Double Dare

Premiered May 31, 2005

Directed by

Amanda Micheli

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About the Documentary

As the stuntwomen for Wonder Woman and Xena: Warrior Princess, Jeannie Epper and Zoë Bell are Hollywood’s anonymous heroes, taking the hits that make actors into stars. Double Dare explores the lives of Epper and Bell as they face the challenges of a dangerous and male-dominated profession. The real women behind these two world-famous icons are at drastically different crossroads in their lives: Epper, a grandmother, struggles with the aging process and Hollywood’s dearth of older female roles as Bell, a young woman, is unaware of the feminist history that has preceded her in the notoriously macho stunt industry.

Director Amanda Micheli was inspired to make Double Dare after meeting several stuntwomen and hearing about their challenges in working in the stunt industry: having to prove themselves to directors, struggling with near-impossible beauty standards, and fighting to be promoted to the higher position of stunt coordinator.

When Epper becomes a mentor for Bell, these two women from opposite sides of the world and opposite ends of their careers find a way to survive in the industry together. Double Dare is a portrait of these doubles for Wonder Woman and Xena, doubles for each other, and doubles for the average American woman struggling against the race of time.