Young Actresses Who Broke Bones Filming a Movie

The glitz and glamour of Hollywood often hide the physical toll that demanding movie roles can take on performers. While we see the finished product with perfect lighting and seamless stunts, many actresses have suffered serious injuries while trying to get the perfect shot. From high stakes action sequences to intense emotional moments that lead to accidents, the path to cinematic greatness is sometimes paved with broken bones and long recovery periods. These talented women pushed through extreme pain to finish their projects and demonstrated their incredible dedication to their craft.

Jennifer Lawrence

During the production of the psychological thriller ‘mother!’ Lawrence had a very intense physical reaction to a specific scene. She began to hyperventilate so severely that she actually cracked one of her ribs while the cameras were rolling. The crew had to bring in oxygen tanks to help her stabilize her breathing because she was in such visible distress. She took a few days off to recover before returning to set to complete her remaining scenes. This incident occurred because the actress was performing a highly emotional take that required constant screaming and heavy breathing.

Nicole Kidman

Kidman faced several physical setbacks while she was preparing for and filming the musical ‘Moulin Rouge!’ in a very demanding environment. She broke two of her ribs and also suffered a serious injury to the cartilage in her knee during dance rehearsals. One of the fractures occurred when a fellow actor tried to catch her during a complicated lift that went wrong. The situation was made because she had to wear a very tight corset that put extra pressure on her healing bones. The entire production had to be shut down for several weeks so she could focus on her rehabilitation before returning to the set.

Halle Berry

While she was filming a high intensity scene for ‘Gothika’ Berry ended up with a broken arm after a stunt went sideways. She was performing a struggle with a costar and the physical pressure resulted in her ulna bone snapping audibly. The actress was immediately taken for medical treatment and the filming schedule was delayed for several weeks to allow her to mend. Later in her career she also broke three ribs while training for the intense action seen in ‘John Wick Chapter 3 Parabellum’ but she continued to work through the injury. The injury was treated by medical professionals and she eventually completed all her required stunt work for the project.

Charlize Theron

Theron is known for doing many of her own stunts and this led to a very dangerous injury while she was filming ‘Aeon Flux’. She attempted a backflip for an action sequence but landed on her neck in a way that caused a herniated disc. This injury was particularly scary because the damaged disc was very close to her spinal cord and could have caused permanent paralysis. The production was halted for a significant amount of time while she underwent surgery and physical therapy to regain her strength. Theron spent several years dealing with the aftereffects of the injury before fully regaining her physical range of motion.

Letitia Wright

During the filming of ‘Black Panther Wakanda Forever’ Wright was involved in a serious accident involving a stunt rig on a treadmill. The mishap resulted in a fractured shoulder and a concussion that required her to be hospitalized for specialized care. Because of the severity of her injuries the entire production had to pause for several months while she returned home to heal. Filming resumed in early January after a hiatus that allowed the actress to regain her physical health. She eventually returned to the set and completed her leading role in the superhero project.

Blake Lively

Lively suffered a significant hand injury while she was filming an action sequence for the movie ‘The Rhythm Section’. The fracture was quite severe and required her to undergo two separate surgeries to properly fix the bones in her hand. Because her character was in almost every scene the production was suspended twice to give her the necessary time to recover. She spent several months in physical therapy to regain full use of her hand so she could perform the rest of the fight choreography. Lively completed her scenes for the movie after the production team rearranged the schedule to accommodate her surgery.

Taylor Hickson

While filming a scene for the horror movie ‘Ghostland’ Hickson was instructed to pound her fists against a glass door. The glass shattered and she fell through it which resulted in a severe facial fracture and a very deep cut on her cheek. She had to be rushed to the hospital to receive over seventy stitches to close the wound on her face. The actress later filed a lawsuit against the production company for the injuries she sustained during the shoot. This incident resulted in a permanent scar that she has discussed openly in various interviews.

