Daniel Radcliffe's stunt double paralysed for life following Harry Potter scene

2023-10-25 21:50

Daniel Radcliffe is producing a documentary about his Harry Potter stunt double who was left paralysed from a scene gone wrong. David Holmes was left with a broken neck while filming Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010). He was said to be rehearsing a flying scene at Warner Bros Studios, Leavesden, in 2009, when he was jerked backwards "at speed" during a scene that mimicked an explosion. Holmes launched into the wall during the freak accident and was immediately rushed to Watford General Hospital before being transferred to the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital in Stanmore where he stayed for a further six months. Doctors informed him that he was paralysed from the chest down, with limited movement in his hands and arms. Speaking about the horrific incident, Holmes previously told the Mirror: "I hit the wall and then landed on the crash mat underneath. My stunt coordinator grabbed my hand and said, ‘Squeeze my fingers’. I could move my arm to grab his hand but I couldn’t squeeze his fingers. "I looked into his eyes and that’s when I realised what happened was major. I remember slipping in and out of consciousness because of the pain levels. I’d broken a bone before, so recognising that weird feeling across my whole body from my fingertips right down to my toes, I knew I had really done some damage." A synopsis for the upcoming documentary reads: "Over the next 10 years, the two form an inextricable bond, but on the penultimate film a tragic accident on set leaves David paralysed with a debilitating spinal injury, turning his world upside down." Holmes later took to Instagram on 24 October with an announcement for the show. "Being a stuntman was my calling in life, and doubling Harry was the best job in the world. In January 2009, I had a stunt rehearsal accident that changed my life forever," he wrote. "This film tells the story of not just my achievements in front of camera, but also the challenges I face every day, and my overall attitude to life after suffering a broken neck." How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Daniel Radcliffe is producing a documentary about his Harry Potter stunt double who was left paralysed from a scene gone wrong.

David Holmes was left with a broken neck while filming Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010). He was said to be rehearsing a flying scene at Warner Bros Studios, Leavesden, in 2009, when he was jerked backwards "at speed" during a scene that mimicked an explosion.

Holmes launched into the wall during the freak accident and was immediately rushed to Watford General Hospital before being transferred to the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital in Stanmore where he stayed for a further six months.

Doctors informed him that he was paralysed from the chest down, with limited movement in his hands and arms.

Speaking about the horrific incident, Holmes previously told the Mirror: "I hit the wall and then landed on the crash mat underneath. My stunt coordinator grabbed my hand and said, ‘Squeeze my fingers’. I could move my arm to grab his hand but I couldn’t squeeze his fingers.

"I looked into his eyes and that’s when I realised what happened was major. I remember slipping in and out of consciousness because of the pain levels. I’d broken a bone before, so recognising that weird feeling across my whole body from my fingertips right down to my toes, I knew I had really done some damage."

A synopsis for the upcoming documentary reads: "Over the next 10 years, the two form an inextricable bond, but on the penultimate film a tragic accident on set leaves David paralysed with a debilitating spinal injury, turning his world upside down."

Holmes later took to Instagram on 24 October with an announcement for the show.

"Being a stuntman was my calling in life, and doubling Harry was the best job in the world. In January 2009, I had a stunt rehearsal accident that changed my life forever," he wrote. "This film tells the story of not just my achievements in front of camera, but also the challenges I face every day, and my overall attitude to life after suffering a broken neck."

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