Hollywood icon, 'stuntwoman' Toni Vaz breathes her last at 101

Hollywood icon and groundbreaking stuntwoman Toni Vaz has passed away at the age of 101, bringing her trailblazing career to an end.

The legend, who passed away on October 4 at the Motion Picture Fund retirement community in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, succumbed to an unknown illness that remains unspecified to this day.

Paying tribute to the late activist on X, formerly known as Twitter, American actress Yvette Nicole Brown wrote, "Getting to meet the great #ToniVaz thru my work with @mptf was a highlight of my career & life. ICYMI Toni CREATED the @NAACP #ImageAwards & she was set to get her star on the #HollywoodWalkOfFame THIS year. Such a well-deserved honor! #RIPToniVaz"

On professional front, the late actress and then a pioneering stunt performer rose to fame after her groundbreaking role in 1959 film Tarzan the Ape Man, which opened doors for her in Hollywood and she later went on to star in Anna Lucasta as well as The Singing Nun.

In addition, Vaz was the first Black Woman to find love for stunt work and pursue a career in it accordingly, including her work in Mission: Impossible TV show, where she doubled for Cicely Tyson.