“In Search Of Heroes Program” interview of Zoe Bell, by Nahan Turner, was amazing. Zoe exhibited a sense of humor and self-ridicule. Zoe’s answers were inspirational.
In her new movie, “Angel Of Death” Zoe demonstrates amazing martial arts skills. She is the new female “Steven Seagal.” It is rare to see a woman triumphing over so many evil henchmen in one film.
After watching the film, you have to believe she must have spent many hours soaking in epson salt baths to decrease the swelling and bruises from the slam, bang, non-stop action. It is hard to believe that all the actors and stunt people did not experience extreme bumps and bruises from the realistic martial arts action.
New Zealand native Zoe Bell has a background in gymnastics and martial arts. She began as a stunt woman when she doubled for Lucy Lawless on the cult favorite TV series, Xena, The Warrior Princess” in 1995. She also was a stunt double for Uma Thurman in Quentin Tarantino’s “Kill Bill Vol. 1” and “Kill Bill Volume 2.”
Nathan Turner: Hello, we are at the Comic-Con. We are talking with Zoe Bell. Zoe tell the people a little bit about yourself.
Zoe Bell: Hi my name is Zoe Bell. I have been a stunt woman for many years and recently become an actress. I’m here because I’m involved with a tv show, now an internet show, on DVD called “Angel of Death.”
Nathan Turner: Zoe what was your involvement in the project? How did you like it? How did you enjoy it?
Zoe Bell: It was fun. My involvement is I am the angel of death. That’s me. I am said angel of death.
Nathan Turner: Alright. Zoe we have a couple of questions for you. First one is this. What in your opinion is a hero?
Zoe Bell: Aside from myself, you mean? (laughter) I would say a hero is someone who has you think outside of your own box where you might get stuck in from time to time. And challenges you to be a better person.
Nathan Turner: Wonderful, wonderful. Why do you think heroes are important in society, and for children and such, for future generations?
Zoe Bell: I guess for the same sort of reasons. It gives them something to aspire to. It gives them something to…it’s really that it’s easy to get stuck in the way you think and the life you’ve been brought up into; whether that’s good or bad . I get stuck in my way of thinking and I’ve had a pretty fortunate life. I think it’s really important to help you think outside of what you are born into so therefore you can achieve, not necessarily better things, but more heightened and maybe different stuff.
Nathan Turner: Who are the heroes in your life? If you had to say, besides yourself?
Zoe Bell: Huh, the heroes in my life? Definitely my mom and dad rank really high on there. My dad because I kind of wanted to be him when I grew up. My mom because she’s a really phenomenal example of a female in this day and age. They are both really inspirational people. Even their relationship is inspirational. They’ve put in hard work to themselves as a team. They are very real and inspiring.
Nathan Turner: Who do you think in modern society today that are the unsung heroes? The ones who do not get recognized as they properly should?
Zoe Bell: Wow! I guess a lot of it is that there is so much emphasis on….I guess it’s shifting a little bit in this industry…it used to be like the stars and the people that are in front of the camera, for example, that get a lot of that attention. It used to be the people behind the scenes that were the unsung heroes in a way. I kind of liked that a little bit because that was our job and the mystique. But in society it’s sort of that so many people do the charities and do the hard work and do stuff for humanitarian reasons. And literally doing it for that reason. Unfortunately I guess that means they end up not getting the same kind of recognition as those that might throw big bashes but not seeing the money the way they should.
Having said that, I think the people that do it and don’t do it for the exposure, they get their satisfaction out of seeing the effect it’s having on people as opposed to the amount of coverage they get. Some people say, “As a stunt woman you should get more attention.”, that’s not why I do it. If my family and friends are proud of me that’s the way it works for me.
Nathan Turner: Thank you very much Zoe. We’ve been talking with the proclaimed, angel of death.
Zoe Bell: It was a pleasure.