How a 4'6" Stuntwoman Doubled Matt Damon in The Odyssey

Making movies sometimes needs pretend-danger scenes that actors cannot safely do, so special helpers called stunt doubles do them instead.

A stuntwoman named Devyn Dalton, who is only 4'6" tall, doubled actor Matt Damon in a new movie called The Odyssey.

The movie tells the story of the hero Odysseus, and in one scene he fights giant cannibals called the Laestrygonians.

Dalton had a special job: her small size and strong arms helped make Odysseus look small next to the giants.

Stunt doubles are chosen for how they move, their skills, and their experience, not just for looking like the actor.

Women can double men, and long ago male stunt performers sometimes dressed up as women to double actresses, which made stuntwomen upset because they lost work.

Stuntwoman Reshma Pathan helped change that in India when she entered Hindi cinema in 1968.

Cameras, costumes, hair and makeup are all used to hide the switch from the audience.

Scientists also found that our brains use faces we just saw to keep recognising people, so we barely notice the swap.

Stunt performers are storytellers who help bring characters to life.