Comedy, Chaos, and Control: The Stunt Life of Lisa Hoyle

Lisa Hoyle doesn’t just show up for a scene — she’s often the one taking the biggest hit. With more than two decades of credits across film, TV, and commercials, Lisa has worked behind the faces of A-list actresses in everything from swashbuckling fantasy to slapstick comedy.

She’s a longtime member of the Stuntwomen’s Association of Motion Pictures and a California local hire — though her work stretches far beyond the state line. She doubled Keira Knightley in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, easily handling the action of those high-pressure shooting environments. She also doubled Knightley again in Domino, showcasing her ability to blend poise with grit for action legend Chuck Picerni.

Lisa is known on set for being both quiet and relentless — ready to step in for whatever’s needed. In Zombieland, she doubled Emma Stone, navigating horror-comedy beats with timing that had to feel physical, but not heavy. For Surrogates, she doubled Radha Mitchell in a stylized sci-fi world full of unique action from the mind of Gregg Smrz.

One of her most high-profile comedy runs was with Christina Applegate — doubling her on Anchorman, The Sweetest Thing, View From the Top, and Surviving Christmas. These weren’t just comedic pratfalls — they were carefully choreographed gags that needed precision, speed, and total body control to sell the joke without killing the punchline.

And Lisa’s range goes even wider. She was the stunt double for Naomi Watts in The Ring, Jane Fonda in Monster-in-Law, and Rachel McAdams in The Hot Chick. She even covered a 93-foot high fall for Cameron Diaz in Charlie’s Angels — the kind of drop that most people wouldn’t walk near, let alone cruise up and launch into free fall.

In National Treasure, she doubled Diane Kruger and moved through memorable chase scenes, close calls, and high impact action that that was crucial to land clean every time. She also appeared as a stunt performer in Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Knight and Day, and Battle: Los Angeles, the latter of which had her doubling Michelle Rodriguez in heavy gear, through those smoke and fire heavy sequences.

From sitcoms like Modern Family and What I Like About You to big-screen blockbusters, Lisa’s never been boxed into a type. She’s done air rams, high falls, stair tumbles, utility stunts, driving, wire work, and more. Her ability to adapt — and reset quickly — is part of what’s kept her working across genres, decades, and formats.

She doesn’t talk much about it. She doesn’t need to.

The work speaks loud enough.