15 Times an Actor Hurt Themselves On Set

Movie sets aren’t always as glamorous as they look on screen. Between demanding stunts, complicated choreography, heavy props, and physically exhausting scenes, accidents can happen even when everyone is doing their best to stay safe. Some actors have walked away with broken bones, others needed surgery, and a few accidentally turned their real injuries into some of the most memorable moments in their movies. What’s particularly surprising is how many of these incidents actually made it into the finished film. These stories prove that sometimes the pain behind a performance is very real.

Viggo Mortensen Broke Two Toes in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)

When Aragorn kicks a helmet after believing Merry and Pippin are dead, Mortensen actually broke two toes on impact, and his genuine scream of pain became part of the final scene.

Tom Cruise Broke His Ankle in Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018)

While jumping between buildings during a rooftop chase, Cruise slammed his foot into the side of a building and broke his ankle, but he still managed to complete the shot before production was temporarily suspended.

Harrison Ford Broke His Leg on Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)

Ford was injured when a hydraulic door on the Millennium Falcon malfunctioned and crushed his leg, leaving him with a broken ankle and requiring surgery before he could return to filming.

Jackie Chan Nearly Died Making Armour of God (1986)

While attempting a jump from a tree branch, Chan fell onto a rock, fracturing his skull and causing a piece of bone to penetrate his brain, requiring emergency surgery and leaving him with a permanent hole in his skull.

Tom Hanks Developed a Dangerous Infection During Cast Away (2000)

Hanks cut his leg while filming in Fiji, and the wound eventually developed a serious staph infection that spread through his leg, forcing him into hospital and shutting down production for three weeks.

Ellen Burstyn Permanently Injured Her Back in The Exorcist (1973)

During the scene where Regan violently throws her mother across the bedroom, a harness malfunction caused Burstyn to be pulled too hard, fracturing her coccyx and leaving her with chronic back pain.

Linda Blair Suffered a Serious Back Injury in The Exorcist (1973)

The young actress injured her back during the demanding special-effects sequences involving Regan’s violent movements, and the injury reportedly contributed to lasting spinal problems, including scoliosis.

Jim Caviezel Was Struck by Lightning During The Passion of the Christ (2004)

While filming the Sermon on the Mount sequence, Caviezel was struck by lightning, and an assistant director was also hit shortly afterward, although both survived the frightening incident.

Nicole Kidman Broke Her Ribs Making Moulin Rouge! (2001)

Kidman fractured two ribs while filming the musical’s demanding dance sequences, with one injury reportedly happening again when her corset was tightened, and she also suffered a serious knee injury during production.

Dylan O’Brien Suffered Multiple Injuries on Maze Runner: The Death Cure (2018)

During a complicated vehicle stunt, O’Brien was pulled from a moving vehicle and struck by another, suffering a concussion, facial fracture, and brain trauma that forced production to shut down for months.

Halle Berry Broke Her Arm Filming Gothika (2003)

During a physically demanding scene with Robert Downey Jr., Berry’s arm was twisted in the wrong direction and her ulna snapped, requiring a hospital visit and forcing production to work around her cast.

Daniel Craig Broke His Leg During Spectre (2015)

While filming the James Bond action scenes, Craig suffered a serious leg injury that eventually required surgery, but he postponed the procedure and continued working with a specially designed support so production could move forward.

Orlando Bloom Broke a Rib on The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)

During a horseback riding sequence, Bloom fell from his horse and another actor landed on top of him, breaking one of his ribs, an injury that became a running joke among his fellow cast members.

George Clooney Seriously Injured His Spine Making Syriana (2005)

While filming a torture scene, Clooney was strapped to a chair that was knocked over, causing a spinal injury that led to a tear in the membrane surrounding his brain and a leak of spinal fluid, eventually requiring several operations.