These Actors Damaged Their Bodies For A Movie Role

When it comes to standing out above the rest, that often means going above and beyond. What about pushing your body so far that you end up injured as a result? While workplace injuries might be the things so many want to avoid, some stars have done just that.

In fact, actors who damaged their bodies for a role have proven how far they are willing to go to make a movie come to life. Sure, they might have been left with scars, but for some celebrities, it was all worth it in the end.

 Hugh Jackman admits years of playing Wolverine has permanently damaged his voice

When we think of Hugh Jackman, there’s likely one role that comes to mind: Wolverine. The actor has been the face of the superhero since the turn of the century, but his time in the superhero ‘X-Men’ franchise hasn’t been without its issues. One of the most famous aspects of Wolverine is his growly voice. The problem?

While Jackman has done all he can to care for his voice, years of portraying Wolverine have taken their toll. When talking to Front Row, Jackman admitted he has done “damage” as his falsetto isn’t “as strong as it used to be.” It could have stopped Jackman’s musical theater career in its tracks, but thankfully, the actor has found workarounds.

Buddy Ebsen didn’t even make the final cut of Oz but still suffered permanent breathing issues

There have been plenty of recreations, but the 1939 original will always be the most iconic. That’s right; we’re talking about the musical fantasy ‘The Wizard of Oz.’ While most of us know Jack Haley as the Tin Man, it turned out that role initially went to Buddy Ebsen, who would spend his life paying for the part.

To make the character look authentic, they opted for clown makeup covered in pure aluminum. Sweating meant it had to be constantly reapplied until Buddy was left unable to breathe. He ultimately spent eight weeks recovering - in which time he was replaced - after doctors discovered his lungs were coated in the metal, with Buddy suffering bronchitis episodes until he passed.

Dick York never allowed his back to heal properly after an accident during They Came to Cordura

Dick York was one of the biggest faces of his time, but things took a tragic turn. While filming the Western ‘They Came to Cordura,’ York was tasked with propelling a handcar, only for a cast member to suddenly grab the handle. The increase in weight tore York’s back muscles, with the actor relying on pain medication to keep filming.

Ultimately, his back healed incorrectly, with York’s constant pain seeing him develop an addiction to his medication. Even when he was cast on the fantasy show ‘Bewitched, an on-set seizure swiftly saw him replaced. York remained bedridden for 18 months, quit the medication cold turkey, and spent six months suffering from emphysema and withdrawal-induced hallucinations before turning to charity work.

George Clooney considered ending his life after hurting his back during Syriana

The 2005 political thriller ‘Syriana’ would eventually earn George Clooney an Oscar, but the sacrifices he made might not have been worth it for the actor. During one scene, Clooney’s character is beaten when he’s tied to a chair. Apparently, they had multiple takes, but one went wrong when his assailant kicked Clooney’s chair, and he hit his head.

Clooney explained he eventually learned he tore his dura, which is a thick membrane that keeps in spinal fluid. After three weeks of unbearable pain. Clooney later told Rolling Stone he thought about ending his own life as he “[couldn’t] exist like this.” Thankfully, treatment has helped, but it seems the actor still suffers from pain to date.

Kate Winslet had to immediately continue filming Titanic after she almost drowned

The disaster movie ‘Titanic’ really took the ‘90s by storm. As well as being the highest-grossing film of all time for years, the movie saw its stars and director reach incredible heights of fame. However, there was almost a time when Kate Winslet didn’t make it out the other side when her coat was caught on a gate underwater.

According to the actress’ interview with the Los Angeles Times, she had to “shimmy out of the coat” and “had no breath left.” To make matters worse, Kate admitted that director James Cameron had little sympathy for the near-fatal accident, simply telling Kate, “let’s go again,” with the actress worried she’d look like “a wimp” if she complained.

Tom Hanks could have lost his life after getting cut while working on Cast Away

Tom Hanks is known for bringing a host of characters to life, but his time as the star in the survival drama movie ‘Cast Away’ might be one of his most commendable. After all, the actor went to extreme lengths to make things realistic, even taking a year between shooting to lose 50 pounds and grow his hair and beard.

