Actors Who Did All Their Driving Stunts

Some action stars hand the wheel to a specialist the moment the street gets tight or the camera points down a narrow alley. The performers below trained hard, logged real seat time, and took on the precision driving themselves when the story needed it. Their chase scenes were built on rehearsals, closed roads, and safety teams, but the hands on the wheel were their own.

Each entry highlights concrete examples of films and sequences where the actor handled the car work personally. You will find the types of cars they drove, the skills they mastered, and the production setups that made those stunts possible, from high speed reverse 180s to tightly choreographed urban chases.

Tom Cruise

Cruise completed high speed chases in ‘Jack Reacher’ and executed reverse 180s and handbrake turns on closed streets. For ‘Mission Impossible’ entries he trained in performance driving and blended practical chases with in car acting, which kept his face visible through windshields and side glass.

He also learned to drift for sequences that required controlled oversteer and repeated complicated beats until the camera team captured clean takes. Production notes describe blocked off routes, police escorts, and multiple camera cars so he could perform difficult maneuvers while staying on the mark.

Jason Statham

Statham handled precision driving in ‘The Transporter’ films, including tight alley slides and parking garage spins. His professional diving background gave him strong spatial control, and he trained with stunt coordinators to string complex beats into continuous takes.

He later carried those skills into ‘The Mechanic’ and ensemble chases in ‘Fast and Furious’ entries. He practiced Scandinavian flicks, J turns, and throttle modulation on dampened surfaces so the car would rotate predictably for the lens.

Daniel Craig

Craig performed notable Bond chases himself in ‘Casino Royale’ and ‘Quantum of Solace’ after advanced training in skid control and evasive techniques. He used manual gearboxes for better throttle and clutch timing during hairpin sequences.

For scenes set on Italian and Austrian roads he rehearsed route notes and braking points with rally style precision. The team mounted cameras to the body and interior so his steering inputs and shifting were visible without cutting away.

Charlize Theron

Theron trained extensively for ‘The Italian Job’ and completed real world Mini Cooper runs through tight spaces. She practiced slalom work, emergency braking, and handbrake rotations to navigate stair approaches and narrow lanes.

She later brought that foundation into ‘Atomic Blonde’ where she balanced fight choreography with vehicle beats. Her preparation included hours on skid pads to keep the car composed while cameras rolled from multiple angles.

Keanu Reeves

Reeves put in the wheel time for ‘John Wick’ entries where he combined gun handling with driving in single takes. Training covered transitions from forward motion into reverse 180s and back to forward without losing the frame.

He refined throttle and steering discipline to keep the car placed within inches of camera rigs. Night work required consistent headlights on marks so reflections matched across takes and continuity stayed intact.

Paul Walker

Walker was an enthusiast who performed his own driving in early ‘Fast and Furious’ films. He practiced heel and toe downshifts, clutch kicks, and controlled drifts to match tuner car behavior on camera.

He also worked with pro drifters to learn line selection and steering corrections through long corners. His familiarity with cars allowed dialogue to play while driving, reducing cutaways to doubles.

Michelle Rodriguez

Rodriguez completed in car stunt beats in the ‘Fast and Furious’ series after training in performance driving. She rehearsed emergency lane changes, high speed merges, and side by side runs where mirror clearance was minimal.

Production scheduled her for daytime and night shoots on locked routes so she could repeat passes at consistent speeds. She kept the choreography tight enough that editors could stay on her face during steering inputs.

Aaron Paul

Paul did the bulk of the driving in ‘Need for Speed’ after a full program in race craft and stunt technique. He learned high speed drafting, apex selection, and braking zones so the camera could ride with him for long stretches.

He coordinated with multiple camera units including choppers and pursuit cars. The team used practical builds with reinforced suspensions and roll cages to allow him to hit ramps and landings under supervision.

Ansel Elgort

Elgort trained for ‘Baby Driver’ until he could thread cars through practical Atlanta streets on cue. He practiced timing slides to music cues so choreography synchronized with the soundtrack in camera.

He also drilled box turns, near misses, and curb kisses that required repeatable wheel placement. The production designed routes that exploited natural city geometry, which let him show clean front on visibility during action.

