Actors Talk About Their "Almost-Died" Experiences While Filming

Margot Nolan

Fame comes with pressure and struggles. The life of A-list actors and actresses isn't that glamorous. They show up at red carpets and commercial events in gorgeous costumes, which is paid for by their sweat and tears on movie sets. Many actors (and actresses) had horrendous experiences while filming. Some even almost died on set and that obsessed them for years.
Some actors and actresses almost died while filming. It's not exaggerated or a trick for movie marketing. Charlize Theron was “almost paralyzed” while performing a back-flip stunt for "Aeon Flux". . The actress was slapped around the neck due to a mistake. George Clooney also had a terrifying experience on the set of "Syriana". The actor got his back torn a two-and-a-half-inch and his neck torn a half-inch tear while shooting a torture scene.
This list shares the life-threatening experiences of 20 actors and actresses on movie sets. Scroll down to know more!

#1 Charlize Theron was “almost paralyzed” after performing a back-flip stunt for "Aeon Flux" (2005). Due to a mistake, the actress ended up falling on her neck, slipping a disc that came very close to penetrating her spinal cord.


#2 While shooting a torture scene for the 2005 thriller film "Syriana", George Clooney got his back torn two-and-a-half-inch and his neck torn a half-inch.


#3 Jackie Chan cracked his skull open while filming the 1986 Hong Kong action-adventure film "Armour of God". The actor fell from 25ft directly hitting his head on a rock.


#4 Michael J. Fox almost died of choking on a rope while shooting "Back to the Future III". Specifically, the actor passed out for approx 30 seconds.


#5 Halle Berry got a horrendous experience on the set of "The Call". The actress hit her head on the concrete floor, leaving her unconscious while filming a fight scene.


#6 Tom Hanks got a minor cut on his leg while shooting a scene for Cast Away. However, the wound contracted a potentially deadly staph infection, leaving the actor in hospital for three days.


#7 Tom Cruise almost died while filming the 2003 fascinating and inspiring epic "The Last Samurai". Some mechanical horses malfunctioned during the shoot, causing his co-star’s blade inches away from Cruise’s neck.


#8 Jennifer Lawrence almost died while shooting a scene in a tunnel for "The Hunger Games" 2012. The actress was trapped in thick smoke created by a malfunctioning fog machine.


#9 Johhny Depp had a traumatic experience on the sets of "The Lone Ranger". The actor was thrown off a galloping horse, stomped upon, and dragged for nearly 30 yards before he was rescued.


#10 In 1989, Ed Harris almost drowned while filming "The Abyss". The actor didn't notice that his oxygen tank would run out before finishing the scene, leaving him gasping for air.


#11 Martin Sheen had a traumatic episode on the set of "Apocalypse Now". The actor suffered a heart attack, collapsing in the middle of the jungle. He had to crawl almost half a mile before finding help.


#12 John Hurt wore so many prosthetics while filming "The Elephant Man" that he almost suffocated to death.


#13 Brendan Fraser got fully choked out and stopped breathing after performing a hanging stunt in "The Mummy" 1999. The actor needed resuscitation immediately.


#14 Uma Thurman almost died while on sets of "Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief". An unmanned van rammed towards her, luckily, she was saved by Pierce Brosnan.


#15 Aaron Paul swapped his position while shooting a scene for "Breaking Bad". That decision saved his life. A boulder later fell off the roof, which was exactly at the spot he had been standing before.


#16 Joseph Gordon-Levitt collided with a taxi while filming a scene on the street for "Premium Rush" (2012). The actor was required more than 30 stitches.


#17 Jaimie Alexander suffered serious damages while shooting for "Thor: The Dark World". The actress fell from a metal staircase, causing her a displaced disc in her spine, chipped 11 vertebrae, dislocated her left shoulder, and tore her left side’s rhomboid.


#18 Dylan O’Brien almost died on the sets of "The Maze Runner: The Death Cure". The actor's cheekbones and orbital sockets were torn and fractured while performing a stunt.


#19 Jason Statham almost died while shooting an action stunt on a 3-ton truck for "The Expendables 3". The truck's brake failed, causing the actor to jump out of the vehicle before it submerged into the Black Sea.


#20 Gerard Butler was knocked out by a strong wave while filming 'Chasing Mavericks". Luckily, he was rescued at the Northern California surfing spot.