Still, it’s a cut on his leg that really threw a spanner in the works. The actor suffered the accident when filming, and it wasn’t long before Hanks was battling a staph infection, an infection caused by bacteria. In fact, things got so bad that doctors later warned Hanks he could have lost his life if he didn’t receive treatment.

Michael J. Fox was actually hung for several seconds during Back to the Future Part III

While nothing ultimately came from Michael J. Fox’s on-set accident, there was a time when it could have ended his life. ‘Back to the Future Part III’ was the final installment in the sci-fi franchise, and it was a stunt gone wrong that’s to blame. It was all when Marty McFly was in Western times.

The scene when he’s dragged up and hung looked so convincing because although it went well during rehearsals, there was a time the rope ended up too tight and knocked him unconscious. The actor opened up about the moment in his memoir, stating it took “several seconds” for people to realize “even I wasn’t that good of an actor.”

Brendan Fraser was knocked unconscious during The Mummy’s hanging scene

Getting hung on set might be more of a common accident than it seems, as the same thing happened to Brendan Fraser during his time filming the 1999 adventure movie ‘The Mummy.’ Apparently, the director, Stephen Sommers, didn’t think Brendan getting hung looked convincing enough, so he asked for one more take. The problem? The actor was already on tiptoes.

Brendan admitted on ‘The Kelly Clarkson Show’ that he “had nowhere to go but down” as the guy pulling the rope kept making it go higher and higher. The next thing Brendan remembers is waking up with his “elbow [in] my ear” and “gravel in my teeth.” It turned out he’d fallen unconscious but was - thankfully - safe.

Jason Momoa admitted his age was starting to take effect during Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom

Superheroes have inspired so many children over the years, but what happens when time catches up to them, and they’re forced to slow down? According to Jason Momoa, that is precisely what’s happening. The star has played several noteworthy characters, including Aquaman. However, it was ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’ that really proved Jason’s age.

The actor appeared on ‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show,’ where he admitted he’s “getting old” after filming several action-packed scenes. In fact, things were so bad that Jason was left with “messed up” eyes, “ribs out,” and “a hernia.” The actor noted he needed surgery, but it’s usually down to Jason getting “a little too excited” during action scenes.

Jackie Chan still has a plate in his head from an injury sustained during Armour of God

If you want an actor who will always do their own stunts, look no further than Jackie Chan. The star really helped to pave the way for martial arts and films coming together. However, filming the action-comedy ‘Armour of God’ didn’t entirely go to plan. In fact, Can dedicated an entire chapter of his autobiography to the injuries he sustained.

One of the worst involved Chan jumping from a wall to a tree branch, but he landed headfirst onto rocky terrain when the branch snapped. Ultimately, it shattered his skull and sent a piece of bone into Chan’s brain. The star required eight hours of surgery to stop the internal bleeding and still has a plastic plate in his head.

Ruby Rose shared her surgery on social media after filming Batwoman nearly left her paralyzed

Even though she started her career as a model, Ruby Rose has since transitioned into the world of acting and has scored a host of notable roles ever since. One of those came when she played the leading role in the superhero show ‘Batwoman,’ where things didn’t entirely go as planned on set for the star.

Ruby was performing her own stunts, but she shuddered two herniated discs in her spine as a result. As if that wasn’t bad enough, the star was told she risked becoming paralyzed if she didn’t have emergency surgery. Ultimately, Ruby shared a video of the entire process to her social media, adding, “that was fun.”

Jane Seymour apparently already had lots of fractures in her kneecap before filming Harry Wild

She might have been 70 years old at the time, but it seemed nothing was going to hold actress Jane Seymour back when it came to filming the mystery show ‘Harry Wild.’ Apparently, the actress was running across a bridge looking for another character when she fell and ended up fracturing her left kneecap in one swift movement.

Thankfully, the actress didn’t let it hold her back, telling social media that she was on crutches and had a leg brace. However, things might have been worse than they seemed. Apparently, Jane already had “lots of hairline fractures” on her kneecap after years in the business and wasn’t allowed to move for a few weeks.

