Mike Lambert

Born

1971-05-01

Birthplace

United Kingdom

Biography

Mike Lambert (born 1 May 1971) is a British stunt performer, fight choreographer, and action designer. He grew up in West Yorkshire, England. He developed a passion for martial arts from a young age, training in disciplines including Taekwondo, boxing, and kickboxing. He went on to compete internationally, winning the British Taekwondo Championship five times, as well as titles in Canada, Germany, and Switzerland. Lambert's early career was shaped by his time in Hong Kong cinema. He moved there in his early 20s and worked in action films, appearing in several as a stunt actor. Among his on‑screen roles was a memorable end fight with Jet Li in Unleashed (2005), directed by Louis Leterrier with action direction by Yuen Woo-ping. Over time, he transitioned from performing stunts to coordinating them, and eventually to fight choreography and action design. He has been a member of the British Stunt Register since 1999, but was active in the stunt industry as early as 1993. His skill set is wide-ranging: in addition to his martial arts background, he is experienced in sword-and-shield work, boxing, and kickboxing, and adept at fight choreography. In an interview, Lambert has described himself not only as a choreographer but as someone who can shoot and edit his own stunt visualisation ("previz"), as well as integrate VFX, CG, and animation into action sequences. Over the years, Lambert has contributed to many high-profile films and TV shows. His credits include working as a fight coordinator on The Flash, as well as coordinating stunts on Zack Snyder's Justice League, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Eternals, Black Mirror (episode "Striking Vipers"), King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, and Knuckles. His background in Hong Kong action, combined with a love of anime, video games, and over-the-top fantasy, has heavily influenced his choreographic style; he often designs fight scenes that feel stylised, larger-than-life, and cinematic. His peers have recognised Lambert for his contributions to stunt performance. As part of stunt ensembles, he was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for Rush (2013) in 2014. He was also nominated for Les Misérables (2012) in 2013. He won a SAG Award for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011) in 2012. He was nominated for Robin Hood (2010) in 2011. And he won again as part of a stunt ensemble in The Bourne Ultimatum (2007) at the SAG Awards in 2008. Outside of film, Lambert is known within the stunt community not just for physical performance but for adopting a holistic creative approach: he engages deeply with pre‑visualisation, VFX, and design, viewing action sequences as a collaborative process that spans choreography, cinematography, and post-production.