Earlier this week we featured stunt performer Lee Chesley and now it’s time for part two of our series. Janeshia Adams-Ginyard is a stunt performer who’s also making her mark as an actor: she played Nomble, a member of the Dora Milaje who appeared in Marvel’s Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Avengers: Infinity War, and Black Panther. And that’s just the tip of her career iceberg.
As a stunt performer, Adams-Ginyard has also doubled Teyonah Parris in WandaVision, Aunjanue Ellis in Lovecraft Country — a memorably fierce turn which earned her an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Stunt Performance — and Danai Gurira in Avengers: Endgame, to name just a few credits on her extensive resumé. Aika Tanaka recently spoke with Adams-Ginyard for Gizmodo to learn more — check out the inspiring video above (which also includes a glimpse of her professional wrestling career!), in which the performer talks about the relationships she’s built with the women she’s doubled on camera.
“When my Emmy nomination came, Aunjanue Ellis — who was also nominated for an Emmy for Lovecraft Country — was so supportive, she congratulated me, she wished me good luck. And it’s just really awesome because on set she was super-supportive, too. She trusted my skills. I was happy to be her stunt double, and to just be that extension of that character that she had created.” Adams-Ginyard also talks about the importance of staying in shape “physically… mentally… and spiritually” to be able to excel at her job. “Being an athlete, it was a perfect blend, so to speak, to do the stunts, because I consider it as action acting. I am definitely a multi-hyphenate: I act and I do stunts.”
She also reveals her favourite scene so far (it was from Disney+ and Marvel’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier), and one of the most gratifying things about being involved with superhero movies. “I’ve run across several women and little girls who have been dressed as my [Black Panther] character at different comic cons. It just makes me feel really good inside because I feel like I’m making a good impact.”
You can see more from Adams-Ginyard, aka HollywoodLadyj, on Instagram and Twitter.
See Gizmodo’s interview with Janeshia Adams-Ginyard here.