The Matrix: Revolution’s Danielle Burgio is the stunt woman of your dreams, so tell Morpheus you want to sleep just a little longer.

	On the set of The Eliminator: Paul Logan, Danielle Burgio, Jamal Duff and Bas Rutten.
	Burgio on the set as Trinity for a Matrix-inspired Heineken commercial.

Danielle Burgio never had a clue she’d become one of Hollywood’s most sought-after stunt women. Leaving a successful dance career on Broadway, she headed to Los Angeles in 1996 with the dream of one day starring as an actress in television or film.

Her first leading role just happens to be alongside former UFC champion Bas Rutten in 2003’s The Eliminator. When Burgio isn’t acting, she’s usually being shot, stabbed or thrown off a roof in place of many a Hollywood leading lady, including Carrie-Anne Moss during the filming of both Matrix sequels.

In a rare quiet moment, Burgio (aka “Gear Girl” on TBS’s Worst-Case Scenario) allowed her bruises time to heal so she could pose for FightSport. (Hey, we’re just looking out for you, Danielle—but next time you need someone to land on, give us a call!)

FightSport: At what point did you realize that you had total disregard for your body?

Danielle Burgio: It was just part of the ride. I ended up on the set of John Carpenter’s Vampires, which was my first job. And once you’re there, you’re there. It’s not like you can just say, “John, I want to go home. I don’t really want to play anymore. This hurts, I don’t like it.”

Little did I know when I showed up it was like massive gunfire. I had little explosives all over my body. They blew me up with a shotgun. They shot me up with machine guns. They ratcheted me into the wall. The put me on this thing called an air ram that hurls you into the air and I had to land on top of this guy. It was ridiculous—nonstop action, action, action. At the end of that, I was bloody, bruised, swollen and a mess and in so much pain— and I was so happy!

FS: Man, you’re weird.

Burgio: It is weird! People think, Oh, you must be a tomboy or daredevil or something. No, totally not. I was a dancer—a friggin’ ballerina.

FS: So what’s the craziest stunt you’ve ever done?

Burgio: Probably climbing a 26-story building with suction cups. (laughs) That’s probably the craziest—it’s certainly the weirdest.

FS: Ok, so break that down for me. How does that happen?

Burgio: There’s an air compressor that attaches to your back with hoses that run to paddles—one on each hand and one on each foot, so you’re pretty strapped into the machine and it’s very high tech. You just place a paddle on the wall that creates a vacuum and this little LED lights up telling you you’re safe.

FS: You would hope.

Burgio: Yeah, you would hope. Well, the scariest thing about the machine was that it was a prototype. There was one in the world that existed and it had never been as high as I took it. And it had never been used by a woman, so it was exciting.

FS: Yeah, you’re breaking ground. Well, you hope you’re not breaking ground.

Burgio: (laughs) I hope I’m not breaking anything.

FS: And what was that machine for?

Burgio: Worst-Case Scenario. I got to do a lot of weird things for [that show]. Worst-Case Scenario took my stunt career in a whole new direction.

FS: What was the premise? “You need to climb a building! Here’s how!”

Burgio: My segment was “Gear Girl,” which was basically me showing the audience cool, new gadgets which could potentially be used to get you out of bad situations. My segment was always a bit campy, and we’d come up with some ridiculous things. For this particular [occasion] it was me being locked out of a party and I used my Gekkomat to climb up to the rooftop to [gain entry] to the party.

FS: Must’ve been a P. Diddy party.

Burgio: Exactly. (laughs)

FS: You also did the stunts for The Matrix character Trinity, right?

Burgio: Yeah. Actually, I have to confess that I’m wicked hung over today. We had the premiere last night [for The Matrix: Revolutions]. I don’t think there’s anything I’m more proud of being a part of than The Matrix. I’ve never worked on anything where people were so bonded like a family. Everybody was so excited to be out there and working on these films. After the magnitude of the first one, to be hired to come in and do parts two and three, it was like Oh my God, I’ve died and gone to heaven.

Because there’s so much training involved and it’s so physical for everybody, we’re all there hurting together and it was amazing.

FS: What kind of martial arts background did you have coming in to your stunt work, and what have you developed since then?

Burgio: I am what they call a “hack.” (laughs) With my dance background I’d say there’s the majority of my training right there.

But when I got into the stunt industry I got hooked up with some fellow stuntmen who were [specially trained] in the martial arts. Those guys who I trained with have competed for years and do all different forms. It’s a lot of taekwondo, karate … Matrix is a lot of wushu. So it depends on the style of film.

FS: So you’d find the flashier martial arts and less of what you’d find today from guys in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Burgio: I have to laugh at that. I just worked with Bas Rutten. I love Bas so much. We have a movie coming out soon called The Eliminator. Oh, I’m so in love with that man. He’s such a huge, scary, silly, cuddly, sweet man. We had a good time down in Florida in the jungle. We suffered to make that movie, too.

FS: What’s more dangerous: Walking up the side of a building or being on the set with Bas?

Burgio: Definitely being on the set with Bas Rutten, but also way more fun. There’s also a nice special appearance by Marco Ruas. It’s going to be a good fighting movie.

FS: Did you watch any of Bas’ fights? What’s your opinion on the kind of stuff he does?

Burgio: It’s so funny because I never watched Ultimate Fighting— and then, of course, when I met Bas I wanted to see the Ultimate Fighting Championships. But when I heard all the stories I thought, He’s my friend now. I