By Wonderwall.com Editors
5:19am PST, Feb 8, 2021
Being an actor can be a dangerous profession. While stuntmen and women are employed to take on risks, sometimes injuries aren't always preventable. Jennifer Lawrence was injured during a stunt on the Massachusetts set of her film "Don't Look Up" in the early morning hours of Feb. 5, 2021. According to a report from TMZ that was later confirmed by other outlets, something went wrong during a "controlled glass explosion" and a shard of glass flew into the Oscar winner's face, cutting her and causing her eyelid to bleed profusely. Local newspaper the Brockton Enterprise reported that the window was set to shatter when a trash bin was thrown into it. J.Law, who was shooting with Timothée Chalamet just prior to the incident, was expected to be OK. Keep reading to see more stars who've overcome injuries sustained on set…
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Johnny Knoxville is no stranger to getting hurt on the set of his movies — heck, sometimes that's the whole point! In December 2020, Johnny was hospitalized after filming a scene for his latest stunt-filled movie, "Jacka** 4," in which he jumped on a full-speed treadmill while carrying band equipment. Co-star Steve O was also hospitalized for his participation in the same stunt. For Johnny, this is just another painful day at the office: While filming 2018's "Action Point," he suffered several concussions, a broken hand, a left-eye fracture and a torn meniscus. He also lost teeth and suffered whiplash.
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Stephen Amell injured his back on the set of the Starz wrestling series "Heels" in October 2020 — just after he was forced to stay away from set after contracting the coronavirus. "While performing a stunt on the set of 'Heels' this week, Stephen Amell sustained an injury to his back," Starz said in a statement. "Following a medical evaluation, he is now resting and recovering at home in anticipation of his return to set. Production continues as Stephen recuperates."
It's fitting that Halle Berry was injured on the set of a film called "Bruised." In November 2019, production was delayed after the actress got hurt filming a fighting scene. "Thank you to all the folks that have showered me with love since my injury," she later wrote on social media. "It's par for the course when you do your own stunts, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Just know I'm far from tired. I'm wide awake…and just getting started!" Halle, by the way, was also injured rehearsing for "John Wick." In that incident, she broke three ribs. "It's like a badge of honor for me, I don't know how it happened, we don't know how it happened, but somehow," she said after. Halle was also injured in 2015. (Keep reading for more on that!)
After suffering a serious spinal injury — the result of cracking his head open while filming a torture scene for 2005's "Syriana" — George Clooney said that he contemplated suicide as he struggled to recover. "I was at a point where I thought, 'I can't exist like this. I can't actually live,'" he told Rolling Stone in 2011. One small comfort? George went on to win an Oscar for his performance in the film.
"Maze Runner" star Dylan O'Brien was run over by a car while filming the final installment of the trilogy, "Maze Runner: The Death Cure," in British Columbia in March 2016. He was hospitalized for several days after suffering a concussion, lacerations and multiple broken bones including a facial fracture after the stunt went horribly wrong. Production of the movie was halted for months as Dylan recovered.
Han Solo's Millennium Falcon turned on him in 2014. While shooting "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" at London's Pinewood Studios, Harrison Ford was knocked to the ground and crushed beneath the spaceship's heavy door. "It dislocated my ankle and as it drove me down to the floor, my legs slapped on the ramp up to the Millennium Falcon and broke both bones in my left leg," Harrison told British talk-show host Jonathan Ross. The accident was so bad, Harrison had to be airlifted to a hospital in Oxford, England, and production was halted for two weeks.
Aya Cash was injured on the set of FXX's "You're the Worst" on June 29, 2018, after a stunt went awry. Reports indicated that a scene involving a car crash was being filmed. The car was supposed to crash into a highway overpass. However, the protective cable apparently broke and snapped back wildly, striking the actress in the lower body. Several crew members were also hit with the rouge cable. She was treated on set.
Salty! While filming the 2010 spy-thriller "Salt" on New York's Long Island, Angelina Jolie got hurt doing her own stunts. "It's so embarrassing," she told "Good Morning America." "I had to come into a door shooting and I came in sideways shooting and rolled on the ground and I ended up rolling right into a desk and I cut my head open and had to lay down," she explained. "And then [I] was disoriented and just a bit off so they sent me to the hospital to get checked before I could return. And then I returned that day with a big bandage on my head that they were going to have to paint out."
