Actors Who Almost Died Filming a Movie

Many high profile film productions involve complex stunts and dangerous environments that can lead to life threatening situations for the cast. While safety protocols are typically a priority some actors have come incredibly close to fatal accidents while attempting to bring realism to their performances. These incidents range from malfunctioning equipment and animal attacks to environmental hazards and severe physical illness. The following list highlights male actors who survived harrowing experiences that almost cost them their lives during the filmmaking process.

Tom Cruise

Tom Cruise is famous for performing his own daring stunts but he faced a terrifying situation while filming ‘Mission Impossible Fallout’. During a sequence where he had to leap between buildings the actor miscalculated his jump and slammed into a concrete wall. The impact resulted in a shattered ankle and required immediate medical attention to prevent further permanent damage. He had to stop filming for several weeks to undergo intensive physical therapy before returning to finish the production. This incident highlighted the extreme risks the actor takes to provide authentic action sequences for his audiences.

Jackie Chan

Jackie Chan experienced his most famous near death experience while filming ‘Armour of God’ in Yugoslavia. During a relatively simple stunt involving jumping from a wall to a tree branch the limb snapped and sent him plummeting to the ground. The actor struck a rock with his head which caused a skull fracture and internal bleeding in his brain. Surgeons had to perform emergency brain surgery to remove a piece of bone that had shifted into his skull. This injury left him with a permanent plastic plug in his head and slight hearing loss in one ear.

Harrison Ford

Harrison Ford encountered a serious accident while working on ‘Star Wars The Force Awakens’ at Pinewood Studios. A heavy hydraulic door on the Millennium Falcon set malfunctioned and fell directly onto the veteran actor. The force of the door pinned him to the floor and resulted in a broken leg and other internal injuries. Medical teams transported him to the hospital for emergency surgery while the production was halted for two months. It was later revealed that the door had the potential to kill the actor if it had landed differently on his body.

Sylvester Stallone

Sylvester Stallone wanted the fight scenes in ‘Rocky IV’ to look as realistic as possible so he asked Dolph Lundgren to hit him for real. One powerful punch to the chest caused the actor’s heart to swell and press against his ribs which restricted his breathing. He was rushed to the intensive care unit where he spent eight days under close medical supervision. Doctors informed him that the impact was similar to the force of a head on car collision. Stallone eventually recovered and the footage of the actual hit remained in the final version of the film.

Jason Statham

Jason Statham faced a watery grave while filming an action sequence for ‘The Expendables 3’. The actor was driving a three ton truck when the brakes failed and the vehicle plummeted over a pier into the Black Sea. He managed to exit the cabin and swim to the surface despite being weighed down by heavy boots and tactical gear. His background as a professional diver likely saved his life during the chaotic underwater escape. The production crew watched in horror as the truck sank sixty feet to the bottom of the sea.

Tom Hanks

While filming ‘Cast Away’ on a remote island Tom Hanks suffered a cut on his leg that nearly proved fatal. The actor did not think much of the wound until his leg began to swell significantly after a few days. He was eventually diagnosed with a staph infection that was poisoning his blood and required emergency hospitalization. Doctors informed him that he was only hours away from a life threatening situation that could have resulted in the loss of his limb or his life. Production had to be shut down for three weeks so that he could receive high doses of antibiotics.

Johnny Depp

Johnny Depp narrowly avoided a catastrophic injury on the set of ‘The Lone Ranger’ during a high speed horse riding scene. The saddle on his horse became loose which caused the actor to slip and hang from the side of the animal while it was still galloping. He eventually lost his grip and fell to the ground where the horse narrowly missed stepping on his head with its hooves. Depp managed to walk away with only minor bruises and a scrape on his stomach. The crew was stunned that he avoided being trampled or crushed by the heavy animal.

Viggo Mortensen

Viggo Mortensen almost drowned while filming ‘The Lord of the Rings The Two Towers’ during a scene in a river. The actor was pulled under a heavy current while wearing full metal armor which made it nearly impossible for him to swim back to the surface. He struggled against the water for several seconds before the safety team was able to reach him and pull him to safety. In a separate incident on the same set he also had a tooth knocked out during a fight sequence. Mortensen famously asked to glue the tooth back in so he could continue filming the scene.