Jaimie Alexander suffered a host of back injuries on the set of Thor: The Dark World

When you think of someone helping Thor, you might imagine they hurt themselves during one of the many epic battles that take place alongside the superhero. What about walking down a set of stairs? Unfortunately for Jaimie Alexander, that’s precisely what happened when she was working on the epic superhero movie ‘Thor: The Dark World.’

Apparently, Jaimie was merely walking down a set of metal stairs on set, but rain meant they were a lot more slippery than they should have been. Ultimately, the actress fell and suffered a host of injuries, including a torn rhomboid muscle in her back, dislocated shoulder, slipped disk, and 11 chipped vertebrae, resulting in a month of recovery.

Josh Duhamel was enjoying downtime on the set of Shotgun Wedding when he almost drowned

It turns out it was hanging out while filming 2022’s rom-com ‘Shotgun Wedding’ that almost ended Josh Duhamel’s life. The film was shot in the Dominican Republic, and Josh later confessed he could typically spend his downtime hanging out in a cove. The problem? One day, the water was particularly “tumultuous” and resulted in 30-foot waves.

Josh was speaking on ‘The Tonight Show’ when he admitted he was filming the waves only for one to “[wash] me almost over the edge of this cliff.” To make matters worse, the actor was standing on top of “razor-sharp coral” when another powerful wave knocked him down and scraped his legs. Thankfully, Josh made it out alive.

Katharine Hepburn was nominated an Oscar for Summertime while battling permanent conjunctivitis

Katharine Hepburn was many people’s favorite leading lady for a reason, with her watery eyes really making her stand out. However, it wasn’t a conscious decision, as Hepburn actually ended up with a rare case of incurable conjunctivitis after working on the set of the 1955 romantic drama ‘Summertime.’ Apparently, she didn’t even want to perform the stunt.

During one scene, the actress was meant to accidentally fall into a Venice canal, but she was worried about her ongoing case of dysentery and the dirty water. The movie ultimately added a ton of disinfectant to the water and covered Hepburn in Vaseline, but it wasn’t enough. The water caused the strange case of conjunctivitis that never went away.

Gerard Butler was the one to talk about Hilary Swank’s head injury during P.S. I Love You

The rom-com ‘P.S. I Love You’ took the world by storm, with Gerard Butler and Hilary Swank bringing the stars of it all to life. However, it wasn’t until 2023, when Gerard appeared on the ‘Drew Barrymore Show,’ that we learned Hilary Swank was badly injured during one scene, with the actor blaming himself for the stunt gone wrong.

Gerard admits a crocodile clip is meant to hit him in the head, with the camera crew sitting behind “plastic fronts” to protect themselves. However, as he was crawling on the floor, the clip “gets stuck, it releases” and “flies over my head.” Ultimately, Hilary is hit “in the head” and left with a cut that needed hospital treatment.

Bruce Willis walked away from Die Hard with permanent hearing loss on one side

You don’t sign up for a movie like the action thriller that is ‘Die Hard’ and walk away without a few scrapes. What about one that affects you forever? Of course, Bruce Willis is the star of the franchise, but it wasn’t his rooftop jump that injured the actor - it was the sheer amount of weapon use in the movie.

At one point, a weapon was fired too close to Bruce’s ear and immediately resulted in him losing two-thirds of his hearing on his left side. Bruce’s daughter, Rumer, has since confessed that’s why her father doesn’t tend to speak much during interviews. It’s not that he’s rude - apparently, it’s just Bruce can’t hear the questions!

Michelle Yeoh spent much of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon wearing a leg brace

Martial arts movies aren’t something we see every day, especially when they star so many female leads. Amazingly, the 2000 hit ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’ helped to do wonderful things for the genre, with Michelle Yeoh stepping up as one of the movie’s leading faces, but it also left her with a pretty nasty injury.

Michelle’s character is often at the center of the action, and it was running across rooftops during one sequence that ultimately saw the actress tear her ACL. Unfortunately, Michelle needed surgery - but things quickly got worse. They had yet to shoot the final action sequence, so Michelle filmed for three months in a giant leg brace as she recovered.

