10 Behind-the-Scenes Movie Stories That Prove That Being An Actor Is Dangerous

Behind-the-scenes stories reveal that being an actor is not as safe as one might hope Movie stars often find themselves in dangerous situations while filming. The biggest disasters to ever happen on movie sets are the worst-case scenarios, but other shocking stories that thankfully ended with no permanent injuries tell of actors encountering danger. This could be due to hazardous filming conditions, intense choreography or misunderstandings with people outside the crew.

Actors famous for doing their own stunts are at risk of injury, as well as managing complex set pieces. Unfortunately, negligence on the part of the crew can lead to an actor being injured, if safety standards are not met and stunt doubles are not used when they are needed. Certain examples considered as The most hostile movie sets ever are far enough in the past that people would hope that these conditions would not occur Again today. However, actors may encounter something as they navigate the creation of new stories.

10

Halle Berry hit her head filming a fight scene

The Call (2013)

Generally, things are prone to go wrong when filming action sequences, necessitating the use of stunt doubles with specialized training to protect the actors. At the time of filming The callHalle Berry was already a seasoned action star, have completed iconic action movies such as Catwoman And X-Men. Despite her experience, accidents can still happen; While filming The callBarry hit her head on the concrete floor and was knocked out (by Dean of Geek). She received immediate medical attention and made a full recovery.

This was hardly the first time Barry was injured on set. While filming action staples such as Die another day, CatwomanAnd Cloud AtlasShe ended up with several other breaks and bruises, including a different head injury. Barry isn’t the only action star to be repeatedly injured, either and needed to seek treatment while filming throughout her career.

9

The cast of Dune filmed in terrible heat

Dune: Part II (2024)

Austin Butler and the rest of the Doon 2 Cast and crew found themselves filming in 110-degree heat, causing heat stroke (via Variety). The desert setting is, of course, a key part of Dons story resulting in this difficult filming experience. Butler reported that several people passed out, but did not specify who.

Heat waves are surprisingly dangerous but always miserable for the cast wearing potentially heavy costumes and the crew tasked with carrying around equipment. On a more positive note, Butler said: “It really ties the whole crew together […] It’s something so humbling to be in such an uncomfortable environment.”

Meanwhile, Director Denis Villeneuve said he felt he made the right choice not to film his two Don Movies back-to-back After realizing how “physically standing” They would have to produce. “[…] To have a break between them was a blessing,” said Villeneuve, for the entire cast and crew. It may have resulted in a longer hiatus between movies, but this kind of moderation while filming is important for the health of all involved.

8

Daniel Craig knocked out two teeth filming a bond fight

Casino Royale (2006)

Daniel Craig quickly learned that he was not in for an easy time playing James Bond When he knocked out two teeth during the filming of Casino Royale (via movieweb). Any actor stepping into the role of James Bond can expect to be met with some backlash when there is such a monumental and iconic part to play. However, Craig was met with a lot of criticism when his casting was announced, before going on to a demanding production.

The opening fight scene was the first thing filmed for Casino RoyalePossibly explaining why both Craig and the crew were not fully prepared. Craig was apparently accidentally hit too hard by one of the other actors, resulting in the producers needing to fly in his dentist and requiring him to wear a protective rubber shield for the rest of the production. Craig and the crew adapted, and he completed five Bond movies and became one of the most popular actors to play 007.

7

Margot Robbie trained relentlessly for I, Tonya

I, Tonya (2017)

Filming isn’t the only difficult part of being an actor; Training can be just as demanding, starting early before a special physical role. While action stars, including Margot Robbie, train for action scenes so they can have a safe filming experience, The Barbie Stars doubled down on learning to skate for I, Tonya. Robbie emphasized (by The Hollywood Reporter) the difficulty of learning the sport as an adult when the movie correctly depicts Harding’s career beginning when she was a child: “When you’re a kid, you’re fearless, but from 26 years old, I had a lot of fear.”

Robbie reportedly got a herniated disc in her neck early in training for I, Tonya But didn’t realize she had the injury until a week into filming. in particular, I, Tonya Illustrates the physical demands on the ice skaters that Robbie and the crew have to meet the story. While other actors playing real-life athletes may find themselves in similar situations, the I, Tonya Crew resorted to special effects to capture Harding’s famous triple shoulder.

6

Isla Fisher almost drowned filming Henley’s first scene

Now You See Me (2013)

Now you see me Starts things off on a high note with the introduction to the four main characters performing their own magic acts in different locations. In the case of Isla Fisher’s Henley, she terrifies her audience by making them believe she is stuck in a tank about to be swamped by piranhas, for a miraculous escape. It’s even darker when Fisher reports that she nearly drowned while filming this (via eonline.com).

