“The same issues we deal with in society, we deal with in stunts.” Alyma Dorsey

Women have been performing stunts in movies since the advent of cinema, but over the decades, their voice and influence in the industry has become marginalised. From fears of being overlooked, undermined or replaced, to the notion of “wigging” – male stunt performers doubling female characters – and concerns over sexual harassment, safety and security, April Wright’s fascinating 2020 documentary, Stuntwomen: The Untold Hollywood Story, tells the shocking truth of how women – and other marginalised communities – have had to fight, quite literally, to be heard in a business predominantly run by white men. Using exclusive interviews with today’s top female stunt performers and actors (including Michelle Rodriguez, Amy Johnston, Alyma Dorsey, and Heidi and Renae Moneymaker), and the pioneering women who paved the way for greater gender equity (including Jeannie Epper, Julie Ann Johnson and Jadie David), the documentary is a rip-roaring, high-kicking, full-throttle depiction of a stunt industry caught between the mistakes of the past and the need for progression. In this special stuntwomen-themed episode, listen to the director, April Wright, discuss what she learned during the making of the documentary, and lifting the lid on some of Hollywood’s darkest secrets. Plus, listen to versatile stunt performer Alyma Dorsey (The Matrix Resurrections, Joker, Captain America: Civil War) explain her first-hand experience of working in the stunt industry as not only a woman, but a Black woman, and the challenges she has faced during her long and distinguished career. Stuntwomen: The Untold Hollywood Story is available to buy and rent in the UK on Apple TV. April Wright’s new documentary, Back to the Drive-In, is available to buy and rent on digital platforms in the USA courtesy of Uncork’d Entertainment. Read more about April Wright on IMDb and follow her on Instagram and Twitter. Read more about Alyma Dorsey on IMDb and follow her on Instagram, Twitter and YouTube. Buy the book, Stuntwomen: The Untold Hollywood Story by Mollie Gregory, on Amazon.

Amy Johnston, Debbie Evans and Donna Evans. From Stuntwomen: The Untold Hollywood Story.

Jadie David and Alyma Dorsey. From Stuntwomen: The Untold Hollywood Story.