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<\/p>\nStuntwoman Devyn Dalton never stops training. Her workouts typically consist of strength exercises, mixed with martial arts and outdoor activities like hiking and running. The only things that change are the structures of her workouts, depending on the role she\u2019s getting ready for.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I am [preparing] for a role specifically, I\u2019ll definitely figure out what I need for that [character],\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Sometimes it requires increased agility. Sometimes she needs to focus on athletic training. <\/p>\n
Regardless of the role, she has to be mentally sharp and completely submerge herself into the character, to the point of invisibility. <\/p>\n
Her latest challenge: standing in for Matt Damon in Christopher Nolan\u2019s \u201cThe Odyssey.\u201d In a scene where Odysseus and his crew come into contact with the Laestrygonians, a tribe of man-eating giants, Dalton, who\u2018s four and a half feet tall, doubled for Damon. The filmmakers used the height difference to help create the illusion of the ginormous Laestrygonians.<\/p>\n
In a recent appearance on the \u201cHappy Sad Confused\u201d podcast, Damon gave his stunt double credit for having \u201cthe greatest arms\u201d he\u2019s ever seen.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was almost 100% my arms in the movie, but you gotta give it up where it\u2019s due,\u201d Damon said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Matt Damon stars as Odysseus in \u201cThe Odyssey,\u201d written, produced, and directed by Christopher Nolan.<\/p>\n
(Melinda Sue Gordon \/ Universal Pictures)<\/p>\n
Dalton\u2019s job isn\u2019t just creating a character based on a different actor\u2019s movement, her job is to blend in so seamlessly that the audience doesn\u2019t even know it\u2019s not Damon\u2019s arms in battle, or that she\u2019s the one tackling Amy Madigan\u2019s Aunt Gladys in the climactic scene in 2025\u2019s \u201cWeapons.\u201d <\/p>\n
That type of invisibility starts with the script itself. Before dissecting a scene, Dalton studies the character within the story. She looks at their emotions and motivations behind each movement. <\/p>\n
Once she understands the character, Dalton examines how the actor portrays the words on the page. She pays attention to how the actor\u2019s mannerisms change when they are in action \u2014 how they walk, which foot they lean on and other subconscious physical gestures.<\/p>\n
Then, she disappears into the spectacle of the film.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s when you know you\u2019ve done your job as a stunt double,\u201d she said. \u201c[The audience] should just see the character and it doesn\u2019t take them out of the film.\u201d<\/p>\n
As a stunt double, she is often put in dangerous situations that require extra focus. The butterflies never go away, Dalton said, and an adrenaline rush right before a physically demanding stunt is inevitable. <\/p>\n
In situations where she is doing a new stunt for the first time, Dalton tries to visualize everything that can go wrong and prepare to react to it. <\/p>\n
\u201cYou have to take a leap of faith and trust that the work you\u2019ve put in is there for you,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n