Shailene Woodley

While she was filming the survival drama ‘Adrift’ Woodley experienced a painful injury when she was struck in the face. She suffered a broken nose during a sequence where her character was struggling against the elements on a boat. The actress decided to keep filming despite the injury to ensure the production could stay on its tight schedule. She eventually received medical attention to reset the bone and manage the swelling around her eyes. This physical challenge added to the intensity of her performance in the sea based thriller.

Jaimie Alexander

Alexander experienced a harrowing fall while she was filming a scene for ‘Thor The Dark World’ on a very slippery outdoor set. She fell from a high metal staircase and suffered eleven chipped vertebrae along with a displaced disc in her spine. The injury was so painful that it initially paralyzed her left side and caused her to miss a month of filming while she recovered. She underwent intense physical therapy to get back on her feet and eventually returned to complete her action scenes. Alexander was able to perform in the final battle sequences of the movie after completing her physical therapy program.

Naomi Watts

During the production of the epic film ‘King Kong’ Watts had a terrifying accident where she fell down a deep hole on the set. She landed on her back and suffered injuries to her vertebrae that could have been much worse if she had not been so physically flexible. The actress credited her regular yoga practice for helping her body withstand the impact of the fall without breaking more bones. Watts was checked by medics immediately after the fall and continued filming her scenes the following day. She completed her work on the film after taking a brief hiatus to ensure her back was healing properly.

Kaya Scodelario

While she was filming the action packed sequel ‘Maze Runner The Death Cure’ Scodelario suffered a painful injury to her shoulder. She was performing a physical stunt that resulted in her shoulder popping out of place and fracturing the bone. The production team had to stop filming her specific scenes for a while so she could receive medical treatment and start physical therapy. She eventually returned to the set and finished the movie while wearing a brace to keep her shoulder stable between takes. This experience showed the physical intensity required to bring the popular young adult book series to the big screen.

Natalie Portman

Portman pushed her body to the limit while she was training for her role as a ballerina in ‘Black Swan’. During the course of filming she suffered a displaced rib that caused her constant pain during her dance routines. The production was working with a very small budget so they did not always have the medical support on hand that a larger film might provide. Portman worked with a physical therapist throughout the remainder of the shoot to manage the pain in her ribcage. She completed the final dance sequences of the film despite the persistent discomfort and the weight loss required for the role.

Rooney Mara

While she was playing the lead role in ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’ Mara was involved in many gritty and physical scenes. During one of the sequences she suffered a broken rib that she did not let slow her down or stop her from finishing the day. She was determined to perform as many of her own stunts as possible to stay true to the tough nature of her character. Mara utilized a specific breathing technique to manage the discomfort while she filmed her remaining scenes for the project. The fracture was one of several minor injuries she sustained during the physically demanding shoot.

Uma Thurman

Thurman was involved in a serious car accident on the set of ‘Kill Bill Vol 2’ that resulted in permanent injuries to her knees and back. She was instructed to drive a convertible down a sandy road but she lost control and crashed into a tree. The impact caused a concussion and several structural injuries to her legs that took years of physical therapy to manage. Thurman eventually settled a legal matter regarding the footage of the accident many years after the movie was released. The crash occurred during the final weeks of production on the second half of the project.

Ruby Barnhill

Barnhill was only a child when she was cast as the lead in the fantasy movie ‘The BFG’ directed by Steven Spielberg. During the course of the production she suffered a broken arm that required her to wear a cast for several weeks. The filmmaking team had to find creative ways to hide her injury so it would not be visible to the audience in the final cut. They used specific camera angles and physical props to ensure her arm was shielded from view during her scenes. The young actress remained professional and finished all of her required work despite the discomfort of the fracture.

Jennifer Garner

Garner was a very active participant in her own stunt work while she was filming the action movie ‘Elektra’. During a fight sequence with several other actors she suffered a broken knuckle that made it difficult for her to grip her weapons. She had to undergo treatment to stabilize the bone but she refused to let the injury stop the production from moving forward. Garner wore a protective splint between takes to keep the bone stable while she finished her fight choreography. The actress completed the rest of the film while the bone was still in the healing process.

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