Michael J. Fox

While filming ‘Back to the Future Part III’ Michael J. Fox agreed to perform a hanging scene without a box under his feet to make it look more realistic. The stunt went wrong and the actor was actually choking for several seconds before the crew realized he was not acting. He lost consciousness before director Robert Zemeckis noticed his distress and ordered the team to cut him down immediately. This harrowing experience left the actor shaken and the production team implemented much stricter safety protocols for the remainder of the shoot. It took several minutes for him to fully recover his breath and awareness.

Dylan O’Brien

Dylan O’Brien suffered severe injuries while filming ‘Maze Runner The Death Cure’ during a complicated vehicle stunt. The actor was pulled off one vehicle and struck by another which resulted in a concussion and multiple facial fractures. He also sustained brain trauma that required a long period of medical recovery and several surgeries. The accident caused the production to be delayed for over a year while he healed physically and mentally. He eventually returned to finish the film but the incident remains one of the most serious on set accidents in recent years.

Gerard Butler

Gerard Butler nearly drowned while filming the surfing movie ‘Chasing Mavericks’ off the coast of Northern California. A massive wave knocked him off his board and held him underwater for a dangerous amount of time before a second wave hit him. Rescue swimmers eventually pulled him out of the water and he was rushed to a nearby cardiovascular center. He described the experience as being tumbled in a giant washing machine with no way to find the surface. The actor spent several days in the hospital recovering from the physical trauma and water inhalation.

George Clooney

George Clooney suffered a debilitating spinal injury while filming a torture scene for the political thriller ‘Syriana’. The actor fell backward while tied to a chair which caused a leak of his spinal fluid and led to chronic debilitating pain. He spent several weeks in the hospital and underwent multiple surgeries to repair the damage to his back and neck. The pain was so intense during his recovery that he admitted to having dark thoughts about his future. He eventually made a full recovery but he still experiences occasional discomfort from the incident.

Orlando Bloom

Orlando Bloom broke several ribs while filming ‘The Lord of the Rings The Fellowship of the Ring’ after falling off a horse. The actor was thrown from the animal and another horse nearly landed on top of him during the chaotic sequence. He had to be hospitalized and spent a significant amount of time in a back brace while his body healed. This was not his first brush with death as he had previously survived a three story fall that broke his back years earlier. His coworkers on the film were amazed by his ability to continue working through the physical pain.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Joseph Gordon-Levitt required thirty one stitches after a bloody accident on the set of ‘Premium Rush’. The actor was filming a high speed bicycle chase through New York City when he crashed into the back of a taxi cab. The impact sent him flying through the rear window of the vehicle and shattered the glass across his arms and body. He posted a video of his bloodied arm online shortly after the incident to show fans the reality of the stunt. Despite the severity of the cuts he was back on his bike and filming again within a few days.

Channing Tatum

Channing Tatum experienced a painful and dangerous injury while filming ‘The Eagle’ in the cold highlands of Scotland. To keep the actors warm a crew member was pouring a mix of boiling water and river water down their suits during breaks. The staff member forgot to dilute the boiling water which resulted in severe burns to the actor’s most sensitive areas. Tatum had to be rushed to a local hospital where he received emergency treatment for the skin damage. He later described the experience as the most intense physical pain he had ever endured in his life.

Aaron Paul

Aaron Paul narrowly escaped a fatal accident while filming an outdoor scene for the series ‘Breaking Bad’. A massive boulder that was being used to anchor a nearby tent was dislodged by a sudden gust of heavy wind. The rock rolled down a hill and landed exactly where the actor had been standing just seconds before the impact. He had moved to talk to the director and only realized how close he came to being crushed when he heard the loud crash. The crew was relieved that the timing of his movement saved him from a catastrophic event.

Daniel Day-Lewis

Daniel Day-Lewis is known for his extreme method acting and this dedication almost cost him his life during ‘Gangs of New York’. The actor refused to wear a modern winter coat because he believed it did not fit the period setting of the mid nineteenth century. He eventually contracted a severe case of pneumonia that threatened his health during the cold outdoor production. He initially refused modern medical treatment for the illness because it was not available in the eighteen hundreds. He eventually relented and took antibiotics after being informed that he would likely die without them.

Ed Harris

Ed Harris nearly drowned while filming the underwater science fiction epic ‘The Abyss’ due to a regulator failure. The actor ran out of air while he was submerged in a deep tank and the safety diver accidentally handed him a regulator that was upside down. This caused him to inhale water instead of oxygen and he began to lose consciousness from the lack of air. Director James Cameron continued to film the distress until Harris was finally rescued by a member of the crew. The actor was so furious about the lack of safety that he reportedly punched the director in the face.