Rachel Brosnahan now has corset injuries after working on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

You might have heard the saying beauty is pain, and it seems Rachel Brosnahan learned that the hard way when filming the comedy-drama show ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.’ When appearing on ‘The Late Late Show with James Corden,’ the actress opened up about the “corset-related injury” she suffered on the set of the show, thanks to her costume.

Apparently, Rachel had to constantly wear one to achieve the perfect look, but with the fast-talking, the actress said, “you can’t really take very many breaths.” In the end, Rachel says she “wasn’t breathing a lot” and felt “a bit constrained.” The result? She says some ribs are “fused together,” and she can’t take “super deep breaths anymore.”

Russell Crowe gave filming Gladiator his all - and still has several permanent scars

While some actors only sustain one or two injuries from their careers, it seems Russell Crowe has a long list of on-set injuries to his name. Of course, one of the star’s most famous roles came in the epic historical drama ‘Gladiator,’ a film that ultimately left him with an injury list longer than most people’s entire careers.

Russell appeared on the talk show ‘Inside the Actors Studio,’ where he confessed he has been left with Achilles tendon tears, a dislocated rib, back issues, scars, blown-out knees, and even skin discoloration, among other injuries. Still, Russell said it’s all down to doing his own stunts so that “the director can get the shot.”

Russell Crowe has also sustained several on-set injuries from several other movie roles

Now knowing Russel Crowe will go to extreme lengths to pull off his own stunts might make it a little less surprising that the actor has been left with a host of scars and permanent injuries from his other movie roles, too. During an interview with Vulture, Russell confessed he has almost no cartilage left in his toes.

The star continued to add he’s had multiple shoulder surgeries. The sports comedy ‘Mystery, Alaska’ is largely to blame for Russell’s feet, as he was in ice skates for 12 to 14 hours a day. The sports drama ‘Cinderella Man’ and the action-adventure ‘Robin Hood’ certainly didn’t help, with Russell also sustaining injuries while shooting a film that never came.

Frank Sinatra lost Dirty Harry after a finger injury sustained during The Manchurian Candidate

Most people know Frank Sinatra as a legendary singer, but plenty forget he was one of Hollywood’s leading actors, too. While he won an Oscar for his acting, Frank almost lost a finger. That moment came in 1962’s thriller ‘The Manchurian Candidate’ during a karate fight scene gone wrong. Apparently, Frank was meant to chop into a fake coffee table.

Instead, the real wooden table was struck so hard it broke off and ultimately fractured his right pinkie finger. Amazingly, the shot appears in the final film, but the finger never healed properly. As well as leaving Frank in permanent discomfort, it lost him the part in the action thriller ‘Dirty Harry’ as Frank couldn’t hold the famous weapon.

Maude Apatow finished her Little Shop of Horrors performance with a concussion

A concussion might sound like a simple injury, but it can actually have huge effects on someone’s life if it’s left untreated or hits someone’s head in all the wrong ways. That’s why Maude Apatow’s concussion worried so many people when she was working on the off-Broadway version of the musical ‘Little Shop of Horrors.’

The actress was playing the leading lady in it all and said during her time on ‘Late Night with Seth Meyers’ that she was “running offstage” in “a panic,” but her eyes hadn’t adjusted to the light. Instead, Maude ran “full-speed into a wall” and “got a concussion.” Amazingly, she finished the show before heading to the hospital.

Dylan O’Brien suffered several facial injuries while working on the final Maze Runner movie

The third and final installment in the dystopian sci-fi ‘Maze Runner’ franchise was highly anticipated, but it almost ended Dylan O’Brien’s acting career in a stunt gone wrong. The world learned someone had suffered a concussion and facial lacerations and fractures on set, and filming was stopped as they healed. Eventually, we discovered that it was Dylan himself.

The actor was supposedly riding in a harness on top of a moving vehicle when he was suddenly pulled off and hit by another vehicle. The following year, Dylan started work on the action thriller ‘American Assassin,’ but confessed he was worried as he was still recovering. Thankfully, the actor later looked at it as something therapeutic.

