Scenes in movies that went terribly wrong.
Isla Fisher filming in Now You See Me
Filming a movie is costly, and sometimes even dangerous. In fact, in a dedicated filmmakers career, it’s likely they’ll see at least one on-set injury.
Usually, we’re just focused on the film itself, but filmmaking is a lot of work, and knowing what happens behind the scenes can not only be fun but insightful.
“Actors don’t work hard,” a quote said by many but if only they knew what really happens when you’re a dedicated set until wrap up.
Did you know Isla Fisher from Now You See Me almost drowned on set?
She opened up to ‘Chelsea Lately.’ of (E!) saying:
“I was actually drowning,” she said on “Chelsea Lately” about being stuck underwater for almost three minutes. “Everyone thought I was acting fabulously … no one realized I was actually struggling.”
The 44-year old had to shake loose two of the chains which became stuck, she shared:
“My chain got stuck. I had to really swim to the bottom; I couldn’t get up,” she described.
While she tried to brush it off as something to laugh about.
“Who wants to die in a swimming costume?” she joked.
And honestly, who wouldn’t have been terrified, drowning sounds awful but luckily, she was able to wiggle free and talk about the near-death experience.
Our next actor takes us right Back to the Future.
Michael J. Fox filming in Back to the Future III
Back to the Future III was epic but do you remember the scene where Michael J. Fox is hanging from the rope?
Yep, he actually passed out for 30-seconds after failed attempts with an apple box (used for safety), and that’s when everything changed, he wanted to do it right, so, Fox got and the crew took away the apple box and let things happen in reality.
Film is an art and something talent don’t take for granted so, naturally they will do as much as they can, as safely as they can to deliver the message exactly how intended, this can make things scary at times.
Luckily, deaths and injuries on set are rare.
Jackie Chan filming in Police Story
Police Story featuring Jackie Chan is one movie that’s unforgettable, especially the Mall scene where he’s seen jumping from a pole, sliding down the metal pole, causing light bulbs to explode on their set.
It’s this very stunt that led him to actual injury, cracking his seventh and eighth vertebrae.
Before the injury, he attempted to work with the producer Robert Chow:
Chan loved stunts, and had many face-offs with death over the years. And he was extremely dedicated to the film.
Jackie: I want to jump over a rail, slide down a pole covered in Christmas lights, and smash through a glass roof onto a marble floor with no padding.
Producer Raymond Chow tried to talk him out of stunts that put him in danger.
Raymond: No.
Jackie: Okay, the glass can be fake.
Raymond: No. I already let you jump off the second story railing and land on your back with no padding. Under no circumstances am I putting my star into any more dangerous situations. Do I make myself clear?
Apparently, not clear enough because Jackie Chan went through with the stunt on-set because his injuries became serious.
Dislocating his pelvis, hand burns due to the lights exploding and had quite the healing process. But that’s who Jackie Chan is, he’s devoted to his art and it does show in all of his films.
Even during the start of his career in 1978, a film called Drunken Master was released and he quickly flew up the box office.
During filmmaking Jang-Lee kicked Jackie Chan so hard he broke his brow bone, nearly costing him an eye.
And he spent a total of 4-months filming the final fight, which was spent letting other actors on set rough him up, was kicked onto hot coal and walked backwards on the hot coal.
The coal left his body burned, you’d think he would go to the hospital but he didn’t and was still unsatisfied with the outcome, so he did it again, that’s devotion.
Margaret Hamilton filming in The Wizard Of Oz
If you remember the Wicked Witch of the West, she was skilled at disappearing in cloudy smoke throughout the film. But it only took one of those times to make an on-set experience she’ll never forget.
Petroleum was a popular ingredient for her makeup and there happened to be a faulty door which created the perfect storm after it sparked and caught her on fire.
Hamilton was hospitalized for third degree burns on her hands, and second degree burns on her face.
Sylvester Stallone filming in Rocky IV
Stallone had to get in shape, and fight on set, most people absolutely loved every fight scene.
Remember that final punch that knocked down Sylvester Stallone?
Well, turns out, the lead actor hit him as hard as possible, that scene led him to the hospital with a swollen heart, and he was being treated in the ICU for a total of 8-days.
Halle Berry filming in – The Call
The Call was a fantastic movie, and the filming was on-point. But Halle Berry had to be rushed to the hospital due to an on-set injury.
Berry was filming a fighting scene when she fell, hit her head on concrete floor, which knocked her out.
The set was then closed down for the day, and she was rushed to the hospital.
But that wasn’t her only bad set experience, she was also injured during the making of Die Another Day.
In case you didn’t know the James Bond saga was full of dangerous scenes but Berry choked during the intimacy scene between the two actors (Pierce Brosnan).
Luckily, Brosnan used the Heimlich maneuver which prevented the on-set incident from becoming serious.
Tom Hanks filming in – Cast Away
This might be a new one for some, but while on set Hanks hurt his knee on set, leading to pain and inflammation.
Unfortunately, filming had to be suspended and Tom Hanks had to spend hours with doctors who were attempting to find the best transfer to a health facility, away from base camp.
Luckily, doctors were able to clear his infected leg and save his life.
Hanks recalled thinking ‘if not for intervention, he would have passed within a few days.’
Martin Sheen filming in Apocalypse Now
Apocalypse Now did not fail to deliver nothing less than perfection. But that perfect film came with a difficult production because the set location was located in the Jungle.
Sheen suffered a heart attack at 36-years-old.
Fortunately, the crew was able to save him while he was attempting to calm down. He ended up having to recover and was substituted by a stand-in actor.
Actors take huge risks for their family, friends and fans when filming.
Blessed be!