Jim Caviezel

Jim Caviezel endured multiple life threatening situations while portraying Jesus in ‘The Passion of the Christ’. The actor was struck by lightning while filming on a remote hillside which left him feeling like he had been hit by a massive hammer. He also suffered from severe hypothermia and pneumonia due to the extreme weather conditions and his lack of clothing during the crucifixion scenes. During the filming of the scourging scene he was accidentally struck by a real whip which resulted in a large gash on his back. His physical transformation was so taxing that he required heart surgery shortly after the film was completed.

Brendan Fraser

Brendan Fraser actually stopped breathing while filming a hanging scene for the adventure film ‘The Mummy’. The stunt was supposed to look realistic but the rope was pulled too tight and the actor was choked into unconsciousness. His costar Rachel Weisz recalled that the crew had to perform medical intervention to bring him back to life after he collapsed. Fraser remembered waking up with a paramedic over him and feeling like he had just been in a deep sleep. The production team had to adjust the stunt equipment to ensure that the pressure on his neck was removed.

Jet Li

Jet Li suffered a serious fall while filming ‘Fearless’ that led to significant internal injuries. The actor fell from a platform that was over forty feet high and landed on his back which caused his organs to shift. He initially thought he was fine but he began to experience severe breathing difficulties and physical weakness over the next few days. He eventually had to use an oxygen tank to stay alive while he was transported to a lower altitude for medical care. This experience prompted the actor to reconsider the types of high risk stunts he performed in his films.

Jason Momoa

Jason Momoa faced a potential permanent injury while filming the series ‘See’ during an intense battle sequence. The actor sustained a head injury that resulted in temporary blindness and required immediate medical attention on the set. He also dealt with a scratched cornea and other physical ailments due to the dusty and harsh filming conditions. Momoa has often joked about how his body takes a beating during his action roles but this specific incident was particularly alarming for the crew. He eventually recovered his sight and finished the production after a period of rest.

Malcolm McDowell

Malcolm McDowell sustained multiple injuries while filming ‘A Clockwork Orange’ for director Stanley Kubrick. During the famous brainwashing scene the actor’s eyes were pinned open with metal clamps which resulted in a scratched cornea and temporary blindness. He was also nearly suffocated when his breathing apparatus failed while he was submerged in a water tank for a separate sequence. In another scene he cracked several ribs after being kicked repeatedly by other actors during a fight. Despite the physical toll the performance remains the most iconic role of his long career.

Leonardo DiCaprio

Leonardo DiCaprio faced extreme health risks while filming ‘The Revenant’ in the freezing wilderness of Canada and Argentina. The actor spent hours submerged in icy rivers and dealt with constant hypothermia throughout the grueling production. He also insisted on eating a raw bison liver for a scene despite the potential for severe food poisoning or bacterial infection. The physical conditions were so harsh that many members of the crew quit the production due to safety concerns. DiCaprio described the process as one of the most difficult things he has ever done for his craft.

Eli Roth

Eli Roth and his costars were nearly trapped in a burning building while filming a scene for ‘Inglourious Basterds’. The fire that was set for the finale of the film grew out of control and the temperature on the set rose to dangerous levels. Heat sensors in the building melted and the roof began to collapse as the actors were still performing their lines. The crew had to rush in to evacuate the cast before the structure became a total inferno. Roth later noted that the intensity of the flames in the final film was very real and extremely frightening.

Martin Sheen

Martin Sheen suffered a massive heart attack while filming ‘Apocalypse Now’ in the remote jungles of the Philippines. The actor was under extreme physical and emotional stress during the difficult production and he had to crawl a quarter mile for help after collapsing. He was so close to death that a priest was called to give him his last rites while he was in the hospital. The director Francis Ford Coppola had to shut down production for several weeks while the actor recovered. Sheen eventually returned to finish the film but the experience changed his perspective on life.

Clint Eastwood

Clint Eastwood narrowly avoided being struck by falling boulders while filming the mountain climbing movie ‘The Eiger Sanction’. A rockfall on the mountain killed one of the professional climbers working on the film and nearly hit the actor as well. Despite the tragic death of a colleague Eastwood insisted on continuing the production and performed many of his own dangerous climbs. He spent much of the film hanging from actual cliff faces with very little safety equipment to protect him from falls. The actor later admitted that the production was the most dangerous set he had ever worked on.