Ike Barinholtz instantly knew something was wrong when he fell on his neck during Blockers

According to Ike Barinholtz, he instantly knew something was wrong after suffering a fall on the set of the comedy movie ‘Blockers.’ Ike was working on a high platform when he fell and felt something in his neck, later telling People magazine that it was “scary and touch and go for a while.” The injury? A broken neck.

It turned out Ike had fractured two cervical vertebrae and had to wear a neck brace as the bones healed. Although he made a full recovery, the actor’s injury could have been much worse. Somehow, Ike still appeared in the final season of the rom-com show ‘The Mindy Project’ with his brace, stating the injury made sense for his character.

Halle Berry didn’t let two broken ribs stop her from filming and directing Bruised

Halle Berry is a busy woman, and 2020 marked a huge point in her career as she made her directorial debut. The actress even starred in her own movie, the sports drama ‘Bruised,’ but was about to discover things were far from straightforward. While filming an MMA scene, Halle took a hit that hurt more than it should.

The actress was actually fighting real-life fighter Valentina Shevchenko at the time when a kick broke two of her ribs. Rather than give in to the pain, Halle admitted the “fighter in me stood up” and said she had to “keep going.” Amazingly, Halle took some pain medication and continued filming despite her horrific injury.

Helen Mirren didn’t complain during Shazam! Fury of the Gods when she broke a finger

She might be 78 years old, but nothing can hold Helen Mirren back. The actress has appeared in a host of notable movies throughout her career, with 2023 offering her the chance to work on the action-adventure film ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods.’ Apparently, Helen was determined to do her own stunts throughout it all.

Sadly, that came at the cost of Helen breaking one of her fingers. The actress appeared on the British talk show ‘The Graham Norton Show’ at the start of 2023 and confessed she “didn’t say anything or complain” as she wanted to seem like “a real stunty person.” It goes to show just why Helen is a true Hollywood legend.

Charlize Theron was almost left paralyzed by a backflip in Æon Flux

Time and time again, Charlize Theron has shown why she’s one of the best at bringing down the bad guys in her movies. Unfortunately, the actress has also paid the price for giving her stunts her all. From cracking teeth to tearing ligaments off the bone in her thumb, it appears nothing compares to a 2005 injury.

The team was just ten days into filming the sci-fi action movie ‘Æon Flux’ when a backflip gone wrong saw Charlize land on her neck. A crunch eventually turned out to be a herniated disk, with doctors worrying for a time that the actress would be left permanently paralyzed. Thankfully, treatment means Charlize still has full mobility.

Jim Caviezel was struck by lightning while filming The Passion of the Christ

Have you ever wondered if miracles are real? That might have been one of the many thoughts that went through people’s heads as they worked on the biblical drama ‘The Passion of Christ’ in 2004. Jim Caviezel was the lead actor in it all but somehow ended up getting struck by lightning while filming a “Sermon on the Mount.”

Jim admitted to Scott Ross that he was “lit up like a Christmas tree” and knew he was going to be struck by lightning “about four seconds before it happened.” The actor added he had “Illumination around the whole body” and “fire coming out” of the sides of his head. Somehow, Jim wasn’t seriously harmed by the strike.

Buster Keaton unknowingly lived with a fractured neck from Sherlock Jr. for 11 years

Buster Keaton was the king of silent movies and was famous for doing all of his own stunts, with the comedy ‘Sherlock Jr.’ coming as no exception. Amazingly, an injury on the set of the film took 11 years to find, especially as Buster had grown an incredible tolerance for physical pain after years of stunt work.

The actor grabbed a water tank from a moving train, but he didn’t expect water to gush out of the spout. Buster was ultimately knocked backward and unconscious after landing on his neck. In a rare move, he called off the day’s filming, but it took until an X-ray in 1935 for Buster to learn he’d actually fractured his neck.

Taylor Hickson still has the scars from a glass accident on the set of Incident in Ghostland

Although people might recognize Taylor Hickson from her multiple other roles, it was her time in the mystery horror ‘Incident in 'Ghostland’ that saw the young actress suffer an injury that would leave her with permanent scars. Taylor was apparently worried about pounding on a glass door when she allegedly asked if it was safe to do so.

