Action-packed movies are a thrill to watch. But a lot goes on behind their making. Often these jam-packed stunts and sequences result in accidents that result in severe damage or in extreme cases death.
While filmmakers try their best to exercise caution, most of the time the situations are beyond their control. After many tragedies, new and improved protocols have been issued for the protection of the lives of everyone involved in the filming process. But even though they provide a safety net for future actors, a life lost can’t be brought back. Here is a list of the 20 biggest on-set accidents that changed movie history.
20) Dylan O'Brien in Maze Runner: The Death Cure
Actor Dylan O’Brien in 2016 while filming Maze Runner: The Death Cure had a tragic accident. While filming a sequence in which Dylan was harnessed over the top of the car, a misshapen took place and he fell off the car and got run over by another car. He was very severely injured and incurred multiple fractures.
This incident acted as a push towards increased cautiousness while filming stunts and action sequences started receiving more supervision
19) David Holmes in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows involved a lot of flying and jumping scenes. David Holmes was actor Daniel Radcliffe’s stunt double. While filming one such sequence he struck a wall hard and sustained spinal injuries.
The wound was so impactful that he got paralyzed and his career even ended. After this tragic event, more scrutiny was ensured to stringent stunts.
18) George Clooney in Syriana
George Clooney while filming the Academy Award Winner Film, Syriana suffered a tragic accident. He fell from a chair and got seriously wounded on his head. So much so that his Dura Mater got torn and spinal fluid started leaking out.
This accident prompted discussions about safety regulations during filming significantly.
17) Heidi von Beltz in The Canonball Run
Heidi von Beltz was a young actress whose career ended before it even started. While filming The Cannonball Run in 1981, during a car chasing scene a crash took place and led to a paralysis of both her legs and hands.
She sued everyone involved in the production for negligence of her safety and won the lawsuit. This incident has acted as a cautionary tale for future stunt productions.
16) House Peters during The Girl of the Golden West
While filming the movie, The Girl of the Golden West, actor House Peters had a firearm explode in his hand. He faced severe injuries. Although he recovered, this was an early waring signal about the threat firearms pose while filming and urged the people involved in production to be more cautious.
15) Scott McLean in The Hangover Part II
While filming the iconic film The Hangover Part II, stuntman Scott McLean was leaning out of a window to perform a stunt. The driver of the car unexpectedly lost control which resulted in a life-threatening injury to his head.
He underwent multiple surgeries and eventually recovered, but this too acted as a testament to the importance of safety.
14) Jim Engh in The X-Files
While filming X-Files, Jim Engh got electrocuted by a 4800-volt charge while on a scaffolding. He was one of the crew members for the FOX drama film. Unfortunately, Jimmy died while five other crew members were injured during the incident.
13) Conway Wickliffe in The Dark Knight
The Dark Knight was a commercially successful film. But it resulted in the loss of two lives. One of the actors Heath Ledger shortly after filming died of an overdose. The other, Conway Wickliffe was leaning out of a car to shoot a sequence. The car crashed into a tree and Conway passed away instantly.
12) Art Scholl in Top Gun
Tom Cruise’s movies are known for their extensive stunts. The hit movie Top Gun involved several sequences of fighter jets. One acrobatic pilot, Art Scholl lost his life filming one such sequence. His plane maneuvered and fell into the Pacific Ocean and was never recovered.
11) John Bruckner in The Walking Dead
A tragic accident caused by negligence happened on the sets of The Walking Dead. Stuntman John Bernecker was supposed to act out a fall from the 22nd floor. The safety pads below were misplaced and he crashed on the floor leading to severe head injury. Unfortunately, Bernecker succumbed to his injuries.
10) Sonja Davis in Vampires in Brooklyn
Sonja Davis was a stuntwoman involved in the film, Vampires in Brooklyn. She had a similar fate to that of Bernecker. She had to orchestrate a fall but the safety airbag was misplaced and led to her death.
9) Haley Hutchins in Rust
The movie Rust had one of the most tragic incidents in the history of filmmaking. Actor Alec Baldwin was given a prop gun and was rehearsing his scene when the fake bullet stuck cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and she died instantly.
8) Roar
Roar is a 1981 movie known for using live animals like lions, leopards, and cheetahs in its filming. These animals were untrained and led to a lot of injuries and casualties while filming.
7) Vin Murrow in The Twilight Zone
Actor Vic Marrow played a character named Bill Connor in the film The Twilight Zone. He and two young child actors were supposed to be on a helicopter while explosions blew overhead. One such explosion led the helicopter to lose its control and it crashed into the river which led to not only the demise of three actors but decapitating them in the process too.
6) Sarah Jones in Midnight Rider: The Gregg Allan Story
Sarah Jones was a camera assistant who was involved in the shooting of the movie Midnight Rider: The Gregg Allman Story. They were shooting near railway tracks without all the necessary permissions. Suddenly an unexpected freight train turned up and in an attempt to clear the track as soon as possible, jones got hit and killed on the spot.
There was a huge backlash from the industry towards the production unit. A campaign known as ‘Slates for Sarah’ was launched. The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IASTSE) was employed after this incident to ensure the safety of everyone working on the set of a film.
5) Hershman in Pleasantville
Hershman, the second camera assistant on Pleasantville, died in March 1997 in a car crash. He fell asleep on the wheel and crashed into a pole while driving home after working for 19 hours.
4) Dar Robinson's death in The Million Dollar Mystery
In 1986 while filming Million Dollar Mystery, stuntman Dar Robinson lost his life in a bike racing sequence. He lost control of the bike and fell off a cliff.
3) Horses in The Assassination of Jesse James
While several regulations were in place for the safety of the cast and crew, the filming of the movie The Assassination of Jesse James, led to rules about animal production emerging. While filming a sequence that involved a horse and its rider jumping, the horse wasn’t properly trained and got severely injured. It later died but this incident sparked an outrage regarding animal welfare during filming.
2) Joi Harrison in Deadpool
Deadpool was known for its enthralling action sequences. Stuntman Joi Harris who was performing a sequence in the film lost her life. The scene involved a motorcycle chase where she lost control and crashed into a pole. The medical team rushed to her help but they were too late. Her death led to regulations being issued regarding stunts involving vehicles.
1) Brandon Lee in The Crow
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One of the biggest and most devastating losses was that of Bruce Lee’s son - Brandon Lee. While filming the movie, The Crow, Brandon was supposed to be shot. The gun was loaded with blanks but unexpectedly there were live bullets in the gun. It was a devastating mistake on the part of the crew and although Brandon was immediately rushed to the hospital, he couldn’t be saved.
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