Stunt Woman Zoe Bell Is On Fire

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.