10 Actors Who Sustained Major Injuries While Filming

"Foxcatcher" Press Conference - 2014 Toronto International Film Festival

Acting may not be a contact sport, but it certainly allows for its fair share of injuries. For many of Hollywood’s finest, ‘another day at the office’ has quickly turned into a trip to the emergency room.  Whether performing their own stunts, or simply being involved in a freak accident, countless actors and actresses have acquired painful injuries while on set. Fortunately, many stars have been able to recover from these injuries; however, some of these incidents have resulted in life changing experiences that have forced many celebrities to become more grateful.  Here are 10 actors who sustained major injuries while filming.

10. Nicholas Hoult

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In 2014, Nicholas Hoult revealed that he suffered injuries while on the set of the film Young Ones.  While appearing as a guest on Late Night with Conan O’Brien, Hoult shared his experiences on the set, and said that attempting to perform his own stunts quickly became a little dangerous.  Hoult told the audience that he sustained injuries to his face after a crew member fired off explosives before Hoult had a chance to get out-of-the-way.

 (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)

9. Daniel Radcliffe

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Actor Daniel Radcliffe, best-known for his role as Harry Potter, earned his first on-set injury back in 2009 while filming Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows.  Radcliffe, who detailed the story in during an interview stated: “I was shooting a scene where Harry is fighting a huge snake. As you know, the Harry Potter films are big productions, so instead of an actual snake in front of me, our stunt coordinator held a long stick with a boxing glove at the end. He got me by surprise and hit me in the face. The blow was strong enough to knock me out!”

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8. Jackie Chan

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Throughout his career, action movie star Jackie Chan has gained respect and popularity for being able to complete his own stunts.  Due to the nature of most of his films, Chan has sustained numerous injuries while on set. Chan’s many injuries include a dislocated shoulder, broken fingers, spine damage, and a dislocated cheek bone to which he responded, ” I didn’t even know you could do that!”

(Photo by Kiyoshi Ota/Getty Images)

 7. Bruce Willis

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During the filming of the 1988 classic film, Die Hard, Bruce Willis received an injury that he would never completely recover from.  During one of the film’s scenes in which Willis’ character killed a terrorist, the director decided to use ‘extra loud’ blanks in order to make the gunfire seem more realistic.  However, Willis suffered permanent hearing loss after one of the guns was fired too closely to his face.

 (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

6. Jim Caviezel

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Jim Caviezel became well-known for playing Jesus Christ in the 2004 film, The Passion of the Christ. While on-set, Caviezel was involved in a freak accident when he was struck by lightning while shooting a scene of the Sermon on the Mount.  During an interview with The 700 Club, Caviezel opened up about the incident and stated: “I was lit up like a Christmas tree!..I knew it was going to hit me about four seconds before it happened. I thought, ‘I’m going to get hit.'” Fortunately for Caviezel, he didn’t suffer any permanent injuries.

 (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

5. Halle Berry

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Halle Berry has often been considered one of the most beautiful women in Hollywood.  However, Berry’s beauty is certainly not to be confused with fragility.  In 2003, Berry suffered a broken in her arm while filming the horror/thriller film Gothika.  According to Berry, her arm broke after her co-star Robert Downey Jr. grabbed her incorrectly while shooting a scene.  In 2012, Berry sustained another serious injury while shooting the film, The Call.  She was rushed to the emergency room after her head was accidentally slammed into the concrete during an action scene.  Luckily, Berry did not sustain any lasting injuries.

 (Photo by Joe Scarnici/Getty Images for Huading Film Awards)

4. George Clooney

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In 2005, actor George Clooney sustained an injury so serious that he has since admitted that it caused him to contemplate suicide.  While on the set of  the film Syriana, Clooney was involved in a stunt that went horribly wrong and resulted in a devastating spine injury.  According to Clooney, the injury was so painful that he considered suicide.  During an interview, Clooney revealed that his quality of life had been severely impacted, and spinal fluid had even began leaking from his nose.  Clooney stated: “I was lying in a hospital bed with an IV in my arm, unable to move, having these headaches where it feels like you’re having a stroke, and for a short three-week period, I started to think, “I may have to do something drastic about this”… but I never thought I’d get there. See, I was in a place where I was trying to figure out how to survive.”

(Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)

3. Charlize Theron

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In 2005, actress Charlize Theron, was injured while filming the science fiction spy film, Aeon Flux.  Theron, who was injured early on during filming, has said that feels lucky to have been able to walk away from the set.  During an interview, Theron discussed the injury and stated: ” I did a back handspring, gymnastics back handspring, had done 18 of them back to back and I just slipped and landed on my neck with my body straight out so with all my weight onto my neck and herniated the disk between my third and fourth vertebrae. And it had slipped and was really loose and was close to my spinal cord and I was hospitalized for five days in Berlin and then came back here and saw some doctors. I had some nerve damage, it was numb and on the right side of my body.”

(Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for AFI)

2. Gerard Butler

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In 2012, actor Gerard Butler nearly lost his life after he was severely injured on a film set while shooting a surfing scene. According to Butler, he initially saw the film as a chance to learn how to surf.  However, things took a tragic turn when Butler was overpowered by a wave.  During an interview, Butler stated: “I was down for that wave and I was down for a long time just turning and then the next wave came over and I began to think ‘Wow, I’m going to die making a movie.'” Unfortunately, the injuries that he sustained during the incident caused him to become dependent on pain pills, which led to a stint in rehab.

(Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

1. Channing Tatum

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In 2011, while filming The Eagle, actor Channing Tatum sustained one of the worst possible injuries.  While on set, Tatum accidentally burned his private area after a boiling water was poured down his suit as an attempt to keep him warm while shooting a scene in freezing water.  Tatum has since described the injury as, “the most painful thing I have ever experienced in my life.”

(Photo by Francois Durand/Getty Images)

(Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)

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