Horrific Harry Potter Incident Left Daniel Radcliffe's Stuntman Paralyzed
The stuntman had the support of the entire Harry Potter team.
Each Harry Potter movie had elements that could injure the actors in one way or another, so they all needed a stunt double. It was very difficult to find the one for Daniel Radcliffe.
The actor was 11 years old, and the movie's creators had to find a stuntman who was much older but the same height as Daniel, because hiring a stunt double under 18 is prohibited.
When David Holmes, who looked like a teenager, came to the audition and showed what he could do, he was immediately cast as Daniel Radcliffe's stuntman.
David taught Daniel a lot, as the actor had to participate in some scenes alone, which required him not only to perform some tricks, but also to act, so in such a case the stuntman could not replace the actor.
While filming, David and Daniel became close friends, but one day the stunt double's life was divided into before and after.
In 2009, an accident occurred during the filming of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. David Holmes broke his neck while performing a stunt.
According to the script, the spectacular explosion was supposed to throw Harry Potter a few feet and slam his back against the wall. The pyrotechnics went off, Holmes was pulled back by a cable, and he hit his head instead of his back.
As a result of the accident, David was paralyzed from the waist down and confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life. He was only 28 years old at the time.
Suddenly it turned out that the insurance provided by Warner Bros. studio was not able to cover such an expensive treatment, let alone the work of a nurse. Daniel Radcliffe volunteered to raise the necessary funds.
To pay for the initial surgical treatment, he organized a charity dinner to which he invited the film crew and fans of the movie.
A few months later, he opened the annual David Holmes Charity Cricket Cup to give the stuntman money from ticket sales, but still decided to pay most of the expenses out of his own pocket.
It should be noted that the rest of the Harry Potter team also helped David, but Daniel undoubtedly made the biggest contribution.
According to the actor, the doubles and stuntmen get unfairly little attention and should get an Oscar for their dangerous and hard work.