Burt Reynolds

Burt Reynolds suffered a serious injury while filming a river rapids scene for the survival thriller ‘Deliverance’. The actor insisted on going over a high waterfall in a canoe which resulted in the boat smashing against the rocks below. He sustained a cracked tailbone and was swept down the river where he nearly drowned in the fast moving water. When he finally made it to the shore he asked the director how the shot looked and was told it looked like a dummy in a canoe. Reynolds spent the next several days in significant pain while trying to complete his scenes.

Matthew Fox

Matthew Fox was almost stabbed with a real hunting knife while filming the series finale of ‘Lost’. A prop knife was supposed to be used during a fight scene between his character and Terry O’Quinn but it was accidentally swapped with a real blade. The real knife pierced the actor’s protective vest and narrowly missed causing a fatal internal injury to his torso. Terry O’Quinn was horrified when he realized he was holding a live weapon after the scene was finished. Fortunately the safety vest provided enough resistance to prevent the blade from entering the actor’s body.

Donald Sutherland

Donald Sutherland contracted a severe case of spinal meningitis while filming ‘Kellys Heroes’ in Yugoslavia. The actor became so ill that he was clinically dead for several seconds before doctors were able to revive him. He spent many weeks in a coma and had to undergo a long and difficult recovery process before he could walk again. He described the experience of leaving his body and seeing a white light before being pulled back to reality. The production was significantly delayed while he fought for his life in a foreign hospital.

Amitabh Bachchan

Amitabh Bachchan suffered a near fatal abdominal injury while filming a fight scene for the movie ‘Coolie’. The actor was struck in the abdomen by the edge of a table which resulted in a ruptured spleen and severe internal bleeding. He was rushed to the hospital where he underwent multiple surgeries and remained in critical condition for several weeks. Millions of fans across India prayed for his recovery and he eventually made a miraculous return to health. This incident remains one of the most famous on set accidents in the history of Indian cinema.

Hrithik Roshan

Hrithik Roshan narrowly escaped a fifty foot fall while filming a stunt for the superhero movie ‘Krrish’. A safety cable snapped while the actor was suspended high above the ground which caused him to plummet toward a hard surface. He was saved by a lucky break when he landed on the canopy of a nearby shop which cushioned his fall and prevented a fatal impact. He walked away from the accident without any major injuries but the crew was left in a state of shock. The production team immediately reviewed all safety equipment to prevent a recurrence of the failure.

Salman Khan

Salman Khan faced a life threatening situation while filming a scene on a railway track for ‘Tere Naam’. The actor was walking ahead of a moving train and became so focused on his performance that he did not realize how close the vehicle had come. A crew member noticed the danger and pulled him off the tracks just seconds before the train passed through his position. The near miss was captured on camera and highlighted the dangers of filming near heavy machinery. Khan later expressed his gratitude to the staff member who saved his life.

Saif Ali Khan

Saif Ali Khan sustained a serious head injury while filming a motorcycle stunt for the movie ‘Kya Kehna’. The actor lost control of the bike and flipped over the handlebars which resulted in his head striking a sharp rock. He suffered significant blood loss and required over one hundred stitches to close the wounds on his scalp and face. The accident occurred on the very first day of filming and forced a long delay in the production schedule. He eventually recovered and used the experience to become more cautious during action sequences.

Hugh Jackman

Hugh Jackman almost broke his neck while filming a high speed train sequence for ‘The Wolverine’. The actor was performing a stunt on top of a moving train and tucked his head at the wrong moment during a tumble. His neck was caught in a dangerous position and he felt a sharp snap that nearly resulted in a catastrophic spinal injury. He credited his physical strength and the quick intervention of the stunt team for preventing a permanent disability. This close call reminded the actor that even well rehearsed stunts can go wrong in an instant.

Chris Hemsworth

Chris Hemsworth suffered from extreme heat stroke and exhaustion while filming the original ‘Thor’ movie. The actor was required to wear a heavy and restrictive costume while performing physical battle scenes under intense studio lights. He eventually passed out from dehydration and his body temperature rose to dangerous levels that required immediate medical attention. The production had to be paused so that he could receive intravenous fluids and rest in a climate controlled environment. This experience led to changes in the design of his costumes for future films to allow for better ventilation.

