YO
T
HEY’RE the brave people who do all the
dangerous stuff on film sets so actors don’t
have to risk their lives. But sometimes
things go horribly wrong for stunt doubles.
Production on Fast & Furious 9 was halted
after actor VIN DIESEL’s stunt double, JOE WATTS,
was severely injured while filming in England.
Vin (52), who plays Dominic Toretto in the
movies, is said to be tearful and in total shock after
witnessing Joe (31) fall from a balcony and land on
his head.
Filming was immediately halted, and the cast and
crew were sent home fearing the worst as Joe was
flown to hospital. “He fell at least 10m, maybe a bit
more. Vin Diesel was seen on set seconds after. He
looked ashen and was blinking back tears,” an insider
said.
Jason Statham – who plays Deckard Shaw in the film
franchise – later spoke out about the incident, hailing
stunt performers as the unsung heroes of action movies.
“It’s an unpredictable science. It’s just a real shame acci-
dents happen,” he told news outlet Extra TV.
“On set the stunt people are and have been for my whole
career the best relationships I have. They put themselves out
there to make other people look good without [getting] anything
back.”Risky business
STUNTS THAT WENT WRONG
sidentEvil:The
alChapter(2016)SouthAfricanstuntwoman
OLIVIAJACKSON(now35)
wasseriouslyinjuredwhile
workingasMILLAJOVOVICH’s
stuntdoubleinJohannes-
burg.Duringfilming,
Oliviacrashedhermo-
torcycleintoa metal
cameraarm,leaving
herleftarmparalysed
andatrophied.Thearm
waslateramputated.DANIELRADCLIFFE’s
stuntdouble,former
gymnastDavidHolmes
(now38),becamepara-
lysedfromtheneck
downafterhehita wall
whilefilminga flying
scene.Fury(2014)
During filming of the World
War 2 film starring BRAD
PITT, one of the stunt per-
formers was accidentally
stabbed in the shoulder with
a bayonet during a shoot in
England. The 35-year-old was
immediately rushed to the
hospital after the accident
and made a full recovery.EYOU D
Deadpool^2 (2018)
StuntriderSequanaJ
Harris(40)– a forme
professionalroadrac
waskilledwhenshel
controlofhermotorcycle
onthestreetsofVancouver,
Canada,whiledoublingfor
actressZazieBeetz.The
stuntrequiredhernotto
weara helmet.Harry Potter and the Deathly
Hallows: Part 1 (2010)SOURCES: SCREENRANT.COM, EXTRATV.COM, GUARDIAN.COM, DAILYMAIL.CO.UK, CHANNEL24.COM, APNEWS.COM, COMPLEX.COM, USMAGAZINE.COM
RReses
FinJoi
r
cer–
ost102 | 8 AUGUST 2019 you.co.za^