When the director reportedly told her yes, Taylor did as she was asked, only to fall through the door when it shattered. Taylor was left with multiple cuts across her face and needed 70 stitches, but that wasn’t all. A lawsuit saw the production company - aptly named Incident Productions - fined $40,000, with Taylor still living with the scars today.

Harrison Ford was practicing scenes as Indiana Jones when he injured his shoulder

The action-adventure ‘Indiana Jones’ franchise has raked in millions of dollars throughout the years, with Harrison Ford bringing the lead archaeologist to life in every movie. Fans across the world were excited to learn he was back after 13 years away in the fifth installment, but things were far from straightforward for Ford on the set.

Disney eventually released a statement that the actor had “sustained an injury involving his shoulder” while they were rehearsing a fight scene. However, it was announced that things weren’t bad enough to pause filming. Instead, Disney confessed that “the appropriate course of treatment” was being evaluated for their star, with the schedule adjusted as needed.

Leonardo DiCaprio didn’t break character in Django Unchained when he cut his hand on glass

When it comes to actors who give it their all, Leonardo DiCaprio has long been one to watch. After all, there are several reasons the world was campaigning for the star to get his hands on an Oscar until the moment finally came in 2016. Amazingly, it wasn’t for the effort he put in during the Western ‘Django Unchained.’

During a particular scene, Leo’s character bangs his hands on the table. Did you notice the blood dripping down his hand after the incident? Amazingly, that was never meant to happen. Leo had actually cut his hand on some glass, and being such a talented actor, he decided to push through, ultimately needing stitches for the injury.

Channing Tatum was inches away from a serious injury during Foxcatcher

What happens when you bring some of Hollywood’s best actors together? You might just be lucky enough to end up with the biographical sports drama ‘Foxcatcher.’ Channing Tatum was one of the many who starred in the movie, but it wasn’t without its issues. In fact, things could have actually been a lot worse for the star.

At one point, Channing’s character smashes his head into a mirror. The problem? His head went through the wall. Channing later told Variety that he “missed the stuff by about four inches” and could have done some serious damage if he was any closer. So, when you see the cut on Channing’s head, you now know there’s nothing fake.

Jackson “Rock” Pinckney sued Jean-Claude Van Damme following an accident during Cyborg

There’s a good chance you might not even know the name Jackson “Rock” Pickney. However, he was one of the many stars in the sci-fi action movie ‘Cyborg’ back in 1989 - a role that cut his career as a stuntman and amateur bodybuilder short. In fact, it was acting opposite Jean-Claude Van Damme that changed everything.

Apparently, rehearsals saw Van Damme hold a prop knife against his forearm for protection, but when filming, he held it “like a hammer” and accidentally struck Jackson in the eye. They both blamed each other, with Jackson suing Van Damme for $800,000 as he was left blind in his left eye. Eventually, a jury awarded him $487,000.

Jeremy Renner didn’t let Tag breaking both his arms stop him from working

Jeremy Renner isn’t one to go down without a fight. Sadly, it turned out the comedy movie ‘Tag’ would see the actor lose a fight against a stack of chairs - not that Jeremy let that slow him down. In one scene, Jeremy was meant to perform a stunt by falling off a stack of chairs from about 20 feet up.

Jeremy later told ‘The Tonight Show’ that he immediately knew something was wrong when he fell down, followed by the chairs landing on his arms. Still, he got up to film the scene again before heading to the hospital. Here, they confirmed the actor had broken multiple bones in both of his arms. Jeremy? He returned to work.

Kyle Richards had no idea a Halloween film had left her with a broken nose

There’s a good chance most people recognize Kyle Richards from her time as a reality star, but she has also dabbled in acting, including her time in the slasher ‘Halloween’ franchise. Sadly, it was 2021’s release that left Kyle with a memorable injury that she didn’t even realize she had until the star returned home.

Kyle told Us Weekly she knew she’d hurt her nose, but she didn’t say anything as she didn’t want a stunt double to take over. Instead, Kyle ignored the pain - until her makeup artists asked why she had “a bone poking out here.” One trip to the doctor later, and Kyle learned she had actually broken her nose during filming.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson didn’t realize how badly he’d cut his hand while filming Bullet Train

The action comedy ‘Bullet Train’ was meant to be just another notch on Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s belt. The reality? It left him with a permanent reminder of his time on the set. That came in the form of a cut on his hand that was ultimately a lot worse than he believed. Apparently, it happened while filming a fight scene.

