Fearless Anita Bush Rides On

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The Daughters of Daring: Hollywood Cowgirl Stunt Women

Before Hollywood had safety rigs and stunt doubles, there was Anita Bush – a fearless pioneer who helped redefine what women, and especially Black women, could do on screen.

Born on September 1, 1883, Bush began her career as a dancer before stepping into vaudeville at just sixteen with the act William and Walker. Her life changed when director Richard Norman saw her perform and cast her opposite rodeo legend Bill Pickett in the groundbreaking Western The Bull-Dogger.

Bush had no formal riding experience, but she had grit. As she famously wrote, she had “lots of nerve” and could learn anything quickly. And she proved it. For the film, she learned to ride horses and rope steers, performing her own stunts under Pickett’s guidance. No doubles. No shortcuts. Just raw courage.

She followed that performance with a starring role in The Crimson Skull, one of the first Westerns to feature an all-Black cast. At a time when Hollywood limited Black actors to stereotypes, Bush broke barriers by taking on dramatic, action-driven roles—earning praise for her versatility and screen presence.

Determined to create more opportunities, Bush founded her own theatrical company, the Anita Bush Players of Harlem (later known as the Lafayette Players), championing serious roles for Black performers. Off-screen, she was just as formidable—negotiating contracts and even securing higher pay than some of her leading men.

Anita Bush wasn’t just a performer, she was a trailblazer who rode straight into Hollywood history and changed the script for those who followed.

Her incredible story and those of other fearless women of the West are featured in Daughters of Daring: Hollywood Cowgirl Stunt Women.

To learn more and enter for your chance to win a copy of the book!