Michelle Rodriguez is shining a spotlight on the unsung heroines of the action movie world…
The 42-year-old Puerto Rican & Dominican American action actress and Fast and Furious franchise star is narrating Stuntwomen: The Untold Hollywood Story, a new documentary from director April Wright for Shout! Studios.
The documentary highlights the onscreen exploits of stuntwomen, and their off-screen battles for fair and equal treatment.
Based on Mollie Gregory’s 2015 bestseller, the film chronicles the lives of women who perform the stunts in some of Hollywood’s biggest action sequences — from the early days of silent movies to today’s blockbusters.
“These unheralded heroines are the generations of stuntwomen who risked their lives in front of the camera, while behind it they fought for equal rights with male stunt performers, battled sexism and harassment, sustained life-threatening injuries and returned to the fray after each battle,” the producing team said in a joint statement.
Ben Mankiewicz, film historian and host of Turner Classic Movies, guides Rodriquez and two stunt performers through film clips from the early days of cinema, when many actresses performed their own stunts. Directors Paul Verhoeven, Paul Feig and Anne Fletcher and producer Al Ruddy discuss the importance of stunt performers in their films and reveal some of the tricks of the stunt trade.
Stuntwomen: The Untold Hollywood Story features interviews with some of top stuntwomen of our time, interweaving their stories with a trove of archival materials, including rare onset footage and photos.
Stuntwomen interviewed include Julie Ann Johnson (Charlie’s Angels), Jadie David (Escape from L.A.); Jeannie Epper (Wonder Woman), Debbie Evans (The Fast and the Furious), Deven McNair (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes), Donna Evans (Total Recall), Donna Keegan (True Lies), Amy Johnston (Suicide Squad), Alyma Dorsey (Captain Marvel), Heidi Moneymaker (Captain America: Civil War), Keisha Tucker (Black Panther), Jessie Graff (Wonder Woman), Angela Meryl (Skyfall), Cheryl Lewis (Luke Cage), Jennifer Caputo (The Amazing Spider-Man) and Kelly Roisin (Venom).
The film also features the original song, “Without a Net,” written by 11-time Oscar nominee Diane Warren and performed by Mickey Guyton.
Rodriguez – known for her tough-girl roles, a cross between beauty and brawn – also serves as an executive producer on the film.
The film will debut on September 22 on digital platforms, including AppleTV, Amazon, Vudu, GooglePlay, Hoopla, Fandango Now, Comcast Xfinity, Spectrum, Cox and Charter.