Fight Like Girls: The Stuntwomen of Bond.

Abstract

In their 2015 article on stuntwomen, Miranda J. Banks and Lauren Steimer argue that the figure of the stunt double is subjected to a process of erasure throughout the production of the action film or series, and most certainly in popular press accounts that promote the idea of stars (both male and female) as the performers of their own stunts. This erasure is also evident in the comparative lack of scholarly work on the labour-intensive – and often life-threatening – contributions made by stunt performers to the on-screen fantasy of the kick-ass action star. The Bond franchise has seen its female characters increasingly defined by their all-action credentials and, consequently, the size of the stunt team has grown with a higher number of female stunt performers being included. This article looks at how stuntwomen have contributed to the spectacle of the Bond franchise, including driver Jessica Hawkins and the much in demand Marie Mouroum, both of whom worked on No Time to Die (2021). As behind-the-scenes footage of most action franchises becomes more available and often forms part of the marketing of franchise cinema, including the Bond films, the concept of erasure will be examined in relation to these contemporary contexts of production. The increased diversity of action heroines also opens up sites of exploration around women of colour as part of these production processes, both on-screen and behind the scenes.