Actors often face different problems when filming. For example, the performance of dangerous tricks that can cause inconvenience and even physical pain. Most actors deal easily with this problem: professional stuntmen help them. Or they at least try to be careful and avoid any harmful situations. But there are also fearless actors out there.
Here presents 11 stars that jeopardized their health and even lives to make the audience hold their breath and enjoy the film.
Channing Tatum, Foxcatcher
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© Annapurna Pictures
During the filming of Foxcatcher, a mysterious event happened to Tatum (who played Mark Schultz). The actor should have hit a mirror with his head. The mirror was covered with protective plastic for the actor’s safety. But Channing’s emotions ran out of control: he hit the mirror 3 times and smashed it and his head, so the blood there wasn’t fake. In Tatum’s words, he doesn’t understand how it happened.
Sylvester Stallone, First Blood
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In the first movie about John Rambo, a veteran of the Vietnam War, Sylvester’s hero had to jump off a huge rock to escape from policemen. Though this trick was really challenging, the actor didn’t want stuntmen to perform it. It cost Stallone 2 broken ribs: he landed badly but played the scene until the end, and his painful cry made this moment even more tense and spectacular.
Leonardo DiCaprio, Django Unchained
© The Weinstein Company
DiCaprio didn’t avoid trauma either. In one of the most powerful scenes in Django Unchained, furious slaveholder Candie (Leo) had to hit a table. The actor really got into character and accidentally smashed a crystal glass. Despite unbearable pain and dripping blood, he continued to perform and pronounced his angry monologue brilliantly. When filming ended, brave DiCaprio required stitches.
Gerard Butler, Chasing Mavericks
© Walden Media
A professional surfer’s role in a movie based on real events almost cost an actor’s life. To make the film realistic, he refused the help of stuntmen in most cases and conquered giant waves himself. But once the situation ran out of control: the powerful water flow knocked Butler and dragged him into the depths. He appeared on the water’s surface and disappeared several times. The actor had been beneath the water for some minutes before he was rescued.
Viggo Mortensen, The Lord of the Rings
© New Line Cinema
That dramatic moment in the 2nd film of The Lord of the Rings when Gimli, Legolas, and Aragorn concluded that hobbits Merry and Pippin were murdered wouldn’t have been so emotionally powerful if not for Viggo Mortensen (who played Aragorn). He demonstrated the bitterness of loss and hit an orc’s heavy helmet, breaking 2 fingers. As a result, we can see his real cry of unbearable pain.
Jackie Chan, Rumble in the Bronx
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© Golden Harvest
Jackie Chan is famous for performing tricks without stuntmen, and it’s impossible to count all the injuries he got during his long career. But sometimes it isn’t easy to do everything perfectly, even for the master of martial arts. One such situation happened during the Rumble in the Bronx filming when the actor jumped off a bridge onto a vessel. Jackie broke his ankle, got an open fracture of the fingers, and injured his leg and thigh. Despite these severe injuries, he continued to act and hid his cast under a sock painted like a sneaker.
Michael J. Fox, Back to the Future, Part III
© Universal Pictures
During the filming of the 3rd part of the story about Marty McFly and Doctor Emmett Brown, an unpleasant incident happened: Michael was to act in a scene where his movie enemy, Buford Tannen, wanted to hang him. Everything was fine during rehearsals, and Fox held a rope with his fingers and was safe. But when the filming began, the rope tightened around the actor’s neck too much, and Michael was really hanged for some seconds. Fortunately, he was rescued, and Marty McFly managed to return from the Wild West to Hill Valley of 1985.
Liv Tyler, The Ledge
© Film & Entertainment
The Ledge isn’t in Liv Tyler’s list of top films, but this movie was one of the most challenging and difficult for the actress. According to the plot, Shana, the main character, is locked in a hotel room and tied up by her fanatic husband. The creators had only one chance to film this episode because they didn’t have enough time. Liv had to endure torture: neither cutting pain nor suffocation because of a gag stopped the actress, and she managed to finish the filming.
Shia LaBeouf, Fury
© Columbia Pictures
This actor is quite young, but he managed to become famous because of his talent and extraordinary actions. While filming the military drama Fury, Shia decided that a scar on his face drawn by makeup artists wasn’t enough. To make his image more realistic, Shia cut his cheek, always traumatized the wound, and even pulled one of his teeth. His colleagues were really excited by these actions, and Brad Pitt called the young talent one of the greatest actors.
Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood
© Miramax Films
Different dangerous situations always happen with this actor during filmings. Colleagues even joke, “If Daniel doesn’t break a couple of ribs, a film won’t be successful.” There Will Be Blood didn’t become an exception: playing Plainview, a businessman, the actor fell 15 meters (50 feet) into a coal mine. Fortunately, the actor only injured his ribs, though the consequences could have been more serious.
Charlize Theron, Snow White and the Huntsman
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© Universal Pictures
Charlize took on the role of the evil queen and stepmother in another movie about Snow White. To feel all the anger and gloom of this character, artists sewed uncomfortable dresses, and this fact made her really unhappy. Charlize had lots of bruises and cuts because of heavy jewelry. On top of that, she had to scream a lot and accidentally injured her abdominal muscles. That’s what professionalism and devotion look like!
And do you know any actors who got in trouble during filmings? Share with us in the comments!
Preview photo credit The Weinstein Company, Universal Pictures
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