Zoë Bell facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Zoë Bell
Bell in 2019
Born	Zoë E. Bell (1978-11-17) 17 November 1978 (age 46) Waiheke Island, New Zealand
Occupation	Actress stuntwoman stunt coordinator
Years active	1992–present

Zoë E. Bell (born on November 17, 1978) is a talented New Zealand stuntwoman and actress. She is famous for her amazing stunt work, especially for being the stunt double for Lucy Lawless in Xena: Warrior Princess and for Uma Thurman in Kill Bill.

As an actress, Zoë Bell has appeared in many TV shows and movies. She starred in the web series Angel of Death. Many people know her from the Quentin Tarantino film Death Proof, where she played herself and did her own incredible stunts. She also had acting roles in Tarantino's films The Hateful Eight (2015) and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019), where she also worked as a stunt coordinator.

In 2017, she was the stunt double for Cate Blanchett in the movie Thor: Ragnarok.

Early Life and Training

Zoë Bell was born on Waiheke Island, New Zealand. Her mother, Tish, was a nurse, and her father, Andrew, was a doctor. She has a younger brother named Jake. Zoë grew up on Waiheke Island, which is near Auckland.

From a young age, Zoë was very active. She took part in competitive gymnastics and started learning Taekwondo when she was 15. She also enjoyed dancing, high diving, scuba diving, and track and field sports. She went to Auckland Girls' Grammar School and Selwyn College.

Amazing Stunt Career

Zoë Bell started her career in 1992. Her first stunt job was jumping out of a car in a New Zealand TV show called Shortland Street.

Stunts for Famous TV Shows

She performed stunts for popular TV shows like Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess, which were both filmed in New Zealand. By the fourth season of Xena, she was the main stunt double for Lucy Lawless, who played Xena. She even broke bones in her back while doing wire stunts for the show, but she kept working!

Working with Quentin Tarantino

After Xena, Zoë worked on smaller films and TV shows. Then, she got a big break: she became the stunt double for Uma Thurman in Quentin Tarantino's movie Kill Bill.

She was first hired to do the "crash and smash" stunts, but the team soon realized she was perfect for fight scenes too. Zoë had to learn the wushu fighting style. While filming Kill Bill: Volume 2, she injured her ribs and wrist during a stunt. She needed surgery and took several months to recover. After the Kill Bill movies, she also did stunt work for the movie Catwoman, where she performed high falls.

Documentaries and Awards

In 2004, a documentary called Double Dare was released. It followed Zoë Bell and another experienced stuntwoman, Jeannie Epper, showing their lives and work in Hollywood.

Zoë Bell has won several awards for her stunt work. In 2005, she won "Best Overall Stunt by a Stunt Woman" and "Best Fight" at the World Stunt Awards for her work in Kill Bill: Volume 2. She also won "Best Overall Stunt by a Stunt Woman" in 2008 for Grindhouse.

Acting Roles and Stunt Coordination

After her stunt work in Catwoman, Zoë performed stunts in The Kingdom and another Tarantino film, Inglourious Basterds.

Quentin Tarantino then cast her in a main acting role in his 2007 film, Death Proof. In this movie, she played herself and did all her own stunts, including a famous scene where she clung to the hood of a fast-moving car.

In 2008, Zoë Bell starred with her former Xena co-star Lucy Lawless in the web series Angel of Death. She also played a roller derby star named "Bloody Holly" in Drew Barrymore's 2009 movie Whip It. She has continued to act and coordinate stunts in many films and TV shows, including Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019) where she was also the stunt coordinator.

Filmography

Awards and Recognitions

Zoë Bell has been recognized for her outstanding work in the film industry.

See also

In Spanish: Zoë Bell para niños