Nicolas Cage

Cage handled real driving work on ‘Gone in 60 Seconds’ where he executed traffic weaves and controlled spins. He studied how the featured cars reacted under throttle so his inputs matched each vehicle’s balance.

He later extended those skills in ‘Drive Angry’ where practical gags depended on precise approach speeds. He worked inside reinforced cabins and maintained consistent lines for exterior camera mounts.

Ryan Gosling

Gosling trained for ‘Drive’ with stunt instructors who focused on smooth weight transfer and low angle camera awareness. He performed controlled slides and quiet getaways that depended on minimal wheel input and clean exit lines.

He practiced clutch control and mid corner corrections in empty lots before repeating the same moves on marked streets. The film kept his hands and face in frame so audiences could see him operate the car through each beat.

Angelina Jolie

Jolie completed her own driving stunts on ‘Salt’ where she navigated crowded avenues at speed. She prepared with hours of slalom and braking drills so the car would remain settled while she delivered lines.

She also worked through precision hits and reversals that required tight timing with background traffic. The production placed cameras inside the cabin and on the hood so her control of the wheel and shifter was unmistakable.

Halle Berry

Berry performed the majority of high speed sequences in ‘Kidnap’ where the story hinged on continuous pursuit. She trained on highway merges, rolling road blocks, and evasive swerves that could be repeated safely across takes.

She coordinated with stunt drivers playing other vehicles to create near contact moments. The shoot used closed sections, rolling lockups, and police escorts so she could maintain speed while staying within safety plans.

Zoë Bell

Bell, a veteran stunt performer and actor, took the wheel and the hood in ‘Death Proof’ where she performed practical highway gags. She combined stunt driving awareness with camera blocking so the car and lens stayed aligned.

Her work included long duration runs with minimal cuts. She used safety rigs only where required and handled on the day adjustments for wind and road camber without breaking the choreography.

Idris Elba

Elba brought professional driving experience from televised racing projects into narrative work like ‘Hobbs and Shaw’. He trained for tight urban maneuvers and rehearsed precision timing with camera bikes and pursuit cars.

He also executed wet surface slides and controlled wheelspin for night sequences. His preparation emphasized predictable car behavior so multi camera setups captured matching tire placement across takes.

Matt Damon

Damon performed in car action across the ‘Bourne’ series after training in aggressive defensive driving. He practiced curb hops, stair approaches, and bumper contacts that required repeatable approach speeds.

The team used lightweight rigs and reinforced cars so he could strike obstacles without compromising control. Those preparations let cameras linger on him inside the cabin while exterior crashes unfolded around him.

Jeremy Renner

Renner handled his own driving action in ‘The Bourne Legacy’ and rehearsed complex transitions from car to motorcycle. He trained in counter steering, trail braking, and quick line changes to negotiate dense traffic setups.

Sequence planning paired him with stunt coordinators in lead and chase vehicles so timing stayed exact. He kept dialogue active while driving, which reduced the need for inserts that hide doubles.

Jackie Chan

Chan performed real driving stunts in action films that mixed fights with car gags, including ‘Who Am I?’ where he executed rooftop to street transitions. He trained on handbrake turns, reverse entries, and narrow lane slides that worked with wide angle lenses.

He is known for repeating precision maneuvers until the camera captured the full gag without hiding the driver. His films often rolled outtakes that showed him behind the wheel completing the same beats the audience just watched.

Scott Eastwood

Eastwood completed his own driving in ‘Overdrive’ after training in European style car control. He practiced rev matching and late apex turns that favored long visible shots through side windows.

He also worked on convoy timing so he could pass camera cars at set speeds without drifting off marks. Production made use of practical locations where his wheel inputs and eye lines stayed clear in the frame.

Nicholas Hoult

Hoult performed driving sequences in ‘Collide’ and prepared with stunt teams in Germany for high speed freeway work. He drilled lane splitting, hard braking, and emergency avoidance while maintaining steady eyelines for dialogue.

He coordinated with precision drivers in opposing traffic to create safe near misses. Camera placements emphasized his hands on the wheel and consistent placement in the seat so cuts would match between angles.

Share which driving scene made you hit the brakes at home in the comments.