Stuntwoman turned star

NZ stuntwoman Zoe Bell is described as a “bona fide butt-kicker” in an August Marie Claire profile. Bell has gone from doubling Lucy Lawless in Xena and Uma Thurman in Kill Bill to making her acting debut in Quentin Tarantino’s latest film, Death Proof. “I forgot I even had dialogue,” said Bell, who stars as herself in Tarantino’s ode to bloody B-movies. “I was like, ‘Sweet, dude. Car stuff! That’d be a buzz.'” Born and raised on Waiheke Island, Bell now lives in California. According to a recent NZ Herald article, she has starring roles in several upcoming action films, one of which may be directed by Tarantino. “Do I want to be a bad guy, a good guy, a ninja, an assassin, a racing car driver or a cop?” she wondered in the interview. “I just want a really brilliant script. Great dialogue doubled with great action. That would be my ultimate.”