The secret lives of six body doubles: They wanted Julia Roberts to have curvier legs'

"In the film, Jordan plays the twin brothers Smoke and Stack, who often appear on screen together, requiring a double to play the other twin. Bell, 35, had never worked as a double before. He says the experience was a little bit more rigid than regular acting roles, as it was more to do with lining up his movements with Jordan's than with building his own character."

"Still, he thought deeply about how he was going to play Smoke and Stack, making playlists for both characters to help him embody each role. Funnily enough, one of the songs he had on his playlist for Stack also turned out to be a song Jordan had been using to get into character. We're very similar in certain aspects, he says. That's why the chemistry was so good."

"Although Bell can recognise his own back, or side, or whole body when watching Smoke and Stack on screen (his face was replaced with Jordan's in post-production), he is not too concerned that most viewers won't realise. You have to know your role, he says. Mine was to help facilitate and create an environment for Michael and everyone else around me to perform at their highest."

Body doubles serve various functions in the entertainment industry beyond traditional stunt work. They perform intimate scenes actors prefer to avoid, demonstrate skills like instrument playing or driving, and enable actors to play multiple characters on screen simultaneously. Percy Bell, a Nashville-based actor, exemplifies this role after being cast as Michael B. Jordan's body double in the film Sinners, where Jordan plays twin brothers requiring dual on-screen appearances. Bell approached the work methodically, creating character playlists to embody each twin's personality and movements. Though his face is replaced with Jordan's in post-production, Bell recognizes his own body in final footage. He emphasizes understanding his role's purpose: facilitating optimal performance for the lead actor and production team rather than seeking recognition.

Read at www.theguardian.com