Of course, Aaron ended up catching his hand on the one corner that didn’t have any padding. The actor said it was enough to make him pass out, but he thought they needed to immediately get back to filming when he woke up. Sadly for Aaron, it was an overnight stay in the hospital and stitches before that could happen.

Blake Lively had to stop filming The Rhythm Section for six months while her hand recovered

There are on-set injuries, and then there are ones that are so bad they stop filming for months while everyone recovers. Amazingly, the latter was the case for Blake Lively when she was working on the action thriller ‘The Rhythm Section.’ In the end, production halted for six months while Blake’s hand healed after she shattered it completely.

Blake explained to ‘Good Morning America’ that she was “lunging towards Jude Law” when her “hand collided with his elbow.” Sadly, she severed a ligament, dislocated bones, and broke others in the collision, but Blake - ever one to laugh at herself - joked on social media, “Good thing no one told me to ‘break a leg.’”

John Hawkes will likely forever have back issues from lying down in The Sessions

When thinking about on-set injuries, it can be easy to picture action-packed films, but what about the completely unexpected? That was the case for John Hawkes in the romantic comedy-drama ‘The Sessions.’ Here, he played poet Mark O’Brien, who was paralyzed from the neck down following polio complications from his childhood. Meaning he spends the film lying down.

Mark also had a curved spine, with John using a piece of soccer ball-sized foam to make it seem as though he had the same curvature. When talking to Vulture, John called the foam the “torture ball,” stating he still has back issues today. According to a chiropractor, he no longer has “enough movement” on one side.

Angela Bassett can see the moment she broke her hand in What’s Love Got to Do With It

Some stars are willing to go above and beyond to bring a character to life, which is why Angela Bassett worked closely alongside Tina Turner before shooting a biopic about her life, 1993’s ‘What’s Love Got to Do With It.’ Sadly, part of the movie had to focus on the abuse the singer faced throughout her life.

Apparently, Angela was so dedicated to the scenes that she actually ended up injured after filming some of the scenes. Here, Angela backs away from her on-screen husband and wasn’t meant to fall over a couch. However, sticking to what was happening, the actress tried to catch herself and ended up with a hairline fracture in her right hand.

Johnny Depp could have lost his life being dragged by a horse during The Lone Ranger

Johnny Depp has brought a host of characters to life throughout the years, including Tonto in the Western ‘The Lone Ranger.’ Even though the actor has ridden horses on set before, he was sent to a Western boot camp to learn everything he needed before shooting the film. The problem? It still didn’t prepare Depp for a terrifying moment.

Apparently, they had been riding the horses for a while when Scout, Depp’s horse, decided to try and run. Depp admitted to The Post it “happened very fast and very slow” as he was dragged through the desert behind a galloping Scout. Somehow, he only walked away with a bruise on his stomach in the shape of a hoofprint.

Angelina Jolie initially thought her injury during Salt was much worse

The 2010 action thriller 'Salt' saw leading lady Angelina Jolie step up as the star of it all, but it turns out filming wasn't entirely without incident. At Comic-Con in 2010, Angelina admitted to the audience that she was meant to be doing a "ridiculously" easy stunt, but it somehow went wrong and left a "little scar" above her nose.

As if that wasn't enough, Angelina initially thought the injury was much worse and she had a concussion as she was struggling to hear other people on set. Thankfully, it turned out the actress merely had her earplugs in, and they were muffling the sound, but it didn't make the accident any less painful for the star.

Alex Wolff thought the desk in Hereditary would be a lot safer than it was

Supernatural horror movies aren’t everyone’s go-to when it comes to movie night, but some can’t get enough of the things. ‘Hereditary’ certainly seemed to check a lot of boxes for fans, but some scenes might be even more terrifying when you know what happened on the set. The worst might be the case of Alex Wolff, who played Peter Graham.

