Janene Carleton is considered by many international studios to be one of Hollywood’s top female stunt doubles. Over her 10 year career she has doubled for actors like Jennifer Lawrence, Jessica Biel, Paula Patton and Angelina Jolie.

Image Credit: Contributed

KELOWNA – A stuntwoman from Kelowna whose work appears in the recently released Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, was featured in an article on Cosmo.com earlier this week.

Janene Carleton, 36, is considered by many international studios to be one of Hollywood’s top female stunt doubles. Over her 10 year career she has been called to fill in for actors like Jessica Biel, Paula Patton and Angelina Jolie when things get dangerous.

Born in Kelowna, Carleton moved to Vancouver in her early twenties. She started working as a trainer of movie horses and soon began getting hired to teach actors how to ride. Her experience with horses and natural athletic ability quickly landed her work in major movies like Salt, RoboCop, Total Recall, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol and The Twilight Saga: Eclipse.

Carleton particularly enjoyed working on Dawn of the Planet of the Apes because it involved working with horses.

“I've always loved animals," she says. "Hanging out with horses is my idea of a good day at the office.”

Carleton says growing up in the Okanagan played a big part in preparing her for such a physically demanding line of work.

“This is the best place to grow up,” she says. “You have four proper seasons so you always have something amazing and fun to do. I was always riding horses or going hiking, snowboarding, riding motorcycles and dune buggies and all that stuff has definitely helped me become a well-rounded performer.”

Although busy travelling around the world for shoots, Carleton still visits her parents in Kelowna regularly. She has a large extended family in the Okanagan.

“I was fortunate to come from a family that did a lot of fun, active things outdoors,” she says. “My family taught me not to fear trying new things and that’s definitely helped in my career and my life.”

As for the danger involved in stunt work, Carleton says it’s nothing new to her.

“Even if I know something’s dangerous it doesn’t stop me from wanting to do it,” she says. “I’ve been bucked off my horse and gone through a fence and it never occurs to me not to get right back on. It's just the way I was raised.”

Janene Carleton in a 2013 commercial for P&O Cruises.