stunt: a daring act that takes courage and skill
hire: to offer to pay someone for their services
decoy: a person or thing that tricks people into going or looking a different way
resemblance: likeness
impersonate: to pretend to be someone
keep something at bay: to prevent future trouble from happening
Body Doubles Do More Than Stunts
Body doubles are often used for special shots in films or television shows. They perform dangerous stunts, such as running through a burning building or jumping from an airplane. This is not the only reason a body double might get hired. Body doubles who are in very good physical shape are often hired to do nude scenes. They may also be used as stand-ins for magazine photo shoots. Oprah Winfrey has a body double for this purpose. According to some reports, China’s super rich can hire a body double to appear in court and serve time for a crime. Body doubles can also act as political decoys. Some body doubles even receive plastic surgery. High profile body doubles need to have a strong resemblance to the person they are impersonating. Celebrities sometimes hire body doubles to keep the media at bay. According to gossip magazines, Tom Cruise hired a body double for his daughter Suri. Do you believe this rumour?