Stunt Woman Zoe Bell Is On Fire
By Kevin Conley
Photo Credit: Ture Lillegraven
The job is particularly hard on women, who have to take the same bruising falls and punches as men do, but often in skimpy outfits; you can't hide much protective padding under a bikini. And the work, by its very nature, is anonymous. "People say, 'But you've won awards-you should be getting hired!'" says Bell, who lives in Venice Beach, CA, and is recently separated from a Kill Bill crew member. "Pro-ducers don't give a shit if I've won awards. Posters don't say, 'Latest movie starring'-not even 'starring,' 'involving'-'award-winning stuntwoman Zoë Bell.'" When she tore a ligament in her wrist in the final days of Kill Bill, which took a few metal pins and a year's worth of rehab to repair, calls for jobs more or less stopped. Enter Tarantino, the only one to think of violating the Hollywood caste system by putting a stuntwoman in a leading role.
