20 Times an actor got injured while shooting

Actors, while shooting, dedicate themselves mentally and physically to their roles. More often than not, these intense portrayals land them an injury or two.

Intense roles demand physically challenging stunts and action sequences, and while there are stunt doubles and choreographers to help actors ease this burden, acting is no easy job.

Here is a list of 20 times an actor got injured while shooting.

20) Jeremy Renner in Tag

In 2018, Jeremy Renner landed himself a serious injury while shooting Tag. In a scene where he was supposed to get hold of a chair, he slipped and broke both arms. But, being the professional actor that he is, he continued with the shooting. Breaking both your arms is very painful, but Jeremy Renner dealt with it with poised professionalism and didn't let it affect production.

19) Isla Fischer in Now You See Me

Now You See Me is a crime thriller about a group of magicians. One of the scenes required Isla Fisher to escape a water-filled glass tank while handcuffed and chained. But due to some malfunctioning, she got trapped and drowned before somehow she scarcely managed to escape. It was one of the most frightening experiences for her as she was minutes away from death.

18) Ashton Kutcher in Jobs

When Ashton Kutcher was filming Steve Jobs’ biography - Jobs, he resorted to some extreme means. He had to follow a strict diet and ended up with a case of pancreatitis. He was hospitalized for several days with intense pain before he could resume filming. It is an example of how big a toll acting can take on the physical health of actors.

17) Tom Hanks in Cast Away

Cast Away was a 2000 movie about a man stranded on an Island. While filming, Tom Hanks got a cut on his leg, which eventually turned into a Staph Infection. This infection became life-threatening, and Tom Hanks had to be hospitalized. The filming had to be stopped till Hanks recovered and was healthy enough to resume shooting.

16) Margot Robbie in I, Tonya

The movie, I, Tonya’s extensive training caused a herniated disk in Margo Robbie’s neck. She didn’t even realize she was injured until her arms went numb. She had to be rushed to the hospital and treated for the same. These were not the only injuries she sustained. The intense ice skating role also caused her a lot of blisters and bruises.

15) Brad Pitt in Se7en

Se7en is a thriller about a serial killer who kills criminals who commit the 7 deadly sins mentioned in the Bible. In the movie, Brad Pitt was filming an action sequence atop a car hood when he slipped and fell through the windshield, breaking the glass. Although he recovered soon, screenwriters had the creative idea of writing his injury into the film, which made his acting even more real and raw.

14) Matt LeBlanc in Friends

Friends was a popular 90s sitcom about a group of friends living in New York. In the show, Matt Le Blanc portrays the character of Joey. In an episode where he is racing another character to a chair, he collides with a coffee table, which dislocates his shoulder. He had to wear a sling for days, which had to be written in the show.

13) Daniel Craig in Casino Royale

In the iconic movie Casino Royale, Daniel Craig ended up losing two of his front teeth. In a fight sequence, he ended up smashing his teeth. In fact, despite the James Bond movies being a career highlight for him, they have brought a ton of injuries for the actor. He has had a broken foot, had his fingertip sliced, had many knee injuries, and even a broken ankle while filming.

12) Robert Downey Jr. in Iron Man 3

Robert Downey Jr. portrays the iconic superhero - Iron Man in Marvel’s Avengers Franchise. While filming a jumping sequence in Iron Man 3, he broke his ankle and was in severe pain. He had to be rushed to the medical team and shooting had to be paused to allow him time to heal. Fans eagerly waiting for the movie had to wait some time more.

11) Angelina Jolie in Salt

The beautiful and flawless Angelina Jolie sustained a scar on her face while shooting the film Salt. The scene required her to enter a doorway, but she ended up tumbling and smashing her head, which sliced open her forehead and has now left a scar. These things can be very important when you are in show business, but with her dedicated medical team, she managed to heal the scar properly, and now it is hardly visible.

10) Harrison Ford in Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Harrison Ford plays the role of Han Solo in the iconic movie franchise - Star Wars, the fourth installment of the series. While filming, he was struck by an automatic door. The force was so much that he could have died. He sustained a dislocated shoulder and a broken leg. He was airlifted to the hospital from the sets and eventually recovered.

9) Leonardo DiCaprio in Django Unchained

Django Unchained is a movie about slavery in pre-Civil War America. In the film, Leonardo DiCaprio plays a capitalistic plantation owner. An intense scene required him to speak over a dining table and to emphasize his point, he had to bang his hand on the table. Unfortunately, he banged his hand too hard, and a glass broke, cutting his wrist. The wound was quite deep, and although required immediate attention, Leonardo DiCaprio first finished filming the scene even with blood oozing out of his hand.

8) Jake Gyllenhaal in Nightcrawler

Jake Gyllenhaal in the movie Nightcrawler, portrays a success-driven journalist who blends the line between professionalism and obsession. A scene required him to open a mirror cupboard door and slam it, but unfortunately, the glass broke and he ended up with 42 stitches. Since most of the movie was already filmed at that time, it didn’t cause much of a production delay.

7) Natalie Portman in Black Swan

One of Natalie Portman’s most challenging roles came in the movie - Black Swan. It was emotionally exhausting as it is, but caused her several physical injuries, too. While filming the intense ballet scenes, she dislocated her ribs, got concussions, and even had her toenails fall off. It was, by far, her most excruciating filming experience, but her hard work paid off, and the film became a success.

6) Halle Berry in Bruised

Halle Berry is an actress who rose from nothing. She made a name for herself through constant hard work, and if anybody understands the importance of opportunities, it is her. She was acting and directing the movie Bruised when she suffered an injury and had two broken ribs. But the fear of production shutting down the project had her hide the injuries, and she continued filming under constant pain.

5) Daniel Day-Lewis in Gangs of New York

The movie Gangs of New York features a fight sequence between Leonardo DiCaprio and Daniel Day-Lewis. To portray the authenticity of a fight scene, DiCaprio, by mistake, broke Daniel’s nose. The shooting of this movie proved to be quite challenging for him as he ended up contacting pneumonia too and was severely ill before being hospitalized.

4) Sylvester Stallone in Rocky IV

Sylvester Stallone made a name for himself with the Rocky series, but that fame came at a cost. During the filming of a boxing sequence, Sylvester Stallone got hit so hard that he had to be transferred to the Intensive Care Unit of the Hospital for days. A punch had hit his heart against the rib cage, causing him intense pain and a life-threatening injury.

3)Dylan O’Brien in Maze Runner: The Death Cure

One of the harshest injuries during the shooting was sustained by actor Dylan O’Brien while filming Maze Runner. A scene had Dylan over a car with a harness, but his harness broke, and he fell. But the worst part was when another car accidentally ran over him, dragging him along. His injuries were quite serious, and had to be immediately hospitalised. The filming had to pause for a year because of his surgeries and healing.

2) George Clooney in Syriana

George Clooney’s injury while shooting the film Syriana was so severe that people almost thought his career would end. He fell from a chair with such force that he cracked open his head, and the meningeal layer of Dura Mater in his brain got torn. Everyone on the set was shocked to the core as spinal fluid was leaking out of his head. He was immediately rushed to the ICU, and it took quite a while for him to recover.

1) Brandon Lee in The Crow

The accident of Brandon Lee in the film The Crows is an example of just how devastating the injuries sustained by an actor can be. Bruce Lee’s son, Brandon Lee, in an accident on the set, lost his life. A scene required his character to be shot, and by mistake, the fake bullets got mixed up, and he sustained fatal injuries. He was rushed to the hospital but couldn’t make it.