The mechanism for fishermen to free themselves from the tank malfunctioned, And she was stuck under water for a few minutes. She tried to get the crew’s attention, but as she thought she was panicking at the scene, they misinterpreted it as her acting. While shaken by the incident, Fisher eventually exited the tank and was not seriously injured; She shared the story in interviews.

5

Michelle Yeoh tore her ACL during the courtyard scene

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon Features one of the best fantasy movie performances ever by martial arts icon Michelle Yeoh. Yes it came Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon With stunt experience, but faced a new challenge when director Ang Lee wanted to use a different combat style As she was familiar with.

Yeo tore her ACL during the court fight scene; She ended filming by sitting in a wheelbarrow and mimicking running Before getting surgery and spending weeks recovering (through Indiewire). While some actors claim power through injury, Lee took the safer approach for the final shot of the scene.

However, other close calls have prompted Yeoh to ask questions such as: “Why am I doing this? Is it worth it? If I really got hurt, then what?” Yeoh has continued to film action movies, recently Everything everywhere all at onceHopefully with ever improving safety measures.

4

Peter Mayhew needs a security detail like Chewbacca

Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (1983)

Stories claim that Peter Mayhew was told not to wander around the set in costume while filming Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (via Vanity Fair). George Lucas notably relied on location filming for the original trilogy, seeking out spectacular deserts and forests to serve as various galactic settings. For the green planet of Endor, the original Star Wars cast traveled to the California redwoods to film their (supposedly) final battle with the Empire.

Mayhew, always in his full Chewbacca costume, is said to have been escorted around the set by a security detail To protect him from hunters who might have mistaken him for Bigfoot or another animal. Mayhew was also seven feet tall, an aspect that helped him land the role of Chewbacca but made him more visible under the circumstances. Filming went without any reported incidents – Harrison Ford was injured many more times while filming.

3

Harrison Ford’s leg was damaged by the Millennium Falcon’s door

Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)

Ford’s return to the Star Wars Set was met with an injury that could have been much worse. announced, Ford’s leg was broken by the hydraulic door of the Millennium Falcon, What he didn’t realize was active. Director JJ Abrams later revealed that he also injured his back trying to lift the door off Ford, and hid his back brace from everyone for the rest of filming (via The Hollywood Reporter).

While Ford recovered and returned to filming, Foodles Production Company, owned by Disney, was responsible for the lack of communication about the new Millennium Falcon door “Capable of killing one or possibly two people” and was fined $2 million (by The Guardian). Commenting on how the set has changed since the days when Falcon doors were operated manually, Ford said: “Now we have a lot of money and technology and so they built a big hydraulic door that closes at the speed of light.” Overall, the event demonstrates the need for strict safety protocols around complex sets.

2

Jake Gyllenhaal smashed a mirror and had to get stitches

Nightcrawler (2014)

Jake Gyllenhaal gave an underrated, Joker-like performance in the thriller NightcrawlerAnd his commitment to Lou Bloom’s characterization resulted in injury. During an intense scene where Lou is looking at himself in a mirror, Gyllenhaal possibly improvised punching the mirror, Smashing it to pieces, and resulting in his getting 42 stitches. Other scenes in the movie show Gyllenhaal with his hands behind his back, to hide the figure he was wearing at the time (via Far out).

It seems likely that if director Dan Gilroy had planned on Lou breaking the mirror in the scene, precautions would have been taken to prevent Gyllenhaal’s injury. The action is in character for Lou, a maniacal con man destroying lives on his way to becoming a successful journalist. Gyllenhaal’s performance is undoubtedly the driving force behind Nightcrawler, Cultivate his disturbing interactions with the other characters.

1

Almost the entire fellowship of the ring is hurt

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)

The Lord of the Rings Cast endured an intense production as the epic battle sequences resulted in various mishaps. Viggo Mortensen famously broke his toes when he kicked an orc’s helmet (an unscripted moment) Another discovery that leads the group to assume Pippin and Merry are dead, and his angry screams are at least partially real.

Mortensen also reportedly broke a tooth while filming Helm’s Deep; According to Peter Jackson, this hardly slowed him down, and he insisted they continue (via SlashFilm). Meanwhile, Orlando Bloom broke a rib falling off a horse, Sean Astin sprained his foot, and John Rhys-Davies’ stand-in Brett Beattie dislocated his ankle.All reportedly only while filming the second movie.

Lord of the Rings Favored more open sets, but real and prop weapons as well as moments improvised without forethought still caused some minor injuries. Most of the time, the cast of great action movies escape without any lasting injuries, But their stories still show some danger in their work.

Source: Dean of Geek, Variety, movieweb, The Hollywood Reporter, eonline.com, Indiewire, Vanity Fair, The Guardian, Far out, SlashFilm