Stuntwoman to the stars

Alumna Diane Peterson recounts her fearless Hollywood career

By University of Miami College of Arts and Sciences By Alexandra Yessios

November 2^nd, 2025

STUNTWOMAN TO THE STARS

Alumna Diane Peterson recounts her fearless Hollywood career

When Diane Peterson, B.A. ’72, arrived at the University of Miami in the late 1960s, she thought she would become an orthodontist. Inspired by her teenage experience with braces, she envisioned a career devoted to straightening smiles. But one elective class changed everything.

“I took an introduction to the theater, and I had a great professor. His name was Buckets Lowery, and he taught me to love the theater,” Peterson shared. “I had never been in a play in my life and never really thought about that. All of a sudden, I was like, ‘Wow, this is a whole new world.’”

From that moment on, Peterson immersed herself in acting. She performed in multiple productions on and off campus, fell in love with the craft, and learned some life lessons along the way. Her time at the University also brought other milestones, such as joining Greek life and becoming the first sophomore crowned Homecoming Queen, a title that came with a parade and a ball.

After graduating from the College of Arts and Sciences, Peterson’s path veered towards the screen. A commercial featuring her galloping on a horse bareback at sunrise earned her entry into the Screen Actors Guild, a rare accomplishment for a young actress. Soon after, a small acting role on the television show “Kojak” sparked her fascination with stunts. Watching professional stuntmen execute high-speed car chases, she thought, “That’s what I want to do.”

Diane Peterson, right, on the set of “Titanic.”

Breaking into the male-dominated field was not easy. “They told me, ‘Forget it, honey. We put the wigs on and do it ourselves,’” Peterson said. But her persistence paid off. After proving herself time after time, she became the first woman inducted into the East Coast Stuntmen’s Association.

Her career flourished, taking her from New York to Hollywood and eventually around the world. She doubled in blockbusters such as “Titanic,” worked alongside stars like Tom Selleck on “Magnum, P.I.,” and performed high-stakes stunts in action classics like “King Kong” and “Out for Justice.”

Despite the injuries and obstacles she faced along the way, Peterson never lost her drive. She later documented her experiences in her memoir, "Hollywood Stuntwoman," which she describes as both a motivational book and a celebration of her career.