Top 10 Actors and Actresses Who Nearly Died On Set
Many actors and actresses have gotten hurt during production, but were fortunately lucky enough to survive.
The following are stars who were nearly killed after on-set accidents.
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Tom Hanks (Cast Away)
Tom Hanks suffered a cut on his leg on the set of the film, which quickly became infected and swelled for two weeks. He went to see a doctor, and it turned out he had a life-threatening staph infection. The cut could have poisoned his blood and killed him.
That's the reason I didn't become an actor. It isn't safe, man.
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Johnny Depp (The Lone Ranger)
During one horseback-riding scene, Depp's saddle slipped, causing the actor to slowly start sliding to the side and eventually fall off onto the ground. Luckily, the horse lifted its front legs and went over Depp, but unfortunately, its back leg bruised the actor's torso.
Oh! I remember that blooper. It looked like it would have hurt.
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Jackie Chan (Armour of God)
The actor is known for performing his own stunts, but during one particular stunt, he had to jump from a wall toward a branch. He missed the branch, landed hard, and hit his head on a rock. He sustained an injury so severe it required surgery to remove a piece of his skull, which was lodged in his brain.
Jackie Chan could fill this list by himself.
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Tom Cruise (The Last Samurai)
In one scene, Tom Cruise and his Japanese co-star Hiroyuki Sanada were seated on mechanical horses for a sword fight, but unfortunately, the machinery malfunctioned. This caused Sanada to lose control of his weapon. Thanks to Sanada's martial arts skills, he was able to stop the sword one inch away from Cruise's neck.
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Michael J. Fox (Back to the Future Part III)
In the scene where Michael J. Fox's character Marty McFly is being captured and hung with a noose by "Mad Dog" Tannen and his gang, the actor was actually being hung. Initially, Fox performed the scene while standing on a box, but it just didn't look convincing enough. So, he did one take without it and passed out for half a minute.
What they did to Michael J. Fox should have been illegal. They should have made a lifelike dummy.
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Margaret Hamilton (The Wizard of Oz)
Throughout the film, Margaret Hamilton's character would often disappear in a cloud of smoke. However, during the filming of one such scene, this went horribly wrong. The trap door she was supposed to escape through (before fiery jets were turned on) wouldn't open, leaving the actress to suffer second-degree burns on her face and third-degree burns on her hand.
I think I heard about this. That would be horrible.
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Charlize Theron (Æon Flux)
While performing a backflip, the actress accidentally landed on her neck, nearly damaging her spinal cord. According to Theron, she was "almost paralyzed." The injury required six weeks of physical therapy.
Glad she's still alive. One of my favorite actresses.
With all the action she did in Atomic Blonde, it seems she's in good health. That's great.
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Isla Fisher (Now You See Me)
During a scene where Isla Fisher's character performs a trick in which she makes a grand escape in a water tank while being handcuffed, her being stuck wasn't actually an act. She tried banging on the glass to get the cast and crew's attention, but since it was what her character was supposed to be doing, they all just assumed it was good acting. Thankfully, she was able to free herself before she could drown.
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Jaimie Alexander (Thor: The Dark World)
After tripping over a rain-soaked metal staircase, Jaimie Alexander was left badly injured, with injuries that almost left her paralyzed. According to her, she herniated a disk in her thoracic spine, dislocated her left shoulder, tore her right rhomboid, and chipped eleven of her vertebrae.
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George Clooney (Syriana)
During the film's torture scene, the chair George Clooney was tied to was pushed over, causing him to hit his head and crack open his skull. The injury left him so badly damaged that spinal fluid was leaking from his nose. Clooney even contemplated suicide at one point. Thankfully, he was able to receive proper treatment.
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Buster Keaton (Sherlock Jr.)
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Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad)
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Leonardo DiCaprio (The Revenant)
Leonardo DiCaprio had to risk getting hypothermia since he had to work in frozen rivers for the film.
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Sylvester Stallone (Rocky IV)
Sylvester Stallone asked his co-star to punch him as hard as he could. However, when the co-star did as instructed, Stallone's heart was injured. The damage was severe enough that he was hospitalized for over a week.
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Bob Hoskins (Super Mario Bros.)
Bob Hoskins was injured several times during the production of Super Mario Bros. According to the actor, he was stabbed four times, electrocuted, broke a finger, and nearly drowned.
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Ed Harris (The Abyss)
In one scene, Ed Harris' character was supposed to run out of air. However, the actor actually was running out of air. During the scene, Ed Harris' oxygen tank ran out unexpectedly, leaving him gasping for air. As a result, Ed almost drowned, and he later punched director James Cameron in the face out of frustration.
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Daniel Day-Lewis (Gangs of New York)
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Jason Statham (The Expendables 3)
While filming a stunt for the film, the brakes of the truck Jason Statham was driving failed, causing the vehicle to crash into the sea. Thankfully, as it careened into the water, the actor was able to escape and jump out of the truck in time.
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Halle Berry (The Call)
When filming a fight scene, the actress slipped and hit her head on a concrete floor, knocking herself out. She was rushed to the hospital, and fortunately, made a speedy recovery.
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Diane Kruger (Inglourious Basterds)
In the choking scene with Hans Landa, she almost died due to lack of air.
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Gunnar Hansen (The Texas Chain Saw Massacre)
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Jim Caviezel (The Passion of the Christ)
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Kurt Russell (The Thing)
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Jennifer Lawrence (The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2)
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Eli Wallach (The Good, the Bad and the Ugly)
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Viggo Mortensen (The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers)
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Brendan Fraser (The Mummy)
