Isla Fisher honed bravery on movie set

Isla Fisher wanted to turn down her daredevil role in Now You See Me as she is terrified of performing stunts in action movies.

The Australian actress plays an illusionist who takes part in a death-defying underwater escape in the new film, and she has previously recounted how shooting the scene almost ended in tragedy when the chains holding her down became tangled.

Now she has admitted she was wary of accepting the role when it was first offered to her, as she is such a coward she gets scared just driving around Los Angeles.

Fisher tells British magazine Stella, "I now understand the lure of action movies - I never could before. I am a bit of a 'fraidy cat. My first instinct was to decline the role, politely. I'm so afraid of regular things. Driving. People say, 'Take the freeway,' and I'm like, 'There are so many cars on the freeway, I'm taking the side roads.' I wanted to learn to be braver, and I think I did."