Actors who Came Back from Coma/Traumatic Brain Injury

Coming back from a coma or a traumatic brain injury is never simple. For performers whose work depends on memory, timing, and physical presence, the road back can be especially steep — surgeries, therapy, and months or years of rehabilitation are often part of the story. Yet many actors have done exactly that, returning to sets, stages, and microphones after life-threatening events.

Below is a verified list of actors who survived a coma and/or serious brain injury and later resumed their careers. Each entry highlights what happened, what doctors reported at the time, and what the actor did afterward — including notable roles and advocacy tied to their recoveries.

Gary Busey

In December 1988, Gary Busey suffered a severe head injury in a Culver City motorcycle crash while not wearing a helmet and was listed in critical condition following emergency surgery. Contemporary reports from the Los Angeles Times documented the crash and immediate medical updates, and Busey has since described the incident and its aftermath — including extensive rehabilitation — in interviews and public appearances.

After recovering, Busey returned to steady work in film and television, later speaking publicly about brain injury and rehabilitation during various media appearances. He continued acting in projects and reality programs and has linked his charity work to brain-injury services, highlighting long-term effects and the importance of support for survivors.

Tracy Morgan

On June 7, 2014, Tracy Morgan was critically injured when a Walmart tractor-trailer struck his limousine van on the New Jersey Turnpike, killing his friend James McNair and leaving Morgan with a traumatic brain injury; he spent about two weeks in a coma. The National Transportation Safety Board found the truck driver was severely fatigued and that passengers’ lack of seat-belt use worsened injury severity.

Morgan returned to performing with stand-up, a widely covered Saturday Night Live appearance, and the series ‘The Last O.G.’, and he has publicly reflected on relearning to walk and talk during his recovery. On the crash’s tenth anniversary, he reiterated those milestones and expressed forgiveness, noting the lasting impact of brain trauma on mood and behavior.

Martin Lawrence

In August 1999, Martin Lawrence collapsed after a jog during extreme heat while training for a role and entered a three-day coma caused by severe heat stroke, with an initial body temperature reported at 107°F. Hospital updates at the time noted he was ventilated and listed in critical but stable condition before gradually improving.

Lawrence subsequently recovered and returned to filming and touring, continuing a busy slate of projects including stand-up specials and franchise films such as ‘Bad Boys’. Contemporary coverage and later summaries document his discharge and recovery progress in the weeks after the incident.

Larry Miller

Comedian-actor Larry Miller suffered a life-threatening brain injury in April 2012 after a fall, was placed in a medically induced coma, and spent weeks on life support. His spokesman detailed the course of treatment and prognosis as he gradually regained cognitive function.

Miller returned to work the following year, resuming his podcast and later speaking with brain-injury organizations about rehabilitation. Profiles and foundation spotlights recount his therapy and long-term recovery, emphasizing how structured rehab helped him get back to writing and performing.

Sharon Stone

In 2001, Sharon Stone experienced a massive brain hemorrhage and stroke that led to a nine-day brain bleed and emergency endovascular treatment; she has said her survival odds were about 1 percent. She later described spending years in recovery relearning basic functions and the long-term effects the event had on her health and career.

Stone ultimately returned to film and television work and has become an advocate for stroke awareness, discussing missed or delayed diagnosis, rehabilitation barriers, and the need for self-advocacy in care. Detailed interviews and coverage outline the medical course and the professional hurdles she faced upon returning to sets.

Emilia Clarke

Shortly after wrapping the first season of ‘Game of Thrones’ in 2011, Emilia Clarke suffered a subarachnoid hemorrhage from a brain aneurysm and underwent emergency surgery, later facing a second aneurysm and additional treatment in 2013. In her first-person account, she described complications such as temporary aphasia and the intensive rehabilitation required between shoots.

Clarke returned to ‘Game of Thrones’ and subsequent roles while launching the charity SameYou to support brain-injury and stroke recovery services. Coverage by medical-advocacy organizations and mainstream outlets summarizes her medical timeline and the aims of her nonprofit work.

George Clooney

While filming a torture scene for ‘Syriana’ in 2005, George Clooney sustained a head and spinal injury that tore the dura mater, causing cerebrospinal-fluid leakage and debilitating headaches. Clooney and contemporaneous reporting detailed his hospitalization, diagnostic myelograms, and the severity of pain that followed.

He recovered sufficiently to continue acting and directing, later discussing lingering symptoms and additional treatment while maintaining a full workload across film and television. Follow-up reporting and interviews have described how the injury’s effects persisted and how he managed them over time.

Share other stories of actors who made it back after a coma or brain injury — whose journey should we add next in the comments?