Apparently, Alex offered to hit his face onto a real desk during one scene, but producers wouldn’t let it happen. He assumed the replacement would be made of foam, but he couldn’t have been more wrong. By the end, Alex had a bloody nose, lost his voice, cut his knee on the chair, and had a completely swollen ankle.

Isla Fisher was actually drowning and not acting when filming Now You See Me

The heist movie ‘Now You See Me’ was so popular it wasn’t long before there was a second, with a third on the way any day now. However, the original was almost game over for one of its stars, as Isla Fisher later confessed she almost drowned on the set while performing a trick involving a water tank.

The actress admitted she had a quick release on her handcuffs, but the chain between her wrists and ankles wasn’t meant to be broken. Sadly, the chain got stuck underneath a slot, and Isla was trapped in the water. According to her interview with On Demand Entertainment, everyone thought Isla was merely acting when she was actually drowning.

Tom Cruise broke his ankle during Mission: Impossible - Fallout thanks to a misjudged jump

Like many other big names in the business, Tom Cruise is one who’s earned a reputation for always doing his own stunts. Amazingly, the Hollywood legend doesn’t have a long list of injuries as a result, but there is one that stands out. That all came from the 2018 action spy film ‘Mission: Impossible - Fallout.’

Cruise was meant to be jumping between the roofs of some buildings when he doesn’t quite make one of the leaps and snaps his ankle. Amazingly, the shot actually makes it into the final edit, meaning you can go back and watch the moment Cruise breaks his ankle over and over again if that’s what you’re into.

Linda Blair would forever be left with back issues after working on The Exorcist

Horror films have come a long way since the early days, but that doesn’t mean the violence that often takes place on set means they’re any less prone to accidents. ‘The Exorcist’ hit the big screen in 1973 and instantly took the world by storm. Sadly, Linda Blair wouldn’t be able to forget her time in the movie anytime soon.

The actress played Regan, the possessed girl, and was encouraged to do most of her own stunts at just 12. One involved wearing a harness to be strapped to the bed, but it wasn’t tightened properly, meaning she constantly hit her spine. Later, the levitation scene - combined with a later car accident - broke her back and saw Linda develop scoliosis.

Ellen Burstyn broke her tailbone, and it can still be seen in The Exorcist

Ellen Burstyn was another star of ‘The Exorcist,’ as she was the one to bring Chris, Regan’s mother, to life. Sadly, it seemed anyone in the on-screen family was going to walk away with a permanent injury, as Ellen fractured her tailbone during one particular scene. It was all when Regan slapped Chris in the movie.

Ellen was meant to be pulled back by a wire but admitted the first pull was too hard and it hurt. Rather than listen, they pulled the wire even harder the following time. That’s right; the agonizing scream you hear in the final cut isn’t Ellen acting - it’s her in agony, ultimately ending up on crutches for two weeks.

Jennifer Lawrence lost her hearing for months after filming The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Plenty of people grew to know Jennifer Lawrence as the goofy actress who was more down-to-Earth than plenty of stars we had seen before. Perhaps it’s no wonder that she’s also someone who’s suffered an on-set injury? It all came during the dystopian movie ‘The Hunger Games: Catching Fire’ and almost left her with permanent damage.

Jennifer later told Vanity Fair that it wasn’t a “physically challenging” role, but she was “deaf in one ear for months.” Apparently, it was all down to constant having to get in and out of the water, meaning she was always getting ear infections while filming. Plus, the jets during one Cornucopia scene actually “punctured [her] eardrum.”

Jennifer Lawrence seriously injured herself for a while on the set of mother!

It seems Jennifer Lawrence is no stranger to on-set injuries. The psychological horror ‘mother!’ really put the actress through it as it showcases some incredibly disturbing scenes, with one leaving her character to have an emotional breakdown. Apparently, Jennifer somehow gave her hyperventilating a little too much effort, as it left her with several injuries afterward.

As well as dislocating a rib, Jennifer also had a tear in her diaphragm, claiming in an interview with Hot Ones that her rob “still clicks to this day.” Thankfully, that seems to be the extent of the damage it’s caused, but it just goes to show how much some actors are willing to give their part.