Aja Frary: The Elite Athlete Who Became a Stuntwoman

Aja Frary did not enter into stunt work through the traditional route. Stunt work came to her through athletics.

With two athletes for parents – a ballerina mother and a California state wrestling champion father – it is little wonder Aja Frary’s Seattle childhood was marked by intense competition. By elementary school, she was already faster than the boys at her school—and that drive helped her gain a place at San Diego State on a full athletic scholarship, where she excelled in the Heptathlon.

In 2000, Aja placed 9th in the Olympic Trials while still in college. She went on to earn All-American honors and a Division 1 NCAA bronze medal. After graduation, she joined the U.S. Olympic Training Center and competed at an elite level—until an injury in 2004 forced her to take a break.

A friend suggested she’d make a great stunt double while she was recovering in New York. That conversation changed everything.

From doubling in American Gangster (2007) to now, where she has doubled for Rosario Dawson in Daredevil, Priyanka Chopra in Baywatch, and Halle Berry in Kidnap, Aja’s stunt career has done nothing but soar. She has also tackled complex driving sequences for 22 Jump Street, Now You See Me, and The Intern.

Her credits include blockbusters such as Iron Man 3, The Dark Knight Rises, Birdman, and The Amazing Spider-Man 2. She has worked on dozens of action sequences on film as part of a film stunt crew, but has never had the opportunity to work in front of a camera.

In 2016, she was awarded membership in the Stuntwomen’s Association of Motion Pictures, which was a significant mark in her career. She was also nominated for the Taurus World Stunt Awards for Hardest Hit and Best Stunt by a Stunt Woman.

Aja is still active in both film and television and has credits for Luke Cage, The Blacklist, and Quantico. She runs a class teaching stunt driving and works with young performers behind the camera.