because for so long I was a jock, and I was an athlete, and I was a tomboy, and people would joke about like, fancy dress, you should go as a girl.

My job as a double was always to put [actors] at ease. My job was to make my character, or the actress that I was doubling, look as badass as possible by being there.

My favorite thing in moviemaking is to shoot in chronological order if at all possible, because it just helps for continuity and all the logistical purposes. It also helps with performance and the journey of each character, but I also think it's good for the director and everyone [else] involved.

I had to paint the picture that I was never scared, otherwise I couldn't do my job. But now, as an actor, I'm literally paid to look emotionally accessible.

People are far more protective [of women] instinctively.

When my physicality is involved, it's kind of my comfort zone, so I find it much easier to access emotions.

I would find it more difficult if somebody else was doing the action.

I think because I am a physical person, and because my way of expressing and performing and storytelling or explaining has always been with my body, if I can combine the two I find it really liberating.

A couple years in [to acting], I recognized that I developed methods from being a stuntwoman for so long that worked for me that I wasn't aware of. And I had to become aware of them, because I didn't recognize that I could actually apply them across the board.

I love acting. And if there's a niche that needs filling, I'm happy to get in there and try to fill it.

I'm certainly not on a mission to be taken seriously as a dramatic actress, any more than I am just to be able to get roles that are exciting and satisfying to me. If that means action, then that means action.

I love the idea of doing comedy, whether it's action comedy or just straight comedy. It's such a big, new world for me that I'm starting to realize that any character that I relate to, in any way, shape or form, or that I have any appreciation for, given enough preparation, I can find that person.

Being a stunt girl is very much my comfort zone, so I had to remove the comfort zone to step fully into the slightly scarier zone. Also, just being perceived as an actor by the outside world, rather than as the stunt girl who does dialogue, has been a part of the challenge in front of me.

The physical element of a role is something I'm super familiar with, and I love it. I've definitely made the transition into acting over doubling, just because I needed to make it clear to myself, so that I fully committed.

I like the debate, but I don't really like the fight. I don't like being in the ring. I'm not competitive.

The thing that I come across is that people think that I might actually be super aggressive, want-to-fight type in real life. The irony is that that's just not true, at all.

When being a stunt double, my job has always a supportive role, which is interesting, really. Part of what I really like about it is making a situation where people can just come out of their shell and be super bad-ass. That's exciting!

What really sells a fight, and any kind of action, is the performance of it. If someone is uncomfortable or uncertain about doing action because they're too concerned about their safety or about being right, it pulls them out of being that character, in that situation.

Having been a stunt girl for so long, a big part of my job was to not just make the other person look as cool as they could, but also to act as a support. My job was to make them as safe as they could be, so that they could be as explosive and as emotionally engaged as they could be.

Whatever my job description consists of, becomes my job. Maybe it's just the way I tackle work, in general.

I'm completely at ease on a set. I'm pretty comfortable most places, but hitting the mark and knowing set etiquette and understanding cameras and lenses are second nature. It's a language I've spoken for years.

I've always appreciated great acting performances, but I've even learned to appreciate not so great ones 'cause it's hard.

There is an art to acting, and there are techniques that are acquired. You can be as emotional as you'd like, as a person, but figuring out ways that you can bring specific emotions at specific times and have them be true, and relating to someone as someone that they're not, is a lot.

In my career as a double, a lot of my job is to not just do the fights to make them look cool, but also to appear as the same person as the actor I am playing.

My job has always been to not only make my character look like a badass but to also make the actor I am fighting opposite to be the character they need to be too.

Feeling fear is a good sign that your survival instincts are intact. You need to appreciate the dangers to stay safe.

(when asked if she feels fear doing stunts) Of course I feel fear. I think its more a matter of when you no longer feel fear it's time to hang it up. Feeling fear is a good sign that your survival instincts are intact. You need to appreciate the dangers to stay safe.