Robert Downey Jr.

Robert Downey Jr. was knocked unconscious while filming a bare knuckle boxing scene for ‘Sherlock Holmes’. A professional fighter who was playing his opponent accidentally landed a real punch that sent the actor to the floor. He was out for several minutes and required stitches to close a large gash on his lip. The director stopped filming immediately to ensure that the actor did not have a serious concussion or internal brain trauma. Downey Jr. recovered quickly and insisted on returning to the set to finish the day of work.

Arnold Schwarzenegger

Arnold Schwarzenegger faced a terrifying moment while filming ‘Conan the Barbarian’ when he was attacked by a pack of dogs. The animals were supposed to be trained but they became overly aggressive and chased the actor off a high rock ledge. He fell several feet and was bitten by the dogs before the trainers could get the situation under control. In another incident on the same set he nearly choked to death on fake blood during a ritual scene. The actor has often remarked that the production of his early films felt more like a real battle than a movie set.

Mel Gibson

Mel Gibson was nearly crushed by a horse while filming a large scale battle scene for ‘Braveheart’. The actor fell off his own mount and a thousand pound horse fell directly toward him as he lay on the ground. He managed to roll out of the way just as the animal struck the earth where he had been lying a split second before. The chaotic nature of the battle scenes made it difficult for the safety team to monitor every actor at all times. Gibson later admitted that the production was filled with many close calls involving the heavy animals used in the film.

Pierce Brosnan

Pierce Brosnan was saved by his costar Halle Berry when he began to choke while filming a scene for ‘Die Another Day’. The actor was eating a piece of fruit during a romantic sequence and it became lodged in his throat which prevented him from breathing. Berry noticed that he was in distress and quickly performed the Heimlich maneuver to dislodge the fruit. Brosnan credited her quick thinking with saving his life during the incident. The crew was relieved that the actress knew how to respond to a medical emergency in the middle of a take.

Timothy Dalton

Timothy Dalton almost fell off a sheer cliff while filming a car chase for the James Bond film ‘Licence to Kill’. The actor was inside a vehicle that was sliding toward the edge of a mountain road after a stunt went slightly off course. The wheels of the car were inches away from the drop before the brakes finally caught and the vehicle stopped moving. The crew watched from a distance as the car teetered on the edge of the precipice. Dalton remained calm during the incident but later acknowledged how close he came to a fatal fall.

Liam Neeson

Liam Neeson faced extreme environmental hazards while filming the survival movie ‘The Grey’ in Northern British Columbia. The cast worked in temperatures that dropped to minus forty degrees and dealt with constant blizzards and high winds. Neeson suffered from minor frostbite and extreme physical exhaustion while filming the scenes where his character battles the elements. The medical team on set had to constantly monitor the actors for signs of hypothermia and other cold related illnesses. Neeson has said that the physical toll of the film was unlike anything he had experienced in his career.

Gunnar Hansen

Gunnar Hansen narrowly escaped a grizzly death while filming the original ‘The Texas Chain Saw Massacre’. During the final chase scene the actor tripped and fell while carrying a real chainsaw that was still running at full speed. The dangerous power tool flew out of his hands and landed just inches away from his head as he hit the ground. Because of the low budget the production used a real chainsaw with the chain still attached for most of the filming. This accident highlighted the lack of safety oversight during the production of the horror classic.

Ken Kirzinger

Ken Kirzinger was nearly trapped in a burning building while portraying Jason Voorhees in ‘Freddy vs Jason’. During the final showdown the set was engulfed in real flames and the actor’s oxygen supply began to run out inside his heavy mask. He was unable to see his way out through the thick smoke and began to panic as the heat rose to dangerous levels. A safety diver who was monitoring the fire noticed that the actor was struggling and pulled him to a safe exit. The experience left the actor with a deep respect for the dangers of working with live fire on a movie set.

Tom Hardy

Tom Hardy faced dangerous conditions while filming ‘The Revenant’ alongside Leonardo DiCaprio in the remote wilderness. The actor had to endure the same freezing temperatures and icy water as the rest of the cast which led to severe physical strain. During one intense fight scene he sustained several injuries and dealt with the constant threat of hypothermia. He also had a physical altercation with the director over the safety conditions and the intensity of the shoot. Hardy has since stated that the production pushed him to his absolute physical and mental limits.

Please share your thoughts on these harrowing on set accidents in the comments.