Tony Stark isn't invincible! While on the North Carolina set of 2013's "Iron Man 3," Robert Downey Jr. suffered an ankle injury while doing a stunt scene. Marvel had to delay production for more than a week while the star recovered.
Poor Salma Hayek! The gorgeous actress got hurt while filming the comedy "Drunk Parents," in which she co-stars with Alec Baldwin, in February 2016. "I had to be rushed from set to the ER for a minor head injury," she wrote on Instagram alongside a photo of herself with the doctors who checked her out.
Commissioner Gordon is one tough cookie! While filming his hit TV show "Gotham" in New York City, Ben McKenzie accidentally rammed his head into a concrete pillar when a fight scene went awry. After a hospital visit and some stitches, Ben was able to return to set the next day. The worst part? This all happened on his 36th birthday!
Can the Green Lantern conjure up a doctor with that ring? While shooting high-intensity scenes for the 2011 superhero movie, Ryan Reynolds dislocated his shoulder. After it was put back in place, Ryan returned to set. Maybe that explains the critically panned movie's failings?
So scary! While filming a scene for "The Good Wife" in Brooklyn in 2012, pint-sized actress Kristin Chenoweth was knocked unconscious after a gust of wind caused some lighting equipment to fall on her head. The impact fractured the Broadway beauty's skull and injured her ribs and hips. She was unable to complete filming and left her recurring role on the hit series. Years of physical therapy followed.
Too far! While playing a creepy crime-scene photographer in "Nightcrawler," Jake Gyllenhaal punched a mirror so hard that it shattered and cut up his hand pretty bad. Fortunately, he was able to get stitched up right away. No pain, no gain?
Nineties heartthrob Jason Priestly was thrown from a horse while filming his TV series "The Code." After spending a night in the hospital getting checked out, the actor was back on set the next day telling his Twitter followers, "I got my bell rung pretty good."
Even vampires get injured! Jackson Rathbone, who portrayed Jasper in the "Twilight" film franchise, was injured on the set of "Eclipsed" while filming a pivotal fight scene. He was taken to the hospital as a precautionary measure, but after careful review was allowed back on set the same day!
While filming her 2015 thriller "The Hive" in Los Angeles, Halle Berry fell during a chase sequence and banged her head on a concrete street! After being rushed to the hospital, doctors confirmed that she was okay and allowed her to return to set the next day.
Poor Orly! While filming the 2002 fantasy movie "The Lord of The Rings: The Two Towers," Orlando Bloom fell off a horse and cracked his rib during a very intricate action sequence. While the injury was considered minor, Orlando reportedly developed a reputation for often complaining about the pain while on set!
Auf Wiedersehen! While on the Berlin set of her 2005 futuristic action thriller "Aeon Flux," Charlize Theron sustained a serious injury while doing an acrobatic move. "It was around the tenth or the ninth day of shooting… We still had a whole film to do," she told About Entertainment. "[I did a] 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," she explained. Charlize was hospitalized in Germany for five days, then returned to the States to get checked out by her own doctors. "I had some nerve damage, it was numb and on the right side of my body," she added. "I think that we all realized that it was a pretty serious injury." Production resumed six weeks later.
While filming the 2012 bike messenger thriller "Premium Rush," Joseph Gordon Levitt had to get a lot of stitches after a scene went wrong. "I ended up going through the rear window of a taxi cab and getting 31 stitches," he told Celebuzz, adding that while waiting for medical attention, he encouraged the film's director, David Koepp, to shoot the bloody aftermath. "He took out his phone and recorded it. I was stoked that they actually put it in [the movie]," Joseph added. Be careful on bikes, kids!
Smashed and stapled! While filming the 2016 coming-of-age drama "American Honey," Shia LaBeouf received 13 staples and 20 stitches after a scene in which he bangs his head through a glass window went wrong. Though the intense star was able to make a full recovery, we imagine that it wasn't pretty!
Yikes! While filming the 1991 action movie "Armour of God 2: Operation Condor," Jackie Chan hit his head after a relatively minor stunt went wrong and had to have brain surgery. In fact, Jackie still has a metal plate in his head from the operation! All in a day's work for the action star…
Sly is the toughest! While doing his own stunt work as Rambo in 1982's "First Blood," Sylvester Stallone fell down a tree and broke a rib! He finished filming the scene before he was taken to the hospital in a limo.
While filming 2010's "Morning Glory," Diane Keaton took a tumble and bumped her head. As a precautionary measure, she was taken to the hospital, but thankfully was soon sent on her way with no major injuries.
