Johannesburg - This week we feature South African stunt woman, dancer, gymnast, activist and actress Jenny Umbhau.
The Cape Town-born actress is best known for playing the stunt double of Wednesday Addams on the Netflix original, Wednesday.
Her character Wednesday, played by US actress Jenna Ortega, is based on a fictional series where she is what is considered a “dark” young girl in her own way and is always up to mischief.
Umbhau has had her fair share of on-screen appearances, working on the set of both the Resident Evil TV series and Resident Evil: The Final Chapter, The Maze Runner, Tomb Raider, Escape Room and most recently, Wednesday.
Locally, she was involved in the production of Black Sails, which was filmed in Somerset West, just outside Cape Town.
You are able to stunt double for any actress in the world. Who do you choose and why?
Well if this was a completely unrealistic world, and if Charlize Theron were 156cm tall then DEFINITELY her. I absolutely idolise her as an actress, but she also plays the most bad-ass characters with the coolest fights and stunts in almost every movie she does. And as a fellow South African, it would be such an honour.
How would you describe being a stunt double for Wednesday Adams?
Working on Wednesday changed my life in so many ways. It was the biggest show I’ve ever worked on. Getting to work alongside Tim Burton was a dream come true. I grew up watching his films and it was so awesome to be able to help turn his crazy ideas into the stunts that you see on the show. Being chosen to be Ortega’s stunt double was truly an honour. She’s such a wonderful and talented actress, I just wish I got to spend more time with her, but because she was the lead she was needed on set every day which limited her time in the stunt gym.
What does it take to be a great stunt woman?
The recipe to being a great stunt woman is being persistent, hard-working, resilient, humble, lifting others up with you, sharing your knowledge, never giving up when times get tough, keeping your body physically and mentally strong, having a crazy love for adrenaline and just being passionate for what you do. This industry throws you with a lot of NOs and rejection, but if you learn to continue pushing through, remind yourself of your goals and you make it a priority to have fun in the process, you’ll always prevail.
The greatest stuntman/woman to ever live is?
Jackie Chan. Hands down. He is the epitome of the world-renowned stunt performer. All his stunts are crazy dangerous, and he’s sustained multiple serious injuries in his career. But if there’s any stunt person to idolise it’s him. I only hope to be half of the stunt performer he is one day.
Three items you have to have in your fridge at all times?
My array of sauces. I’m a bit of a sauce head. Ketchup, Dhanya Sauce, Sweet Chilli, Mrs Balls Chutney, Lappies Chilli, Chick-fil-A, Tabasco, Perinaise you name it, I have it. Blueberries. I’m an addict. All Japanese foods that I bring from abroad. I guard these items with every inch of my being.
Your biggest fear is ?
Losing my family (and that includes my best friends, my dogs and my partner). They mean absolutely everything to me. They are the reason I’ve come as far as I have in my career. They are my biggest supporters and the people who lift me up when this industry tears me down. I am nothing without them.
Ever been injured on the job?
I’ve been pretty lucky to not have had any serious injuries in my career, but the one time I got injured was when I performed a full body burn on the set of Resident Evil the series in 2021. I had done full body burns previously, but on that day it went wrong and I ended up with second and third-degree burns on my neck. But I’m still definitely keen on doing more burns and I now have more knowledge on how to ensure that it never happens again to myself or anybody else. Everything we do as stunt performers comes with its own set of risks and challenges, but with a good team and some good knowledge a lot of these stunts can be performed with minimal to no injury.
Who has the better food, America or South Africa?
South Africa, no question. The food we have in South Africa is so fresh and tasty and so versatile. We have delicious food, for much lower prices than anywhere I’ve been so far. However, if you were to add Japan to that list, I’d unfortunately have to say Japan takes the trophy.
What Netflix series should everyone be watching right now?
For Netflix I’d say Demon Slayer. That series had me at the edge of my seat from beginning to end. Also the fight scenes in there are amazing. But if you have Showmax, I’d highly recommend Warrior, which is a Bruce Lee-inspired series, with some seriously kick ass fights that was shot in Cape Town. And not to be promoting myself, but I landed a dream acting role on Warrior as the character Lai, who is a mute vigilante. It’s a really good show.
The greatest stunt you’ve ever seen in a film?
The fight scene in Atomic Blonde. Everything from the stair falls, to the camera work, to the fight itself was incredible and a true work of art. That fight is one that will be spoken of for many decades to come.